Archive for April, 2013

Recent News

Nishihara Farm to promote local specialty product called nigana

Nishihara Farm to promote local specialty product called <em>nigana</em>

March 31, 2013 Yuuna Fukuhara of Ryukyu Shimpo

Agricultural Production Cooperative Nishihara Farm, which was established in conjunction with Nishihara Town, the Deserted Arable Land Planning Committee, and the Commerce and Industry Association, has worked to expand consumption of locally produced nigana. Nigana is a type of indigenous vegetable containing many nutritional components. However, there have been few applications in cooking except dishes dressed in a white...

 

ANA’s mid-sized aircraft arrives at New Ishigaki Airport

ANA's mid-sized aircraft arrives at New Ishigaki Airport

April 1, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On March 31, the first flight using mid-sized aircraft on the Haneda-Ishigaki route operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) arrived at New Ishigaki Airport. ANA uses the 270-seater Boeing 767-300. Because it can also transport cargo, it is hoped that the aircraft will...

Naha starts as regional hub city in Okinawa

Naha starts as regional hub city in Okinawa

April 2, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On April 1, Naha set itself up as the first core city in the prefecture. It becomes the country’s 42nd core city designated in this manner under the Local Autonomy Law of Japan. Core cities assume many roles normally carried out by prefectural governments. Naha...

Memorial service held in Chibichiri-gama where group suicide occurred during the Battle of Okinawa

Memorial service held in <em>Chibichiri-gama</em> where group suicide occurred during the Battle of Okinawa

April 1, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

In the early stages of the Battle of Okinawa, on April 2, 1945, soon after the U.S. forces landed on the main island, an incident of group suicide (normally referred to in Japanese as shudan jiketsu in which the Japanese military ordered or drove civilians...

Six months have passed since the Osprey was deployed to Okinawa

April 1, 2013 Sakae Toiyama and Kenyu Uchima of Ryukyu Shimpo

On April 1, six months passed since the U.S. Marine Corps deployed the MV-22 Osprey vertical take-off and landing transport aircraft to U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station. The deployment occurred on October 1 last year based on...

[Editorial] Consolidation Plan for U.S. bases Governments saying that they will “reduce the burden of bases on Okinawa,” is tantamount to an act of deception

April 6, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Maybe this is just a strategy to maintain the burden of bases on Okinawa. The plan does not talk of even one single military base being moved outside of the prefecture. Why don’t the governments of Japan and the United States realize that their forcing even greater...

Okinawa University offers fees waivers for foster care students

Okinawa University offers fees waivers for foster care students

March 29, 2013 Yoko Takaesu of Ryukyu Shimpo

On March 28, Okinawa University announced that it has set up a special bursary for foster-care students who need assistance. All tuition fees will be waived for these students for four years. Starting from next April, a limited number of enrollees...

Farming corporation to increase kuga-imo yam production

Farming corporation to increase <em>kuga-imo</em> yam production

March 28, 2013 Maki Nagamine of Ryukyu Shimpo

The Ryukyu Eco Project, a farming corporation in Nago, is increasing its production of the lesser yam, which is called kuga-imo in the Okinawan dialect. The yam is rich in nutrition, but because of the difficulty in harvesting and distributing...

Plaintiff wins lawsuit over death of SDF member from Okinawa

Plaintiff wins lawsuit over death of SDF member from Okinawa

March 30, 2013 Tatsuya Ikeda of Ryukyu Shimpo

The plaintiffs have won approximately 65 million yen in a lawsuit concerning the death of 20 year-old Eikichi Shimabukuro, who was killed in 2006 in hand-to-hand combat training at Camp Makomanai in Sapporo, Hokkaido.

The Sapporo District...

Pupils and residents bid farewell to schools being closed down

Pupils and residents bid farewell to schools being closed down

March 25, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On March 24, closing ceremonies were held at Genga Elementary School and kindergarten in Nago, and Kori Elementary School and kindergarten in Nakijin. Decreasing numbers of pupils mean that they will merge with neighboring schools from April. Genga Elementary School...

U.S. soldiers trespass on walking trail in Nago

U.S. soldiers trespass on walking trail in Nago

March 27, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

It has been confirmed that at around 4:30pm on March 26, more than a dozen U.S. soldiers walked on a track in the Yambaru Discovery Forest in Aha in Nago. According to the manager of the facility, Yasuo Yamakawa, who witnessed the scene, they entered the facility...