November 3, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
In Kunigami Village and Higashi Village, in and around the Northern Training Area (NTA), near-threatened species of rare butterflies Ypthima riukiuana and Pithecops corvus ryukyuensis (a type of forest Quaker) spiritedly flutter about. According to the butterfly researcher Akino Miyagi, many of these two varieties of butterfly appear from around September to November. These butterflies often also appear in front of the main...
October 25, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Hideaki Yoneda
Tokashiki – October 12 (September 7 on the Lunar Calendar) was Kajimaya (a celebration of elders turning 97 years old by the traditional age system). In Tokashiki, there was a Kajimaya parade on October 14 celebrating the...
September 18, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
Ishigaki – On September 7, a fantastical photograph showing the Milky Way and a plane flying underneath it was taken in Ishigaki. The photographer was Toru Kinjo, managing director of the Yaeyama Visitors Bureau. He says, “This is the first...
September 2, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
It is currently the best time to harvest unripe shikuwasa, a fruit commonly used in cooking and known for its characteristic refreshing aroma. On the morning of September 1, farmers in Kijoka in Ogimi, the center of Shikuwasa production, were out...
August 12, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
Ogimi – In the approximately one month from late June to late July, four goat kids were born one after the other at Hentona High School in Ogimi, a town close to a forest that is a natural heritage site. The four goats were born to three of the...
July 29, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
There have been multiple traffic accidents in Yambaru (northern part of the main island) involving Yambaru kuina (Okinawa rails), a species of bird that is registered as a Natural Monument of Japan. As of July 28, 24 such accidents had been confirmed...
July 18, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Hideaki Yoneda
Tokashiki – The first rice harvest began in early July in Tokashiki. Currently, there are only three rice-farming households in the town that are growing rice for their own use. One farmer, Shigemitsu...
July 15, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
On July 12, an endangered hawksbill sea turtle was seen laying her eggs on the coast of Itoman. Koki Tokumura, a resident known by locals and on the radio as a lover of turtles discovered the nest and took a video. “It’s the first time in my life...
July 4, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Mitsue Chinen
(Ie) With the aim of teaching about the tragedy of battle on Iejima and instilling a wish for peace, Ie Elementary School (principal: Kyoko Kohatsu) has established a curriculum for first-grade to sixth-grade students, adapted...
June 24, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
Okinawa – Lotus flowers are in bloom at the Southeast Botanical Gardens in Okinawa City, announcing the arrival of summer to visitors. According to staff at the gardens, there are mainly two varieties of lotus, including shokkoren, at Okinawa’s...
June 18, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Ryota Shimabukuro
Okinawa City has incorporated “working on research studies and activities appealing to the national government” regarding the joint military/civilian use of Kadena Air Base into the early stages basic plan of the city’s...
Webcam(Kokusai Street)