Top News

Nobel Prize-winning author Oe’s memo directed to Okinawan atomic bomb survivors found

Nobel Prize-winning author Oe's memo directed to Okinawan atomic bomb survivors found

August 6, 2014 Mamoru Yasuda of Ryukyu Shimpo

Nobel Prize-winning author Kenzaburo Oe wrote a book about Okinawa titled Okinawa Notes. He has deep emotional ties to the prefecture. When he visited Okinawa for the first time in 1965, Oe met Okinawan atomic bomb survivors, and wrote a memoir directed at them.

In the handwritten memo, Oe said, “We have to always recognize about Okinawan people having to bear burdens.”

In the memorial, Oe describes himself as a someone...

 

Smaller summer bonus of suku fish this year

Smaller summer bonus of suku fish this year

August 1, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

On July 27, which is July 1 in the lunar calendar, on Ojima Island, Tamagusuku, Nanjo, fisherman brought in their annual bonus catch of young rabbitfish, called suku in Okinawan language.They returned from the sea in the early morning, carrying baskets filled with...

Traditional wooden sailboat Maransen revived on Henza Island

Traditional wooden sailboat <em>Maransen</em> revived on Henza Island

August 5, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

A wooden sailboat called Maransen was restored for the first time following the Battle of Okinawa. The sailboat was presented to residents at Henza public hall in Uruma City on July 31. A presentation ceremony was not held due to the effect of typhoon No....

Lightning strikes MV-22 Osprey belonging to US Futenma base

August 7, 2014 Ryota Shimabukuro of Ryukyu Shimpo reports from Washington D.C.

According to a list of Class A mishaps published by the U.S. Naval Safety Center, a U.S. Marine MV-22 Osprey aircraft was struck by lightning on June 27. A Class is the most severe type of accident. On August 5,...

Okinawa Yui Dance Promotion Council visits Mazhuancun in China

Okinawa Yui Dance Promotion Council visits Mazhuancun in China

July 30, 2014 Akiko Agarie of Ryukyu Shimpo

With the aim of deepening exchanges and bringing good cheer through Okinawan new dance culture, members of the Okinawa Yui Dance Promotion Council visited Mazhuancun in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, China, on July 29. Including Chairman Kiyoshi Miyagi,...

10,000 Eisa Dance Parade in Naha

10,000 <em>Eisa</em> Dance Parade in Naha

August 4, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

Ten Thousand Eisa Dance Parade was held in the 20th Summer Festival on Kokusai Street in Naha. With great vigour and energy, the participants performed Okinawan traditional performing arts such as eisa dance and creative dance on the road. The crowd of...

South American students of Okinawan descent take part in the Yonabaru Great Tug-of-War

South American students of Okinawan descent take part in the Yonabaru Great Tug-of-War

August 4, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

Two South American students of Okinawan descent, whose roots are in Yonabaru Town, took part in the Yonabaru Great Tug-of-War at the Udun-yama Youth Square in Yonabaru Town on July 27.

Sebastian Pablo Uehara who is from Argentina, took part as shitaku,...

The World Youth Uchinanchu Festival held in Germany

The World Youth <em>Uchinanchu</em> Festival held in Germany

July 31 2014 Ryukyu SHimpo

Under the theme of “Plant Okinawan seeds in Europe,” the third World Youth Uchinanchu Festival Germany 2014 was held in Dusseldorf from July 30 to August 1. Young people of Okinawan descent took part from all around the world. The event drew 38...

OIST founds its first venture company

OIST founds its first venture company

July 31, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), based in Onna, has founded its first venture company Okinawa Protein Tomography Ltd. (Okinawa PT). The company headed by CEO Akira Kamei was founded on June 25. It commenced business at the start of August....

Okinawa dugong plaintiffs file new action in US court to stop construction of air base in Henoko

August 2, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo

Environmental groups in Japan and the United States and the plaintiffs of the Okinawa dugong lawsuit filed a new action with the San Francisco Federal District Court on July 3. The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of the United States requires the government...

94 year-old Yamashiro from Ie is still an active farmer

94 year-old Yamashiro from Ie is still an active farmer

July 31, 2014 Yukito Kinjo Correspondent of Ryukyu Shimpo

On a severely hot day at a field in Nishieue, Ie Village, an elderly person works silently to plant shima rakkyo. Yoshio Yamashiro from Nishieue is 94 years old, born in 1920. He has weak hearing, but he is robust with a...