On July 29, students at Okinawa Technical High School won the 2021 Photography Koshien, a national high school photography competition. Every year, high school students from all over Japan compete to show off their techniques and eye for photography. This year, the young photographers from Okinawa Technical High School earned the Hokkaido Governor’s Award, which is equivalent to first place. The winning students set out to capture photos that “allow the viewer to feel the warmth of the Okinawan people and the atmosphere of their daily lives.” They were happy to showcase the allure of Okinawa to viewers through their pictures.
Due to the pandemic, the Photography Koshien was held online this year for a second time in a row. In total, 479 schools entered the competition and 18 advanced to the final rounds. Results of the preliminary jury selection on July 27 and the final jury selection on July 29, both open to the public, were combined to select the winners.
The theme of the final round was “future.” From Okinawa Technical High School, Yurina Nakamine, 17, a third-year student, Yurika Taira, 17, a second-year student, and Saki Kobayashi, 15, a first-year student, entered the competition. The three tried to capture “the warmth of the Okinawan people” in their photographs and selected the title, “Nankuru-Naisaa.” Nakamine said she “talked with [the subjects] for about 15 minutes before taking their pictures to capture their smiles.” Kobayashi took photographs of island bananas swaying on a tree during a typhoon and a middle-aged man fumbling about. She recalled of the man, “it looked like he was fighting the wind. I had a hard time holding on to my camera as well.” Taira, who is shy, laughed and said, “I was so nervous I was shaking [while shooting]. I tried hard to keep a steady hand.” She added, “Everyone was incredibly sweet and beamed at the camera. I think their kindness and ease can be felt through our photos.”
(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)
A shot from a set of eight photographs submitted to the first jury selection (courtesy of the Photography Koshien Executive Committee)
Hokubu – With the rapid spread of COVID-19, the Northern Municipalities Council and the Northern Region Medical Association stated July 29 that since the middle of July hospital beds are almost entirely full with coronavirus patients, and that, “the healthcare system is in danger of collapsing,” calling for everyone to wear masks and get vaccinated. An emergency conference was held at the Hokubu Kaikan in Nago, where the Northern Municipalities Council chairman Atsushi Toma (mayor of Ginoza) noted that a lot of tourists are anticipated to visit the Natural Cultural Heritage site, and asked visitors to “please refrain from coming now.”
As of July 28, 27 of the 30 hospital beds at the Okinawa Prefecture North Area Hospital were occupied with COVID-19 patients, and 17 of the 20 beds at the North District Medical Association Hospital are similarly occupied. Most of the 30 rooms at the minor illness recuperation hotels in Nago are filled as well. Vaccination rates for those under 64 years of age is low, while transmission rates for people under 50 years of age is growing rapidly.
The Northern Region Medical Association co-chairman Hiroshi Uechi indicated, “the disease spreads when masks are not worn at restaurants and places where people are celebrating, then it is brought back home or to the workplace. It is carelessness.”
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 this year, surpassing the 22 accidents recorded in 2020. Five birds were brought in for treatment and four are still being treated. The clinics treating the birds warn that they are at capacity. In addition to the time required for bone fractures to heal, there are also several birds who cannot be returned to the wild.
The accidents have occurred primarily on Route 2 in Kunigami, and route 70 that connects Kunigami to Higashi. On July 23, yet another dead bird was found on the road. If the examination of the body concludes that it was the victim of a traffic accident, it will be the 25th such accident this year. Takeshi Shimabuku of Ada in Kunigami, who found the dead bird at approximately 6 a.m. on July 23, says that when he found the body, the blood had not yet hardened and the body was still warm. He says, “It’s the second time I have found one this year. It seems like a lot.”
The four birds that were brought in are currently being treated at facilities run by the Ministry of the Environment and the Animal Hospital Okinawa, an NPO in Uruma. One of the birds was in an accident in May, and lost the ability to walk due to a spinal cord injury. Because of the paralysis, the staff helps the bird to defecate. They are currently conducting rehabilitation for the lower half of the bird’s body, but it is unclear how much improvement can be expected. Among the birds who were in accidents, there are other birds who cannot be returned to the wild. In one of these cases, both legs had to be amputated.
