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Okinawan beer export reaches new record

August 19, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

The amount of beer exported from Okinawa in 2015 reached 2,488 kiloliters, which is a 41.5 percent increase on the previous year. The profit from beer sales increased by 38.1 percent, bringing in 380.7 million yen – a record number for the sixth consecutive year. Orion Beer makes up the majority of exports, owing to a growing number of loyal customers among international tourists in Okinawa. In addition, breweries’ active promotion led to an increase...

 

Tosho Hayate defends his twelfth champion title at All Okinawa Bullfighting Summer Tournament

Tosho Hayate defends his twelfth champion title at All Okinawa Bullfighting Summer Tournament

August 15, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On August 14, the Seventh All Okinawa Bullfighting Summer Tournament was held at the Ishikawa Multipurpose Dome in Uruma City. The event decided the middleweight (less than 970 kilograms) and lightweight (less than 850 kilograms) champions of Okinawa’s fighting...

Two protestors sustain injuries while opposing helipad construction in Takae

Two protestors sustain injuries while opposing helipad construction in Takae

August 23, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On August 22, riot police forcibly removed about 90 protestors who were blocking construction vehicles working on construction of new helipads in the Northern Training Area spanning Higashi Village and Kunigami Village in Okinawa. One man and one woman were injured...

About 400 people gather in Takae to protest helipad construction

About 400 people gather in Takae to protest helipad construction

August 19, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On the afternoon of August 19, about 400 people gathered in Takae Ward of Higashi Village to hold a protest rally against the construction of new helipads in the U.S. military’s Northern Training Area (NTA). The people taking part in the rally aimed to prevent...

Editorial: Removal of reporters in Takae violates freedom of the press

August 22, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

State power mercilessly suppresses protest activities carried out by citizens on the basis of freedom of thought and belief. At this moment in time, the only places in Japan where that is happening are Henoko, Nago City and Takae, Higashi Village.

It is...

Environmental economics pioneer Kenichi Miyamoto calls base expansion “tragic”

Environmental economics pioneer Kenichi Miyamoto calls base expansion “tragic”

August 15, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On August 14, Kenichi Miyamoto, Osaka City University professor emeritus and internationally recognized pioneer in the field of environmental economics, visited Henoko, Nago City, the planned relocation site for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. In Henoko,...

Actress Sayuri Yoshinaga questions why Japanese government does not bring Marines to Tokyo

Actress Sayuri Yoshinaga questions why Japanese government does not bring Marines to Tokyo

August 19, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

On August 8, the August 23-30 issue of the weekly magazine Jyosei Jishin hit shelves, containing a printed discussion between actress Sayuri Yoshinaga and political scientist Sang-jung Kang concerning construction of new helipads around Takae, Higashi Village,...

U.S. veterans’ group passes resolutions calling for abandonment of base construction at Henoko and Takae

U.S. veterans’ group passes resolutions calling for abandonment of base construction at Henoko and Takae

Takae August 15, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

Washington special correspondent Sakae Toiyama reports

[Berkeley] At its annual national convention on August 15, Veterans for Peace, a peace organization made up of military veterans with 120 chapters across the United States, unanimously passed...

Ryukyuan dance displayed in China at 2016 Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival

Ryukyuan dance displayed in China at 2016 Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival

August 10, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

The Okinawa Performing Arts Federation sent a delegation of Ryukyuan dancers to the 2016 Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival, which was held from July 29 to August 2 at Chengdu City of Sichuan, China. Okinawan traditional performing arts were...

Nago sees 250 million yen surplus thanks to “hometown tax” donations from opponents of Henoko base

Nago sees 250 million yen surplus thanks to “hometown tax” donations from opponents of Henoko base

August 7, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

Japan’s “hometown tax” system allows people to give donations to local government bodies of their choice and deduct that amount from their residents’ taxes. On August 6, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced the amount that each local...

SEALDs Ryukyu continuing to protest against construction of US base in Henoko and helipads in Takae

August 11, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo

The Okinawa branch of Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy (SEALDs), a student organization that was set up to oppose Japan’s controversial security bills, announced on August 10 that it would continue its activities despite the national organization...