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May 20, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Takahiro Kina
On April 19 in Okinawa City, the 2021 Okinawa City Peace Ambassador certification ceremony was held at City Hall. The Okinawa City Peace Ambassador Project was started in 1991 for the purpose of conveying the tragic experiences and lessons of the Battle of Okinawa to the next generation, and nurturing persons who demonstrate promise in creating a peaceful society. Up to this point 514 people have been certified as peace ambassadors.
This year, Mayor Sachio Kuwae presented 17 endorsed second-year students from junior high schools across Okinawa City and one working adult with their certifications. Mayor Kuwae said: “War must absolutely not be waged again. Please study the disastrous scenes at the atomic bomb sites and Okinawa’s history shaped by a violent land battle, and actively share your mind as a storyteller for peace.”
The peace ambassadors are studying the history of the Battle of Okinawa related to Okinawa City, and plan to attend the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony. The announcement of activities will take place at a briefing session.
(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)
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May 21 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
Shoman, the eighth solar term in the traditional lunisolar calendar, falls on May 21 this year. In Okinawa, the term is often combined with the following term, “Boshu” to become “Suman-bosu,” a name used to describe the rainy season.
On Okinawa’s main island, the break from the rain that comes in the middle of the season continues. In the Asato district of Naha on May 20, Delonix regia flowers have begun to bloom along the streets, lighting up the blue rainy season skies with a bright red hue.
According to the Okinawa Meteorological Agency (OMA), the 21st was cloudy due to humid weather front caused by approaching rain, and that rain was forecasted to start in the evening.
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
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May 20, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
On May 19, the group Okinawa Counters passed out pamphlets about hate speech in front of Naha City Hall. Okinawa Counters has been protesting expressions of hate speech in front of Naha City Hall since May 20, 2020.
The pamphlet explains that hate speech is “a violation of human rights, and refers to derogatory language that is based on hatred or feelings of disgust and incites discriminatory behavior toward a group by pointing out attributes that cannot be changed, such as race or nationality.” The pamphlet provides further explanations about hate speech in question-and-answer format. Fumio Takeda (Yaese) says, “It makes you think about what kinds of hate speech exist.”
Mentioning that May 20 will mark one year since Okinawa Counters began their efforts, Mitsunori Tsuhako (Tomigusuku), a group member, says “If people aren’t aware that there is discrimination within Okinawa, it’s impossible for them to notice when it happens. We will continue working to spread awareness.”
(English translation by T&CT and Ellen Huntley)
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May 10, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Ikue Asato
(Ogimi) On April 29, two blue rock thrush parents were found devoting themselves to childrearing at the vegetable shop at the Ogimi Village Revitalization Center. The sight of the birds warmed the hearts of the shop staff and customers.
A male and female blue rock thrush were found alternately gazing at the corner of the vegetable shop from an electrical wire, as if on a lookout. The shop staff realized that there was a chick there. The parents appeared to care for their baby when there were few customers, with the male approaching the chick with food in its mouth and the chick appearing at the sound of the female’s voice.
Shop attendant Michiko Sakiyama, age 49, said with a smile, “We don’t hear anything when the parents aren’t here. It’s as though [the chick] is saying, ‘look, I’m keeping quiet!’ It’s sweet and endearing.”
The staff said that they saw off the blue rock thrush chick as it safely left the nest on May 3.
(English translation by T&CT and Sandi Aritza)
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May 15, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
The 5/15 Peace March Executive Committee (led by Peace Okinawa chairman Hiroji Yamashiro) held a rally at the gate of the U.S. military’s Camp Foster in Kitanakagusuku May 15, where they asked for the truth about the reversion of Okinawa to Japan. Every year, around May 15, the date when Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972, the group usually hosts a peace parade, however due to the coronavirus pandemic it has been cancelled for the second straight year, with this event being held in its place. Greatly reduced in scope, the event was attended by around 40 of the executive committee’s members. The group raised their voices in the direction of the United States Forces Japan’s (USFJ) Okinawa Area Field Office, a symbol of Okinawa’s base burden, calling for the “shutdown of the enormous U.S. bases,” and prayed for peace on the island.
