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June 8, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo
On June 7, the 61st memorial service for 7609 pupils, students, teachers and school staff members who were killed in the Battle of Okinawa, was held at the Okinawa Prefecture Education Center at Kumoji, Naha. Fifty-four people, including educators and bereaved family members took part in the ceremony and offered silent prayer to the war victims. They renewed their pledges of no-war. Ordinary citizens and participants from 14 education-related groups paid floral tribute and joined their hands in prayer. When popular songs “Satokibi Batake (In a Large Field of Sugarcane)” and “Gettou (Shell ginger)” were played to mourn the dead, some bereaved family members were crying and clutching their handkerchiefs.
Takashi Yamamoto, the president of the Okinawa Prefecture Education Center, said in his memorial speech, “We have had this memorial service to mourn the death of educators and students whose futures were cut off by the war halfway through their studies. We also regard the memorial service as an important event to swear that we would never send our students to a battle field again.” He stressed, “We have to learn the lessons of history from the Battle of Okinawa in which many residents were victimized.”
(English translation by T&CT)
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June 13, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo
Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister of Defense Ryota Takeda met with Miyakojima City Mayor Toshihiko Shimoji on June 12 at the city hall. Takeda asked for the mayor’s cooperation to deploy a security force of the Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) on the islands. The vice minister said, “We would like you to accept the deployment plan for an initial response force to the Miyako Islands.” He also asked for the mayor’s cooperation to survey suitable sites for the force. Mayor Shimoji answered that he would like to hear to the views of citizens on this request. However, he showed a certain understanding to the proposal in terms of defense and disaster-relief missions for the islands.
It is the first time that the Ministry of Defense executive has met with a municipal head to discuss deployment of the JGSDF’s Area Security Force to Okinawa. The vice-minister stressed the importance of stationing the military force to fill a gap in troop presence in the Ryukyu Islands. He stressed the Self-Defense Forces’ capability to respond to disaster to gain the understanding of local people. He said, “We would like to speed up research work to defend the local people. The mayor said, suggesting that there is tension in the waters around Okinawa, “It is very important that the Ground Self-Defense Force can defend the islands.” However, he said he would respect the opinion of the city council.
The ministry of defense is considering placing a force consisting of 350-400 personnel, the same number of the JGSDF Tsushima Area Security Force in Nagasaki.
(English translation by T&CT)
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June 9, 2014, Sadao Tome, correspondent of Ryukyu Shimpo
The Downtown Los Angeles Chapter of the Japanese American Citizen League and the Japanese Women’s Society of Southern California selected four women for the 2014 Women of the Year Award on May 4. The organizations recognized them for their spirit of dedication. The award is given annually to women who contribute to developing Japanese American communities in California by sharing Japanese culture and promoting U.S.-Japanese exchanges. Since 1963, 170 Japanese women have received the accolade.
The organizations selected four women including; Keiko Yonamine, Seiyumi Fujima,Yuko Hirayama, and Yoshie Sato. Yonamine was awarded the prize for her contribution to promoting Okinawan traditional dance. Fujima teaches classical Japanese dance to over 300 students. Hirayama worked as a broadcaster for radio and TV programs. Sato has been the president of the Tochigi Association of Southern California for the past eight years. She prompted the City of West Covina to sign a sister-city relationship agreement with the City of Ohtawara in Tochigi Prefecture.
Seventy-year-old Yonamine from Kin Town, lives in Oceanside. This year marks the 30th anniversary since she opened her Okinawan traditional dance school in San Diego.
In 2003, the women’s forum of the Japan-U.S. Center selected Yonamine for the Japanese Culture Award in the Okinawan traditional dance division.
She is a recipient of the shihan master’s license from the Okinawan traditional dance organization Tamagusukuryu Kinanokai. Yonamine served as the chairperson of the Geinobu Performing Arts of the Okinawan Association of America and is currently the group’s advisor.