Takashi Nagamine, director of the Animal Hospital Okinawa, says that they are facing a new challenge. “We’ve reached a point where we have the skills to save these birds. But the lifespan of a Yambaru kuina is more than 10 years long. We don’t have enough space to care for them long-term.” In addition to calling on drivers to reduce their speed, he adds “if a car has its high beams on, the birds should notice it, and that might help reduce the number of accidents.” In addition to the Yambaru kuina, four Ryukyu long-tailed giant rats, one Okinawa woodpecker, and one Ryukyu robin have also been the hurt in traffic accidents. The long-tailed giant rats and the robin all died in the accidents. The woodpecker is being treated.
On July 29 the Okinawa Defense Bureau (ODB) started work on transplanting approximately 40,000 coral colonies consisting of various varieties of coral as part of Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF) construction in Henoko, Nago City after receiving authorization for the transplantation from the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) on July 28. The OPG granted authorization under conditions such as avoiding transplanting during high-temperature periods and during the breeding season (approximately May through October) so as to boost the survival rate of the coral. However, the ODB is ignoring these conditions and proceeding with the work. The ODB did not contact the OPG prior to starting, and at a press conference on July 29, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said, “It is deplorable that the interpretation is that, after having received authorization, they may carry forth just as they please.” As of July 30, the OPG intends to issue administrative guidance in order to have the conditions observed, on top of protesting the ODB’s actions.
On July 29, in response to an inquiry during an interview with the Ryukyu Shimpo, an ODB spokesperson said, “We are implementing coral collection at the transplantation source, transportation, and coral fixation at the transplantation destination.” According to the OPG, the ODB did not notify the OPG about commencing transplantation work prior thereto, and in response to an inquiry from the OPG, an ODB spokesperson answered, “[the authorization conditions] are being properly observed.”
The ODB is submitting, to the OPG, plan changes to the improvement work on the soft seafloor throughout Oura Bay, but it appears the OPG is not planning, around mid-August, to approve these changes with consideration to the negative influence on environmental conservation. Thereafter, it appears the OPG may cancel its authorization of coral transplantation, obstructing completion of construction as a whole.
On July 28, the OPG authorized the ODB to transplant approximately 40,000 coral colonies that inhabit zones planned for land reclamation and the surrounding areas. The OPG requested, as conditions for transplantation, that the ODB: (1) select a suitable time period, avoiding time periods when the water temperature is high, breeding season, etc. in order to boost the survival rate of the coral, and (2) conduct one follow-up observation roughly one week after a transplantation and report to the OPG.
When water temperatures rise above 30°C, coral experience a striking phenomenon called bleaching. A spokesperson for the OPG said in an interview, “For the time being water temperatures are rising, and this period is not suitable for transplantation.”
The Okinawa Prefectural Office held a “World Natural Heritage List Recognition Watch Party” on July 26, to watch the moment when Okinawa and Amami would be officially recognized as a World Natural Heritage site, with Governor Tamaki among others in attendance to witness the final decision. At the moment the decision was presented over video on YouTube, Governor Tamaki happily exclaimed “Yes, we did it!” while applauding. Even after making the list, endemic species will need to be protected and tourism will need to be managed, and Tamaki emphasized, “Let’s make this valuable natural heritage last for the next hundred, next thousand years,” and expressed his interest in strengthening environmental protection efforts.
The watch party was attended online by places such as the three municipalities in Kunigami, Taketomi, the Ministry of the Environment, and Kagoshima Prefecture.
When Governor Tamaki was told “I hope the recognition on the World Natural Heritage List will strengthen the cooperation between Okinawa and Kagoshima,” by Kagoshima Prefecture Governor Koichi Shiota, Tamaki gave a big nod while watching the screen, indicating his happiness.
After the watch party, Governor Tamaki held a press conference, he explained about efforts to enact polices regarding invasive species as well as policies to protect endemic species from traffic accidents, saying, “In order to pass down this valued natural environment to later generations, we need to continuously work together with everyone here to create a sustainable region worthy of the World Natural Heritage List.”
Regarding the issue of waste being found in the former site of the U.S. military’s Northern Training Area, which was returned to Okinawa, Tamaki said, “We will request cooperation from the U.S., who is the responsible party, to do a survey and speedily dispose of the waste. I would like the U.S. government to protect the environment, to cooperate with Okinawa’s efforts to protect the environment.