Most years, the peace march is followed by the “Okinawan Rally to Protect Peace and Life,” but this year this was cancelled as well. Last year, all events were cancelled to the pandemic, and instead a written appeal was presented. Meanwhile, next year will mark the 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s return, and with this year being the second where events would be cancelled the executive committee was searching for some sort of appeal they could make this year. While observing disease prevention measures, the group gathered with around one percent of their usual number of people.
The assembly adopted a written appeal calling for eight items including the early closure and return of MCAS Futenma, cancelling the construction of a new base in Henoko, the removal of Osprey aircraft and an opposition against new deployments, the removal of Osprey landing pads in Takae, Higashi, and removing the JDSF missiles deployed to Sakishima Island.
The peace parade has been going on for 78 years, and after the return of Okinawa to Japan in 1972 it adopted the theme of “Questioning the state of Okinawa, and island with endless bases.” In normal years, around 3,000 people attend the parade, coming from Okinawa and all over Japan, walking around the bases and calling for resolution of base issues and constitutional complaints. Last year was the first year that all events were cancelled. This year, they planned on greatly reducing the scope of the event by shortening the course, and limiting the participants to around 200 people.
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
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May 13, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) announced a heatstroke warning for the Yaeyama islands May 12, for the second day in a row. By 3:00 p.m., they had indicated a heat index over 31 for all regions in the Yaeyama island chain except Ibaruma, Ishigaki. A heat index of 31 is where the warning passes from “Prohibit exercise” to “Dangerous”. The agencies request that people refrain from going outside, and to move to a cool room.
According to the Okinawa Meteorological Agency (OMA), 11 of the 25 areas they measure recorded a mid-summer-like temperature of over 30 degrees Celsius. Among those, Ishigaki’s Ishigaki neighborhood came in at 31.2 degrees, and the Moriyama neighborhood in the same city came in at 31.1. Temperatures were summery all over Okinawa, with all areas coming in over 25 degrees. Naha registered a high of 29.3.
At Takushi Elementary School in Urasoe, the students cleaned their pool with shouts of cheer saying the weather “felt great” on the sunny day during the rainy season.
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
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May 14, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
On May 13, the members of ZHAP (the ZENKO Henoko Project) held an interview at the Okinawa Prefectural Office’s press club, and, with cooperation from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) which has influence with the Democratic Party and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, announced initiation of this project calling for the Biden administration to revoke the plan for constructing the Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF) in Henoko. ZHAP has developed a signature-collecting campaign and is aiming to gain the support of 100,000 people worldwide.
ZHAP was established by the citizens’ group National Assembly for Peace and Democracy (ZENKO). ZENKO has deepened its cooperation with the DSA, and the DSA is even collaborating in the signature-collecting campaign. It is planned that revocation of the Henoko construction plan will be requested at the DSA National Convention in August.
There are 35 people signed up to collect signatures, including the sculptor Minoru Kinjo, Masanori Okuma of the Okinawa Drone Project, and Yoshiko Uema of the Okinawa Peace Citizens’ Liaison Council. Okuma has shown photographs captured from the sky over Oura Bay to concretely explain the dangers posed by the soft seabed and active faults in this ocean area. He called for support, touching on the fact that Oura Bay is designated as a “Hope Spot”, which is a globally invaluable ocean area, and with the words “It is essential that the people take action”.
(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)
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May 14, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
On May 11 and 12, aircraft including the MV-22 Osprey, a vertical takeoff and landing transport aircraft, took off from U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma after 10 p.m.–a violation of the Noise Prevention Agreement, a measure to control aircraft noise. On May 11, the prefectural government and Ginowan City recorded a maximum noise level of 92.2 decibels at 11:01 p.m. in the Shinjo area. Ginowan City received six nuisance complaints during the two days.
On May 12, decibel readings of aircraft recorded 91.2 decibels at 11:00 p.m. in Shinjo and 91.1 decibels at 10:58 p.m. in the Nodake area. A 90-decibel noise level is equivalent to being inside a loud factory.
(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)
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May 12, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
On May 11, the day after Amami, Okinawa was recommended for inscription as a World Natural Heritage Site, yambaru-kuina (Okinawa rail), a Natural Monument of Japan, were spotted in Kunigami.