(English translation by T&CT)
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June 13, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo
The Onna Village Board of Education continues to provide chances for children to connect with Asian neighbours through an international exchange programs with four Asian countries and regions such as Taiwan and Malaysia. In February, Onna received approval to conduct exchange programs from the Malaysian Ministry of Education. The village strengthened its connection by sending elementary and junior high school students to attend schools in Taiwan in May. The village’s exchange program organizer Katsuya Honda said, “Asian countries have getting more important roles in the world. I hope children can gain communication skills and be active internationally.”
On May 6 at Jianan Elementary School in Tainan City, students from Onna Village took part in an English class with Taiwanese students (Photograph provided by the Onna Village Board of Education)
The exchange programs started in the 2011 fiscal year. The elementary and junior high schools in the village have had ongoing exchanges with seven schools in Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. They have conducted Malaysia exchanges over the internet, using live video. Accepting requests from Malaysia, Onna applied for approval for international exchanges from the country’s Ministry of Education and received it in February. According to the village board of education, it is rare for municipalities in Japan to receive permission for exchanges from the Malaysian government. Onna Village is the first one in Okinawa.
For on-site exchange programs, one student from each school in the village visited Taiwan for five days. They took part in classes at Jianan Elementary School, Guantian Junior High School in Tainan City, and Zong Xing Elementary School in Ciayi County Shi Zuo area, with which Onna has been maintaining exchanges via video conference. The students experienced English and Mathematics classes in Chinese. At the Zong Xing Elementary School in Shi Zuo area which is a tea-producing area, the students learned how to prepare tea.
After coming back to Okinawa, 11-year-old Akari Daikoku from Nakadomari Elementary School demonstrated how to prepare tea the way she was taught at Zong Xing Elementary School, on May 29. She poured tea with the authentic tools used in Taiwan, and served it to classmates. Drinking the tea, one of her classmates commented, “It is oolong tea, but it tastes like green tea.”
Reflecting on the exchanges in Taiwan, Daikoku said, “Language was difficult, but I could communicate with gestures. Everyone was kind, so I had fun.”
Eishun Uechi, a principal of Kisenbaru Elementary and Junior High School and a leader of the on-site exchange trip said, “I learned that the school system in Taiwan was different from ours. It was inspiring for students. We had a great time.”
(English translation by T&CT and Megumi Chibana)
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June 10, 2014 Wu Li Jun of the Ryukyu Shimpo
Major Taiwanese Cement Company Chia Hsin Cement Corporation bought about 1,650 square meters of land along Kokusai Street in the Matsuo district of Naha. The company concluded a sales contract with an Okinawan company that owned the land, on June 2.
The land was purchased for about 1.2 billion yen. The land is currently used as a parking lot. The Taiwanese company plans to develop a hotel or commerce facility on the land area.
It also manages 12 hotels, including five-star hotels in Taiwan and Mainland China, and three hotels in Italy.
Kent Ma of the company said, “The Okinawan tourism market is healthy and there is high demand for hotels. I expect the Okinawan hotel industry to become more international with our company joining.”
(English translation by T&CT)
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June 10, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo
In the lead up to the 69th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa, former Okinawa Governor Masahide Ota who is director of the Ota Peace Research Institute, has delivered a lecture at Mawashi High School on June 4.
Ota talked about the Abe administration’s push to revise the Constitution of Japan to allow collective defense. He told students, “If there is another war in Japan, Okinawa will be the first to be attacked because it hosts military bases.” Ota went on to say, “Young people like you will be the first to be sent to battlefields.”
Ota said, "The Abe administration's revising of the Constitution of Japan matters to young people."
During the Battle of Okinawa, Ota was in second grade at Okinawa Teacher’s School and was sent to the battlefields to work for the Japanese Imperial Army. Ota said, “The Japanese Imperial Army collected many students from 21 schools during the war in Okinawa. They made younger children contribute to war efforts such as bringing ammunition, and forced them out of shelters. As a result, over 10,000 children younger than 14 years-old fell victim to the war.”
Ota also referred to the Japanese government’s move to station the Japan Self-Defense Forces in Yonaguni. He said, “Article three of the Self-Defense Forces Act state that what SDF members must protect is peace and security of the country, not the lives of each of the citizens.” Ota claimed, “What we learned from the Battle of Okinawa is that military forces don’t protect lives of citizens.”
