February 8, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo
On January 29, the Dento Kumi-odori Hozonkai, a voluntary organization to which the professionals of kumi-odori or traditional Okinawan musical belong, was designated as a general incorporated association by the government. Kumi-odori is recognized by the government as an Important Intangible Cultural Property and is also designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Becoming a general incorporated association will allow the Hozonkai...
February 4, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo
By mid-February, the voluntary group the Okinawa Actors’ Association, which is made up of the actors of Uchina shibai or Okinawan plays, will change into a general incorporated association, and start working to reinvigorate Okinawan popular drama. Becoming...
January 22, 2013 Takahiro Miyagi of the Ryukyu Shimpo
On January 20, at the Nanjo City Culture Center Sugar Hall, the professional orchestra group known as the Sugar Hall Orchestra held its first concert, entitled, Fate. Together with previous prizewinners of the Okiden Sugar Hall Armature...
January 16, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo
The Okinawa Prefecture Board of Education has launched a project to send high school students engaged in arts and cultural activities to Singapore in February, and then to Shanghai in March, in order to deepen cultural exchanges with young people in those cities....
December 15, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
On December 9, at the Miyako Undersea Park Observation Facility, in Miyako-jima, the Japanese String Teachers Association (JASTA) held what was called “The Concert in the Sea.” This was a pre-event for the JASTA String Festival 2013, which will be held next...
December 3, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
On December 2, at the Naha City Hall, the Ryukyuan historical play “Surrender of the Shuri Castle,” which depicts the annexation of the Ryukyu Kingdom by the Meiji government, was performed. According to the Okinawa Actors’ Association, this play had...
November 27, 2012 Takahiro Miyagi of the Ryukyu Shimpo
On November 14, the rock band Shores released its first album called Beginning | End through BORNtoLOVE Records. Produced by MEG from 2side1BRAIN and SHUNTAROCK, the album sells for 1575 yen, and contains eight songs with constructive...
October 29, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
On October 28, the third day of the Shurijo Castle Festival commemorating the 20th anniversary of the opening of Shurijo Castle Park, a Ryukyu Dynasty-style Royal procession was held in Kokusai Street in Naha. The festival was organized by the event’s executive...
September 20, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko has completed a film of Eisa-cise, which is a fusion of exercise and eisa that they invented. From October 6, which is during the Worldwide Eisa Festival 2012, the product will be available for a fee on DVD and for...
September 9, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
On September 3, in Montreal, Canada, the Japanese-Canadian movie Karakara, which was produced by Okinawan filmmaker, Takako Miyahira, won the Public Award for the most popular Canadian feature film and the Openness to the World Award at the 36th Montreal...
August 10, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
The World Hip Hop Dance Championship 2012 was held from August 1 to 5 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. About 300 teams from about 40 countries participated in the event. Sol-T-Shine, a team made up of eight Okinawan children in elementary and junior high school,...