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, who now resides in Tobaru, Okinawa City, is the first to be dispatched from the prefecture by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a Cultural Exchange Ambassador to five countries. The book is not only a valuable compilation of his work as an ambassador but also lays out the essence and cultural value of classical Okinawan music, a source of pride for the prefecture. It is also an autobiography of Kise’s 50-year career with the Okinawan sanshin (three-stringed instrument).
Kise’s cultural exchange work across five countries
In addition to serving as a professor at the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, Kise is a designated holder of a Nationally Important Intangible Cultural Property in kumiodori (general certification, uta-sanshin jiutai, or singing sanshin) and a designated holder of the Prefectural Intangible Cultural Property in Nomura School of classical Okinawan music. Kise has traveled to 27 countries thus far; In 1994, he recorded all 204 songs of the Nomura School of classical music on 12 CDs and received an award from the Okinawan government for his cultural contribution. He is also the current president of the lifelong learning facility Peare Rakuen and Kouju College.
In 2009, Kise was appointed Cultural Exchange Ambassador by the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. In August the same year, he left Okinawa for six months and traveled to the Philippines, China, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, giving 26 demonstrations, 76 practical instruction sessions, 5 lectures, and 17 workshops. At Fujian Normal University in China, which has close ties with Okinawa, Kise taught about 60 hours of classes and collaborated with a local performance group called Pingeki, which was widely broadcasted by the local media.
During his travels, Kise contributed articles to this newspaper and other media as a correspondent. In addition to classical Okinawan music, Kise would perform folk songs that are well-known to most Okinawans—numbers like Asadoya Yunta, Warabi Gami, and Hana, while incorporating the kachashi dance. He recalls that the assorted Okinawan entertainment culture “transcended language barriers and united the audience.” Okinawans abroad supported Kise wherever he visited as he traveled alone. He gave special thanks to Yoko Oshiro, a correspondent for this newspaper reporting from France, saying, “She helped me very much and I felt the strong bond of uchinanchus.”
Kise published 350 copies of his new book, in which he details the exchanges he had in each country and offers newspaper materials and photographs. Kise eagerly wrote, “[I] was able to spread Okinawan culture to the world.” In his lectures, he emphasized pacifism as a foundation of classical Okinawan music, which also makes up the five key Okinawan concepts: the Nirai Kanai religion, ichariba cho de (once we meet, we are family), chanpuru (mixing) culture, the spirit of yui maaru (mutual support), and nuchi du takara (life is precious).
Kise gifted the book to his apprentices and other associates and said, “I want the younger generation to grow into leaders and messengers to the world. I hope my book will help them in their development.”
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 Arakaki, 84, says, “Because of the long rainy season, the harvest is starting later than last year, but it looks alright.”
Until twenty years ago, there were more than 40 commercial farms in the town, with around six hectares of land used as rice fields. Between the first and second harvests, the farmers would produce more than 40 tons of rice annually, enough rice for themselves and to sell. However, with Japan’s aging population and not enough people to take over the work, the number of farmers is dwindling. The fields have fallen into disrepair, overrun with weeds.
The three farming households in Tokashiki now grow rice on about 4000 square meters of land. Masaru Chinen, 64, and
Arakaki grew up in Tokashiki. Ryuji Sakata, 51, moved to Tokashiki from mainland Japan.
Although the farming population is shrinking, about one year ago, Arakaki’s son-in-law Toshiyuki Shimoji, 61. moved back to the island after becoming interested in farming there. He made the decision to grow rice and succeed his father-in-law. He rented a field that was unused, and has vowed to revitalize farming on the island. For a town that was struggling with finding people to take over the farms, Shimoji and those like him are a source of hope.
Arakaki says, “Rice has supported life on this island for a long time. I want to restore all of the overgrown rice fields and show younger generations the appeal of rice farming.” Shimoji says, “Growing rice is hard, but there’s joy in making something. I want to bring back the rice fields so that when you look out over the town, you see the fields spread out before you.”
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki announced at a press conference on July 21, just before the four-day holiday that is asking people travelling to and from Okinawa to get tested for COVID-19 before travelling.
Starting on July 22, Naha Airport will administer testing to those who request it, and will strengthen protection measures at the airport. The test results will be available within 30 minutes, and the test will be available to Okinawans looking to travel outside of the prefecture.
For departing elsewhere in Japan, the Japanese government is offering free PCR and antigen testing to passengers travelling to Hokkaido and Okinawa from main airports such as Haneda, Narita, Itami, Kansai, and Fukuoka from July 20 through August 31.
