Archive for February, 2016

Recent News

7 top professional baseball teams holding their spring training in Okinawa

7 top professional baseball teams holding their spring training in Okinawa

February 2, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On February 1, professional baseball spring training camps began throughout Okinawa. The Hanshin Tigers have begun training in Ginoza Village, the Chunichi Dragons in Chatan Town, the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars in Ginowan City, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Urasoe City, the Chiba Lotte Marines in Ishigaki City, the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles in Kumejima Town, and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Kunigami Village. There was drizzle, but all teams trained hard in...

 

Specific levels of 25 toxic substances withheld at information sessionon

Specific levels of 25 toxic substances withheld at information sessionon

February 1, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

Recently, dioxins were detected in the soil at levels exceeding environmental standards in a residential area of the Kamisedo district of Chatan Town. On January 31, at the town chamber of commerce building in Kamisedo, the Okinawa Defense Bureau (ODB) held an...

Okinawa to establish 3 billion yen fund to tackle child poverty

January 29, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On January 28, findings of an actual condition survey conducted by the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) revealed that Okinawa’s child poverty rate is 29.9 percent. It is the first time in Japan for the poverty rate at a prefectural level to be published....

Jomon Period earthenware dug up at Ie Jima Auxiliary Airfield

December 20, 2015 Ryukyu Shimpo

The U.S. military plans to carry out an exploratory drilling survey for improvement work of a coral runway, a simulated Landing Helicopter Deck (LHD), which is located within the Ie Jima Auxiliary Airfield. On December 19, several pieces of earthenware and fire...

Okinawa Governor files lawsuit countering Japanese government’s decision to suspend his revocation of landfill permit

Okinawa Governor files lawsuit countering Japanese government's decision to suspend his revocation of landfill permit

February 2, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On February 1, Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga filed a lawsuit with the Naha district branch of the Fukuoka High Court against the Japanese government, seeking to nullify the Japanese government’s decision to suspend his revocation of a landfill permit at...

Concerns of congestion at Naha Airport arise from doubled number of F15s at JASDF Naha Air Base

Concerns of congestion at Naha Airport arise from doubled number of F15s at JASDF Naha Air Base

January 27, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On January 26, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) decided to form a new air wing, the 9th Air Wing, at Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Naha Air Base starting January 31. Naha Air Base’s 83rd Air Wing will receive 20 F-15 fighter jets from Tsuiki Airfield. With...

Detection of PFOS in drinking water leads to request for access onto US base compounds

Detection of PFOS in drinking water leads to request for access onto US base compounds

January 21, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

PFOS, a fluorinated organic compound and pollutant, has been detected in the water at Chatan Water Purification Plant and Hija River. On January 21, director of the Okinawa Prefectural Enterprise Bureau Toshiaki Taira visited the Defense Ministry’s Okinawa...

Former MOD and JSDF officials employed at companies involved in Henoko base construction

Former MOD and JSDF officials employed at companies involved in Henoko base construction

January 22, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

During the roughly two years between December 2013 and the end of November 2015, Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) has entered into contracts with sixty-five companies to carry out construction and other works related to the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps...