Archive for October, 2016

Recent News

Rainbow in night sky drawing arch of happiness captured in Ishigaki

Rainbow in night sky drawing arch of happiness captured in Ishigaki

October 18, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

The national Ishigaki Island astronomical observatory succeeded in capturing images of a rainbow that appeared in the moonlight at 7 p.m. on October 16. The astronomical observatory explained the occurrence as “a rare phenomenon that requires a dark night sky and clean air.” A sky-monitor camera captured the large rainbow for about 15 minutes from 7:06 p.m. in the sky above Taketomi Island and Kohama Island. The camera also captured an arch-like...

 

Young attendees to the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival visit and study Henoko and Takae

Young attendees to the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival visit and study Henoko and Takae

October 25, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On October 24, young people of Okinawan heritage in their 20s and 30s from countries around the world visited places shaken by military base issues, namely the ocean at Henoko and the woods in Takae, prior to the opening of the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival...

Hawaii’s Ige tells Onaga he is inspired by great participation from abroad in Uchinanchu Festival

Hawaii’s Ige tells Onaga he is inspired by great participation from abroad in Uchinanchu Festival

October 26, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo online edition

Governor of Hawaii David Ige visited Governor Takeshi Onaga at the Prefectural Office in the evening on October 26 during his trip to Okinawa to attend the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival. The two confirmed that Okinawa and Hawaii will continue...

3973-Person Karate demonstration breaks Guinness World Record at anniversary festival on Kokusai Street

3973-Person Karate demonstration breaks Guinness World Record at anniversary festival on Kokusai Street

October 24, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

A Karate Guinness World Record was attempted at the “Karate Day Anniversary Demonstration Festival,” on Kokusai Street in Naha, October 23. A simultaneous demonstration of 3973 people was formally recognized by adjudicators, setting a new Guinness World Record....

Protests in Osaka call for withdrawal of Osaka police from Okinawa after “dojin” remark

Protests in Osaka call for withdrawal of Osaka police from Okinawa after “dojin” remark

October 25, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On October 24, a total of around 150 citizens, labor union members and others, both local and from outside Osaka Prefecture, visited the Osaka Prefectural Office and the Osaka Prefectural Police Department headquarters (see photograph) to protest recent events...

5th Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival held to deepen bond for Okinawaʻs future

5th Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival held to deepen bond for Okinawaʻs future

October 21, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On October 20, the 5th Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival was held for the first time in Okinawa. At the opening ceremony in Sawafuji Mirai Hall, Nishihara, more than 200 participants attended. Four representatives pledged that Uchinanchu youth from around the...

Okinawa Shogaku highlights benefits of making karate compulsory

Okinawa Shogaku highlights benefits of making karate compulsory

October 21, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

It has been a decade since Okinawa Shogaku Junior and Senior High schools and the Federation of Okinawa Karate agreed to make karate a compulsory class at the school. Once a week, 7th to 11th graders (for 12th graders the class is optional) practice under an instructor...

Onaga responds to riot police officer using discriminatory term for Okinawan protesters

Onaga responds to riot police officer using discriminatory term for Okinawan protesters

October 20, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

At an interview on October 19 at the Okinawa Prefectural Office, Governor Takeshi Onaga gave a comment in regards to the riot police officer who used “dojin,” a derogatory term for “aborigines,” to refer to Okinawan protesters. Onaga said, “The implication...

Editorial: Government responsible for structural discrimination behind “dojin” remark

October 20, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

At the U.S. military’s Northern Training Area, where helipads are being built, a riot police officer from the Osaka Prefectural Police Department yelled out “dojin,” a derogatory term for “aboriginal,” at protesters opposing the helipad construction...

Editorial: Base contamination information disclosure must precede land return plan

October 18, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

Thorough decontamination of land used by the U.S. military must be carried out before it is returned. The Okinawa Defense Bureau has submitted a proposal plan for the return of roughly half of the U.S. military’s Northern Training Area, but the fact that its...

World’s most tremendous Great Tug of War in Naha

World’s most tremendous Great Tug of War in Naha

October 10, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

The 46th Naha Tug of War was held at the Kumoji intersection of Route 58 in Naha on October 9. According to the organizer, about 270,000 people took part in the event.

The crowd pulled on the rope for 30 minutes, with the West side winning the competitive...