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3,500 people call for peace in 5-15 rally despite heavy rain

3,500 people call for peace in 5-15 rally despite heavy rain

May 20, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On May 19, at the Ginowan Seaside Park, the Okinawa Peace Movement Center and the 5-15 Peace March Executive Committee held a citizens’ rally to call for the protection of life and peace. This was held in the year that Okinawa marked the 41st anniversary of its reversion to Japanese sovereignty on May 15, 1972.

According to the organizers, about 3,500 people from all over the country participated in the rally. They adopted a declaration opposing the...

 

Former comfort woman rebuts Hashimoto’s remarks

Former comfort woman rebuts Hashimoto's remarks

May 19, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, co-leader of the opposition Japan Restoration Party, plans to meet former comfort women on May 24. On May 18, one of the women, Kim Bok-dong, held a press conference at Shalom Hall in Okinawa Christian University in Nishihara. Hashimoto...

25 women’s groups in Okinawa criticize Hashimoto’s remarks on comfort women

25 women's groups in Okinawa criticize Hashimoto's remarks on comfort women

May 15, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, the co-leader of the opposition Japan Restoration Party, has said that the Japanese military’s “comfort women” regime of forced prostitution of Asian women before and during the Second World War was necessary for Japanese...

Still haunted by death of civilians

Still haunted by death of civilians

May 13, 2013 Masatoshi Omine of Ryukyu Shimpo

Joe Drago, an 87-year-old Boston resident who fought in the Battle of Okinawa talked about the battle through Skype to a group of students at St. Bede’s College, a Catholic boys’ high school located in Christchurch, New Zealand. The lesson was...

More than 100 Marines parachute jump from MV-22

May 5, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On May 3, at the Ie Jima Auxiliary Airfield, the U.S. military conducted parachute training from MV-22 Osprey vertical take-off and landing transport aircraft. The training occurred 19 times over three consecutive days with a total of 15 aircraft flying to the airfield.

Up...

Ring of light surrounding the sun appears in sky

Ring of light surrounding the sun appears in sky

May 3, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

At round noon on May 2, a halo, or circle of light like a rainbow that appears around the sun, could be seen in the sky above Okinawa. Shading their eyes with their hands, people looked up at the sky to see the mysterious scene, taking pictures with the cameras in...

U.S. military to deploy more Osprey to Okinawa

April 30, 2013 Ryota Shimabukuro of Ryukyu Shimpo reports from Washington D.C.

In a meeting held at the Department of Defense in the afternoon of April 29, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and the U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that 12 more MV-22 Osprey aircraft will be deployed...

U.S. soldier lands on private property during Osprey training

U.S. soldier lands on private property during Osprey training

May 5, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

After 10:00a.m. on May 1, at Ie Jima Auxiliary Airfield, the U.S. military conducted parachute training for soldiers jumping from MV-22 Osprey vertical takeoff and landing transport aircraft. One of the soldiers involved landed on private property outside that controlled...

People enjoy digging clams at Henoko

People enjoy digging clams at Henoko

April 28, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On April 27, many people enjoyed digging clams at Henoko beach in Nago, near where the U.S. military plans to construct an alternative facility for Futenma Air Station. With an area of sea full of colorful coral in front of them, people questioned why part of these...

Habu snake caught on Miyako Island for the first time

Habu snake caught on Miyako Island for the first time

April 24, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On April 23, the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) announced that a venomous snake of the Sakishima-habu variety was caught on Miyako-jima. According to the OPG, this is the first time that such a snake has been caught in Miyako, which is known as an island that...

Panelists discuss celebration of restoration of Japan’s sovereignty

Panelists discuss celebration of restoration of Japan’s sovereignty

April 26 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

In the evening on April 25, a panel discussion was held on the topic of the Japanese government planning to hold a ceremony on April 28 to commemorate the anniversary of the restoration of Japanese sovereignty after the San Francisco Peace Treaty took effect in 1952....