When passengers make a reservation, they agree to a condition that states they will not be allowed to board if they receive a positive test result, and will take a test either at the airport or at a testing center in the city.
According to a representative of the Chief Cabinet Secretary, they are planning on publicly disclosing the number of people who get tested, however they are undecided on factors such as time frame and method.
Governor Tamaki stated, “I want people who cannot call of their plans to visit the island to definitely get tested.”
On July 21, the Okinawa Prefectural Epidemiological Statistics and Analysis Committee on the Novel Coronavirus announced its analysis of the infection status last week (July 12-18). In view of the current situation in which the number of infected persons among persons associated with the U.S. military bases in Okinawa has been rapidly increasing since the beginning of July, the committee made known its opinion that “It is speculated that the Delta variant (a mutation of the virus originating from India) is spreading among the U.S. military in Okinawa.” Meanwhile, the U.S. military has informed the Okinawa prefectural government (OPG) that it will not being testing for the variant, and the actual state of the spread of the variant on the military bases is still unknown.
According to the OPG, when health institutions conduct follow-up surveys of infected persons, if someone with whom the infected person had close contact is associated with the U.S. military, the person associated with the U.S. military is categorized as a “friend/acquaintance,” for example, because the individual cannot be specified.
Due to this, only one person offered the information “associated with the U.S. military” in a category pertaining to the estimated infection routes of persons infected with the novel coronavirus, which is announced daily by the OPG, on July 16 last year. Given that still, more than a year later, only one person has offered this information, actual circumstances are not reflected in the data. The Prefectural Chief Medical Officer Toru Itokazu explained that, “Examination [of the estimated infection routes] is ongoing without verification from the U.S. military.”
The infection of a total of 121 people has been verified on U.S. military bases from July 1 to 21. A spokesperson from the Committee on the Novel Coronavirus mentioned that the Delta variant is prevalent in cases of contact history with U.S. servicemen, and thus there is a probability that the variant attenuates the effects of the Moderna vaccine, by which U.S. servicemen and civilians in military employ are immunized.
At Okinawa’s Novel Coronavirus Expert Meeting on July 21, Director Hideki Kuniyoshi of the Okinawa Prefectural Institute of Health and the Environment reported on genome analysis of the virus variant, and said that 2-3 people associated with the U.S. military were infected with the Delta variant and these were “not the majority.”
In response to an inquiry from the Ryukyu Shimpo, the U.S. military answered that since December 2020 about 39,000 people on the military bases have been vaccinated. The U.S. military has not made public how many U.S. military personnel, civilians in military employ, and family members stationed in Okinawa have been vaccinated in total. When asked about the increase in infected persons since Independence Day on July 4, the U.S. military claimed that there have not been any cases linked to Independence Day gatherings.
Naha City opened the doors of its new Naha Cultural Arts Theater NAHArt (New Community Center) in Kumoji to local media organizations on July 18. The center will open to the public October 31. The large theater seats around 1,600, and there will be a smaller theater that seats around 260-300. The design of the theater incorporates Okinawan elements such as shuriori textiles, una (a public square) and the ocean.
The exterior of the theater is wrapped in a shuriori-themed louver. The lobby is styled after an una, where anyone can relax while the theater is open. From the lobby you can see studios and practice rooms through glass.
The small theater, which can be used as a multi-purpose hall with its convertible stage and seating
The interior of the large theater is designed to look like one is inside the ocean, with the design on the ceiling resembling looking at the swaying surface of the ocean from the ocean floor. The walls are made with limestone. There are levels of seating.
The smaller theater is themed yellow to resemble the Okinawan royal family kimonos, and shuriori designs are sprinkled throughout. Both the large theater and small theater each have a stage, and a large and small studio, and four small practice rooms.
The shuriori design wrapping the exterior of Naha Cultural Arts Theater NAHArt, which hopes to become a landmark in Naha
NAHArt is working to become the center of Naha’s stage performances, arts and culture, and a place for Naha residents to interact. Naha mayor Kimiko Shiroma commented, “we have built a spectacular facility, and I thank from the bottom of my heart the cooperation from the workers and local community members. From now our job is to breathe life into this new vessel. I hope that many people come to interact and use this place as a center for arts and culture.”
