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Aya Arashiro, “Mother of Okinawa,” has been looking after local foreign exchange students for over 20 years

Aya Arashiro, “Mother of Okinawa,” has been looking after local foreign exchange students for over 20 years

March 28, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

At the graduation and completion ceremony at the National Institute of Technology, Okinawa College in Nago on March 18, Aya Arashiro, 70, who runs the dining bar “Aya” in Nago, watched over two foreign exchange students. Arashiro has been supporting foreign exchange students from schools like the Okinawa College and Meio University as the “Mother of Nago,” before sending them off to their respective countries, since around 20 years ago.

The two...

 

American journalist covers Okinawa people’s rally for Public Radio International broadcast

American journalist covers Okinawa people’s rally for Public Radio International broadcast

March 24, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Chie Tome

An American journalist, 37-year-old Sonia Narang, attended the prefectural people’s rally on March 25 opposing the construction of a replacement facility to Futenma Air Station in Henoko, Nago. Narang is investigating and reporting on the reality...

Special award for Okinawan group performing Eisa dance for disaster-affected Tohoku

Special award for Okinawan group performing Eisa dance for disaster-affected Tohoku

March 23, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

“Tohoku Eisa Project” , which consists of people from Young Men’s Association of Kitanakagusuku village, received a special award from the Japan Seinendan Council. The Japan Seinen OB Prefectural Assembly Prize for Encouragement is a special award...

OPG orders central government to stop construction work in Henoko due to “inadequate explanation about the plan”

OPG orders central government to stop construction work in Henoko due to

March 29, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

On March 28, the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) ordered the Okinawa Defense Bureau (ODB) to suspend the submerging of concrete blocks into the sea, which is part of work to set up silt protectors for the construction of a new U.S. base in Henoko, Nago City....

Resort weddings at record high for five consecutive years, with 15,000 couples last year

March 24, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

On March 23, the Okinawa Prefecture Culture, Tourism and Sports Division announced that 15,399 couples had Okinawa resort weddings in 2016, a rise of 8.6 percent from the same period last year and the highest number in five consecutive years. The number of couples...

Okinawa governor may file suit if coral reef fracturing occurs without permission after April

Okinawa governor may file suit if coral reef fracturing occurs without permission after April

March 16, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga made comment on the permit for fracturing reef rock as part of base construction in Henoko on the morning of March 16. The permit for fracturing the reef will expire at the end of March, and the Okinawa Defense Bureau has informed...

72 years after the US military landed on Zamami Island, villagers honour victims of “Group self-determination” and vow never to repeat war

72 years after the US military landed on Zamami Island, villagers honour victims of

March 27, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

On March 26, 2017, 72 years after the “group self-determination” (compulsory group suicides) took place on Zamami Island during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, villagers visited the Heiwa-no-To peace memorial and joined their hands in prayer.
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Cheers for cute white lion cub at Okinawa Zoo

Cheers for cute white lion cub at Okinawa Zoo

March 27, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

On March 26, at the Okinawa Zoo and Museum in Goya, Okinawa City, a welcome ceremony for a male white lion cub from the Tohoku Safari Park in Fukushima was held.

White lions are rare and can only be seen in eight zoos in the country. Many parents and children...

Mao Ishiakwa Publishes Photobook in the United States

Mao Ishiakwa Publishes Photobook in the United States

March 23, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Noriko Oshiro

Mao Ishikawa, a photographer who focuses on taking pictures of Okinawa and the people who live there, will be attending four in New York City from March 28 through April 2, including a publication signing event for her new photography book,...

Churaumi Aquarium hosts world-first tiger shark birth from captive breeding

Churaumi Aquarium hosts world-first tiger shark birth from captive breeding

March 24, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

Roughly between noon and 4 p.m. on March 23, a tiger shark gave birth in a shark display tank at Churaumi Aquarium in Motobu Town. Tiger sharks live in ranges from the tropics to temperate zones, and this is the first time a tiger shark has given birth from breeding...

Tourism to reach 8.4 million, guaranteeing Okinawa will reach its goal for fiscal year 2016

March 23, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

On March 22, Okinawa prefecture’s Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports published its numbers regarding inbound tourism between April 2016 and February 2017. Compared to the same timeframe from the year before, 7,990,700 more people visited Okinawa, which...