Gov. Onaga Attends Opening Ceremony of Okinawa Collection at Washington University

June ４, 2015 Ryukyu Shimpo　Ryota Shimabukuro reports from Washington D.C.

A collection of books showcasing Okinawan history, culture, politics and arts, called the “Okinawa Collection”, was released at the George Washington University library in Washington City on June 2. The collection project is supported by the Okinawa Prefectural Government and part of efforts to create a center of Okinawan Studies in the capital, Washington, in order to deepen people’s understanding on Okinawa.

The collection includes 300-400 books on Okinawa-related topics such as prefectural history, culture, arts, and military base issues. The books were donated by the Okinawa Prefectural Government and Professor Mike Mochizuki, who has been studying the Okinawan issue for a long time at George Washington university.

The project’s budget for 2014 was 2 million yen, and 8 million yen for 2015. The allocated money will be used to purchase and translate books, as well as manage the collection.

Governor Onaga attended the opening ceremony on June 2, while on his diplomatic trip to Washington, to celebrate the establishment of the collection. “I hope this will lead many more people to be interested in Okinawa and to deepen their understanding of Okinawa,” he said.

Professor Mochizuki emphasized the importance of the collection, stating, “Okinawa is becoming a window through which we can understand the US-Japan relationship and build relationships in the Asia-Pacific area.” Vice Provost for Libraries at the George Washington University, Geneva Henry, also spoke at the gathering. He said; “this opportunity is beneficial for government officials as well as scholars.”

(English translation by T&CT and Sayaka Sakuma)

Go to Japanese


　


Previous Article:
Next Article:

[Similar Articles]