The pair of yambaru-kuina poked their heads out of a forest that echoed with birdsong. It is currently the yambaru-kuina’s mating season. The birds nuzzled together, preening, while keeping wary eyes on their surroundings. Bird Week began on May 10, and continues through May 16.
(English translation by T&CT and Ellen Huntley)
A yambaru-kuina energetically leaps over the gutter (May 11, Kunigami. Photograph by Naoya Oshiro)
Caption 2: A yambaru-kuina energetically leaps over the gutter (May 11, Kunigami. Photograph by Naoya Oshiro)
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May 11, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
The International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an advisory body for the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), announced May 10 that they would recommend “Amami Oshima, Tokuno Island, Okinawa’s northern region and Iriomote Island,” (Kagoshima, Okinawa prefectures) be registered as World Natural Heritage Sites. At the UNESCO world heritage committee session from July 16-31 this year, the committee will determine whether or not they will be added to the list, however they usually follow the IUCN recommendation. The addition will recognize the necessity of protecting the biodiversity of the Ryukyu archipelago, home to a large number of rare indigenous species.
If added to the list, it will be the fifth time an area of Japan will be recognized. Other locations include The Shirakami mountain range (Akita and Aomori prefectures), Yakushima (Kagoshima), Shiretoko (Hokkaido), and the Ogasawara Islands (Tokyo).
The area endorsed by the Japanese government for the list, is around 43,000 hectares of land covering Okinawa’s northern region and Iriomote Island, and Kagoshima’s Amami Oshima and Tokuno Island, and most of it is forest. The archipelago used to form a land bridge to the Asian continent before the sea levels rose, turning them into islands, leading to the evolution of a number of indigenous species on each island such as the Iriomote cat, the Okinawa rail, and the Amami rabbit. An emphasis was put on the importance of protecting these species.
In 2018, the scattered area nominated by the government was deferred so that they could reconsider adding areas to help preserve the continuity of the ecosystem. The government resubmitted after they added the northern region of Okinawa, which includes land returned to Japan that was previously the U.S. military’s Northern Training Area (NTA), and an area on Iriomote that contains a drainage basin for its rivers. The additional territory added around 4,800 hectares of land.
In the recommendation, one of the indicators praised the “admirable effort” of the revisions to the proposal. They also requested that here after steps for appropriate management be taken. In particular: 1. Setting a limit to the number or tourists on Iriomote, and taking measures to reduce the number overall 2. Traffic regulations to reduce the number of rare species killed in traffic accidents 3. Develop a river restoration strategy to help revitalize natural resources, and 4. Establish a buffer zone to achieve suitable forestry management. They also requested that the status of these protective measures be submitted to UNESCO by December 1, 2022 for IUCN review.
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
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May 4, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
On April 30, the prefectural government’s Culture, Tourism, and Sports Department announced the 2020 survey results on the familiarity of shimakutuba (the Okinawan language) among locals. Approximately 80% of respondents said they feel close to or have a sense of familiarity with shimakutuba. However, Okinawans who speak it beyond greetings have decreased over the years, down to about 40%.
Of the respondents, 43.2% mainly use shimakutuba, use it as much as standard Japanese, or use it beyond greetings, a decrease of 13.5 points from the previous 2019 survey. Meanwhile, 42.6% of respondents answered “Agree” or “Somewhat agree” to the question “is it appropriate to use shimakutuba in business or public,” down 4.7 points from the previous survey.
On the other hand, a record 84.8% answered they feel close to or have a sense of familiarity with the language. The prefectural government attributes this to schools dedicating time to teach shimakutuba in classrooms. Moreover, the results can be attributed to the work of the Shimakutuba Popularization Center.
Tsugiyoshi Miyagi, Director of the Culture, Tourism and Sports Department, said, “We are pleased that the number of people who feel close to or have a sense of familiarity with Shimakutuba has reached a record high, but the frequency of its use is decreasing. We need to devise new ways to promote and preserve the language.” The survey targeted Okinawa residents aged 18 and above and 2021 people responded. The survey was conducted between February 24 and March 1, 2021.
(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)
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