Okinawa City to market itself as cosmopolitan

Okinawa City to market itself as cosmopolitan

An inauguration ceremony was held for the Okinawa City Multiple Culture Community Promotion Association in the Nakasone District of Okinawa City on June 6.


June 11, 2015 Ryukyu Shimpo

On June 6, an Okinawa City Multiple Culture Community Promotion Association was inaugurated in the Nakasone district of Okinawa city. Takahiro Kina, who served as head of the Okinawa City International Exchange Association, founded the new organization to promote positive ties with foreign residents. In a city home to residents from 50 different countries, the organization aims to bridge cultural divides and foster equal relationships.

The organization plans to hold lectures, meetings, and various events tailored to each nationality. The office will also be an exhibition space for art works created by foreign residents.

Representatives of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly, Okinawa Prefectural Government, and related institutions took part in the inauguration ceremony. Kina said, “With those who support our project, we would like to emphasize the internationalism and freedom unique to Koza.” He added that the organization will follow the Okinawa City Multiple Culture Community Promotion Plan, set up by the Okinawa City government.

The organization plans to regularly hold an event called “Multiple Culture Community Cafe.” Various activities such as lectures and film screenings will be held. So far, the event has featured Italy.

Massetani Marco, who is an Okinawa-affiliated representative of the Italian consulate general, gave a lecture on his experience of living in Okinawa for 18 years. Marco praised the safety environment of Okinawa city, where a child can walk alone and doors open from outside, not automatically locked. He said that Okinawa was like “heaven,” providing a safe life that is unimaginable to Italian people, and values that money can’t buy.

Marco, who has integrated well into life in Okinawa, said, “It’s no surprise, but I have never been discriminated against in Okinawa. I am proud of the excellent local culture of Icharibachode, which promotes open-mindedness.”

Kina plans to hold events featuring Peru in July and Brazil in August. He is also calling for foreign residents to use the office as a place to interact with one another. It is open from 3 to 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday. The organization plans to hold events on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

For further details, call the office at 098 (989) 9392.

(English translation by T&CT)

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