Archive for the Culture Category

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9,000-10,000-year-old bone fragments discovered in Okinawa thought to be missing link between Paleolithic and Kaizuka-era humans

9,000-10,000-year-old bone fragments discovered in Okinawa thought to be missing link between Paleolithic and Kaizuka-era humans

November 8, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

The Uruma Board of Education (BoE) announced November 8 that human remains dating back as far as 9,000-10,000 years was discovered at the Yabuchi Caves archeological site in Uruma. The remains appear to be skull fragments, are would be the oldest human remains of the Kaizuka people ever discovered. This is the first human remains discovered dating to the period between the Paleolithic era 14,000 years ago and the Kaizuka era 7,000 years ago....

 

Uniting the world with Okinawan sanshin, Shinjin Kise’s new book details his work abroad

Uniting the world with Okinawan sanshin, Shinjin Kise’s new book details his work abroad

July 21, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

By Takeshi Kishimoto

 

 

Shinjin Kise, the 78-year-old master of the Nomura School and Tansui School of Classical Okinawan Music Preservation Society, published the book, Linking the World: The Heart of the Sanshin. Kise,...

Exhibit of Ryukyu Kingdom era garments reproduced by Kyoko Shukumine displays woven colors that can’t be expressed with paints

Exhibit of Ryukyu Kingdom era garments reproduced by Kyoko Shukumine displays woven colors that can’t be expressed with paints

April 20, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Yoko Takaesu

 

Aspiring to bring back the beautiful culture of clothing and accessories from the Ryukyu Kingdom era, Kyoko Shukumine, age 84, textile master of Shuri, is working to reproduce clothing, sashes, and other textile arts from the...

Okinawan National Treasure sings at legendary Carnegie Hall

Okinawan National Treasure sings at legendary Carnegie Hall

April 20, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Naoki Isa, New York

The Ryukyu Koten Afuso Ryu Ongaku Kenkyuu Choichi Kai USA (The Afuso School Style of Classical Ryukyu Music Association) and its president, Grant Sadami Murata, presented “TOBE! Uta Sanshin in NY” at the Carnegie Hall in New York...

Three-year project restores color to vermillion castle

Three-year project restores color to vermillion castle

 

December 8, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

On Dec. 6, the Okinawa General Bureau announced the completion of its three-year repainting project of Shuri Castle located in Naha City. Restoration of the lacquer used on the castle’s seiden, or the main hall, began in 2016 and...

Ryukyu Kingdom’s royal mausoleum “Tamaudun” to be designated as national treasure

Ryukyu Kingdom’s royal mausoleum “Tamaudun” to be designated as national treasure

 

October 19, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

On October 19, the National Council for Cultural Affairs reported to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Masahiko Shibayama that the Tamaudun royal mausoleum of the Ryukyu Kingdom will be designated as...

The National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo exhibits reconstructed face model of Paleolithic era person

The National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo exhibits reconstructed face model of Paleolithic era person

April 20, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo

How did a person from the Paleolithic era 27,000 years ago look?
On April 20 at 9:30 a.m., the Okinawa Prefectural Buried Cultural Property Center announced that the work of restoring the face from a skull found at Shiraho Saonetabaru Cave Ruins has been completed....

OPG opens Shimakutuba Promotion Center

OPG opens Shimakutuba Promotion Center

 

September 13, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

On August 12, the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) held an opening ceremony for the “Shimakutuba Promotion Center,” which plays a core role in encouraging the use of Shimakutuba, at the OPGʻs Culture Promotion...

Eisa Dance Parade of 10,000 held in the hot sun

Eisa Dance Parade of 10,000 held in the hot sun

August 7, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

The 23rd Ten Thousand Eisa Dance Parade was held on August 6 on Kokusai Street in Naha.

In the scorching sun with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, approximately four thousand people gave heroic performances.

The same 66 organizations that...

Photographer Azuma won the grand prize in Japan Portrait Photographer’s Association contest

Photographer Azuma won the grand prize in Japan Portrait Photographer’s Association contest

July 14, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Shinji Sano

Photographer Kunisada Azuma from Nago City won the grand prize out of 100 entries in the 70th Japan Portrait Photographers Association (JPPA) Exhibition held on June 5. It is the second time the award has gone to an Okinawan in 19 years. The...

A documentary film about Kamejiro Senaga to be released in August

A documentary film about Kamejiro Senaga to be released in August

June 25, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

On August 12 at Sakurazaka Theatre in Naha City, documentary film “Kamejiro, the man the U.S. military was most afraid of” (directed by Takahiko Sako) will be preliminarily screened. The documentary is about politician Kamejiro Senaga who stood firm in protest...