Archive for June, 2014

Recent News

Supreme Court turns down Takae lawsuit appeal

June 18, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a resident of Takae in Higashi, where the U.S. military plans to build military helipads as a condition of the partial return of its Northern Training Area. Residents of Takae have been protesting against construction of the helipads. In response, the Okinawa Defense Bureau filed a lawsuit seeking a ban against obstructing passage in the area. On June 17, the second petty bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice...

 

Ceremony to mark 69th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa: pledge not to wage wars again

Ceremony to mark 69th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa: pledge not to wage wars again

June 24, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

A ceremony to mark the 69th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa was held at the Peace Memorial Park, Mabuni in Itoman on June 23. The participants prayed for over 200,000 victims of the war and reaffirmed their commitment to lasting world peace.

The...

Summer vegetable uncheba harvest under cloudy skies

Summer vegetable <em>uncheba</em> harvest under cloudy skies

June 10, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

The harvesting of summer vegetable water spinach, or uncheba in Okinawan dialect, has begun. On June 9, as the rainy season was coming to an end, Katsuaki Higa harvested freshly grown uncheba at his vegetable field in Tagami, Tomigusuku. The village’s...

China’s LCC Spring Airlines to launch flights between Shanghai and Naha in August

June 17, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

China’s LCC Spring Airlines will launch flights between Shanghai and Naha in August. It plans to run four round trips per week using Airbus A320 aircraft. The company has applied to China Civil Aviation Administration for approval to operate the service. This...

Giant bluefin tuna caught off Kumejima Island

Giant bluefin tuna caught off Kumejima Island

June 15, 2014 Yoko Morinaga, correspondent of the Ryukyu Shimpo

A fisherman from Kumejima, now in the middle of bluefin tuna fishing season, caught a giant bluefin tuna weighing 330 kilograms and measuring 2.5 meters in length on June 16th. Seiji Higa is captain of Kumi Maru, a vessel belonging...

Okinawan business community supporting Naha Mayor Onaga’s bid for governor

June 13, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

In the run-up to the prefectural gubernatorial election this fall, members of the Okinawan business community, including chairman of Kanehide Holdings Co., Ltd Morimasa Goya and CEO of Kariyushi Co., Ltd Chokei Taira held a press conference at the Okinawa Prefectural...

Some of Okinawan seen as spies in the Japanese Imperial Army documents during the Battle of Okinawa

Some of Okinawan seen as spies in the Japanese Imperial Army documents during the Battle of Okinawa

June 16, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

Okinawa International University Professor Shinobu Yoshihama held a lecture to mark the 69th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum in Naha on June 15. He talked about what the testimonies of local citizens...

Educators swear at memorial service never to send their students to war

Educators swear at memorial service never to send their students to war

June 8, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

On June 7, the 61st memorial service for 7609 pupils, students, teachers and school staff members who were killed in the Battle of Okinawa, was held at the Okinawa Prefecture Education Center at Kumoji, Naha. Fifty-four people, including educators and bereaved family...

Vice defense minister asks for mayor’s cooperation to deploy ground force on Miyako Islands

June 13, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister of Defense Ryota Takeda met with Miyakojima City Mayor Toshihiko Shimoji on June 12 at the city hall. Takeda asked for the mayor’s cooperation to deploy a security force of the Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) on the islands....

Japanese American organizations select Okinawan for 2014 Women of the Year Award

Japanese American organizations select Okinawan for 2014 Women of the Year Award

June 9, 2014, Sadao Tome, correspondent of Ryukyu Shimpo

The Downtown Los Angeles Chapter of the Japanese American Citizen League and the Japanese Women’s Society of Southern California selected four women for the 2014 Women of the Year Award on May 4. The organizations recognized them...

Onna Village continuing international exchanges with four Asian countries

Onna Village continuing international exchanges with four Asian countries

June 13, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

The Onna Village Board of Education continues to provide chances for children to connect with Asian neighbours through an international exchange programs with four Asian countries and regions such as Taiwan and Malaysia. In February, Onna received approval to conduct...