NAHArt’s operating expenses total around 14.71 billion yen; which comes from a general grant of around 7.1 billion yen, 6.6 billion yen from municipal bonds, and other sources. On July 18 there was also a thank you ceremony for the 26 companies involved with the construction.
On July 16, the Japanese government’s Council for Cultural Affairs, chaired by Makoto Sato, provided Koichi Hagiuda, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) with its selection for the next national living treasures. Nago-City native and current resident of Tsuji, Naha City, Yukiko Miyagi, 87, of the Shinyo-ryu school of Ryukyu traditional dance (Ryukyu Buyo), and Naha-City native and current resident of Nerima, Tokyo, Fusako Shida, 84, of the Choyo-ryu school of Ryukyu traditional dance, were chosen to be designated holders of nationally designated important intangible cultural properties (also known as national living treasures). It is the first time a living national treasure has been recognized in the field of Ryukyu dance and the first time a woman has been selected in the field of Ryukyu performing arts.
[Photos and Video] A Young Artist’s Mature Performance
So far, Okinawa has had 13 living national treasures, four of which have deceased. Eight are in the field of performing arts, with six of them actively performing in Okinawa: Choichi Terukina and Ichio Nakamura for Ryukyu Classical Music, (individual recognitions); Tokutaro Shiroma and Kishun Nishie for Kumiodori Sanshin (three-stringed instrument); Noho Miyagi for Kumiodori Tachikata; and Satoshi Higa for Kumiodori Taiko (drums).
Ryukyu dance is roughly divided into koten, or classical dance, which depicts the lives of the warrior class during the period of the Shuri Royal Government, and zou-odori, or miscellaneous dance, which depicts the lives of ordinary people after the Meiji period. During the Shuri Royal Government era, Ryukyu dance was performed by the Ryukyu warrior class on the ukanshin-udoui stage to welcome envoys from China. In the post-Meiji era, Ryukyu dance became a form of entertainment for the common people. The tachikata is mainly performed to the accompaniment of a singing sanshin to express the scenes in the songs and the emotions of the characters.
The Council for Cultural Affairs commented on Yukiko Miyagi as someone who “occupies an important position as a dancer who exceedingly embodies the traditional performance techniques of Ryukyu dance and possesses outstanding skills,” while “working to train and educate successors.” The Council noted that Fusako Shida embodies traditional performance techniques, and she has “demonstrated outstanding mastery of a wide range of Ryukyu dance, from classical koten dance to the miscellaneous zou-odori dance,” while striving to develop and pass down traditional Ryukyu dance.
Living national treasures are officially named in the kanpo, the official gazette of the Japanese government, in September or October. As of July 1, Okinawa has 9 active living national treasures, the third largest in Japan after Tokyo at 45 and Kyoto, 12, along with Ishikawa, 9.
◆Brief biography
YukikoMiyagi was born in 1933 in Haneji Village, Kunigami County (current day Nago City). She began studying under Ryukyu dancer Yoshiko Majikina in 1951, opened the Yukiko Miyagi Ryukyu Dance Dojo in 1968 and received a master’s license from Majikina in 1974. In 1996, she was designated holder of the prefectural intangible cultural asset, Okinawan Traditional Dance. In 1999, She became chair of the Yoshiyuki Shinyo-ryu school of dance. In 2009, she was designated a holder of the important intangible cultural property, Ryukyu Buyo (general recognition). Okinawa Prefecture honored her as a Person of Cultural Merit in 2003, and a Person of Merit in 2019.
Fusako Shida was born in Naha City in 1937. She began studying under Ryukyu dancer Seijyu Tamagusuku in 1940 and received her master’s license from Tamagusuku in 1955. She founded a dance institute in 1956. In 1965, she received a license from Koyu Shimabukuro. In 1991, she was awarded the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize. She was designated a holder of the prefectural intangible cultural property, Okinawa Traditional Dance, in 1996 and became the holder of the important intangible cultural property Ryukyu Dance (general recognition) in 2009. She was honored as a Person of Cultural Merit in 2004 and has led the Choyo-ryu school of dance since 2007.
◆What is a Living National Treasure?
A living national treasure is an individual who has been recognized by the national government under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties as a person who has highly embodied and mastered the performing arts or craft techniques designated as important intangible cultural properties. Once a year, the experts of the Council for Cultural Affairs recommend individuals and the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology makes the official designation. The designation expires upon the holder’s death.
Webcam(Kokusai Street)
