Archive for December, 2013

Recent News

Rediscovering Koza’s post-war history through billboards

Rediscovering Koza's post-war history through billboards

December 12, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

From December 14 the Okinawa Machimaai Council Committee will kick off sightseeing tour programs that allow tourists to experience new attractions throughout the prefecture. On December 6, at Koza Gate Street, the Koza Information Center of the Okinawa City Tourism Association held a pre-launch tour of programs for tour guides. The guides went around the city and through billboards came to understand Koza’s turbulent history.

Sadao Oshiro,...

 

Okinawa Governor calls for Futenma base to stop operating within 5 years

Okinawa Governor calls for Futenma base to stop operating within 5 years

December 18, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima called for Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to stop operating within five years at the Okinawa Policy Council meeting held in the Prime Minister’s Office on December 17. He also requested a reduction of the prefecture’s...

Peace Illumination – 300,000 lights in Itoman

Peace Illumination - 300,000 lights in Itoman

December 15, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

The 15th Itoman Peace Illumination started at the Itoman Tourist Farm in Mabuni, Itoman on December 14. This year’s theme is the prayer of light to connect people. About 300,000 lights were lit up at the same time.

The lights are on from 6.00pm to 10.00...

Okinawa has highest poverty rate in Japan

Okinawa has highest poverty rate in Japan

December 15, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

The poverty rate of Okinawa in 2007 was 29.3 percent, the highest in Japan and twice the national average of 14.4 percent. Associate professor of Yamagata University Kensaku Tomuro revealed the results of his survey of poverty rates by prefecture on December...

One-ton unexploded ordnance found at Cape Kyan in Itoman

One-ton unexploded ordnance found at Cape Kyan in Itoman

December 13, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

At about 12:40 p.m. on December 12, workers carrying out a magnetic survey found a one-ton bomb in an uninhabited area of Kyan in Itoman. Experts speculate that the piece of unexploded ordnance found buried about one meter below the ground was a U.S. made bomb....

Astronomer Kakazu delivers lecture by TV phone from Hawaii

Astronomer Kakazu delivers lecture by TV phone from Hawaii

December 12, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Astronomer Yuko Kakazu delivered a lecture to students of Okinawa Shogaku High School using a TV phone from the Subaru Telescope of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan in Hawaii. A total of 63 first to third grade students of the International Culture...

Hundreds of women protest against Henoko relocation

Hundreds of women protest against Henoko relocation

December 11, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

The U.S. and Japanese governments plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko in Nago, where they will reclaim land to build the new base. At the Public Square in Naha on December 10, 500 people, mainly women, gathered to ask Okinawa Governor...

One and only movie theater in Miyako-jima on verge of closing

One and only movie theater in Miyako-jima on verge of closing

December 11, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Digitalization has affected many movie theaters. Now on the verge of closing, Cinema Panic Miyakojima has been the only theater in the Miyako area in Japan’s extreme south to contribute to cinema culture. It would cost 10 million yen to convert it to a digital...

Parade of 300 bikes attracts crowds to Koza Gate 2 Street

Parade of 300 bikes attracts crowds to Koza Gate 2 Street

December 5, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 1, the Gate #2 Festa was held in front of Kadena Air Base in Koza Gate Street, which is also known as Kuko-dori.

Starting at 2:00 p.m. and attracting a large crowd, the parade of more than 300 motorcycles was the main event of the festival....

Chinese cruise ship visits Okinawa for the first time since Senkaku Islands dispute

Chinese cruise ship visits Okinawa for the first time since Senkaku Islands dispute

December 6, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

The charter cruise ship the Costa Atlantica (about 85,000 tons), carrying 2,389 Chinese tourists, called at Naha Port on December 5. Visits by Chinese charter cruise ships were cancelled when the Senkaku Islands dispute occurred, so this is the first visit in...

Cafe within OIST wins Food Action Nippon Award

Cafe within OIST wins Food Action Nippon Award

December 4, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Yanbaru Harusaa’s Table Kaito+, a cafe located within the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), has won the excellence award in the sales and consumer promotion section of Food Action Nippon 2013. Food Action Nippon is a project designed to recognize...