The school’s student body president Seira Kishaba said, “I cannot dismiss the war as a thing of the past. The Japanese government is turning into a nation that can wage war. After listening to what Ota said, I think what we have to do as Okinawans who experienced the only ground battle in the Pacific War is to move forward with peace.”
(English translation by T&CT)
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June 4, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo
On June 3, six staff members from Matsukawa village Office, Nagano, visited Kitanakagusuku Village Office to study the longevity of residents. According to data released last year by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, Matsukawa Village has the longest average life expectancy for men, 82.2-years-old, and Kitanakagusuku Village has the longest average life expectancy for women, 89-years-old.
Staff members of both villages discussed the key to longevity and ways to approach it. They confirmed their mutual intention to deepen exchanges and cooperation. Matsukawa and Kitanakagusuku will become sister villages.
The staff members of Kitanakagusuku Village visited Matsukawa Village, which provides excellent services for elderly people, to make a plan to build a community where people live long and remain in good health. Members of Kitanakagusuku Village Assembly visited Matsukawa Village for policy research.
A staff member of Kitanakagusuku Village said they had been developing public affairs programs for the elderly using a website adopted from Matsukawa Village. He explained the village office’s vision to develop the village based on a core policy of healthy and longevity.
(English translation by T&CT, Hitomi Shinzato)
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June 10, 2014 Hideki Matsudo and Kenichi Yoshida of Ryukyu Shimpo
Members of the Okinawan fishing industry suspect the US Navy Ocean Surveillance Ship Impeccable was involved in cutting the trawl lines of seven tuna fishing boats in waters near the main Island of Okinawa. On June 9, a public affairs officer of Fleet Activities Okinawa of the U.S. Navy responded to the queries from Ryukyu Shimpo, “The U.S. Navy is aware of allegations by Japanese fishermen that USNS Impeccable damaged their fishing gear while operating in international waters southwest of Okinawa.” But, the U.S. Navy declined to say whether or not the ship was involved in the incidents. They contended, “Because the damage is alleged to have occurred in international waters, this is not a Status of Forces Agreement issue.” They also added “Anyone who thinks they have been injured or suffered property damage resulting from the operations of U.S. Department of the Navy vessels may submit a claim to the U.S. government via the Navy’s Office of the Judge Advocate General (Admiralty and Maritime Law). Such claims are adjudicated in accordance with U.S. maritime law and federal regulations. ”
Ryukyu Shimpo asked the U.S. Navy and U.S. Forces in Japan for a response on May 23 when the incidents were revealed. But, there was no answer from the U.S. military authorities. On June 9, Ryukyu Shimpo sent an e-mail with pictures of the Impeccable taken by the fishermen at the scene to U.S. military officials, again asking for a response. The U.S. Navy replied soon after with the above response.
On June 9, the Okinawa Tuna Fishing Cooperative Association, which has suffered the most damages, provided a videotape of the Impeccable taken by a fisherman from their fishing boat to the Okinawa Defense Bureau. They demanded full disclosure of the incidents. According to the tuna fishing cooperative association, there was no answer from the defense bureau as of June 8. Kiyoshi Ganeko, the president of the association said, “There is still no answer from the Okinawa Defense Bureau, despite two weeks having passed since the incidents occurred. We want the government organizations to acknowledge as soon as possible whether or not the U.S. vessel has cut off the longlines.”
On June 3, officials of the fisheries section of the Okinawa Prefectural Government and members of the Okinawa Tuna Fishing Cooperative Association visited the Okinawa Liaison Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit the photograph of the Impeccable. However, an office representative refused to accept it, saying that they could not do anything about the incidents because they took place on the high seas beyond the status of Forces Agreement between Japan and the United States.
Fisheries Agency say parties involved should talk to solve troubles. On June 9, the Fisheries Agency said, “If the parties involved in this case are identified, they should talk to solve the issue by themselves because it is a civil case. We will not intervene on this case.” They added, “Even if it turns out that the U.S. Navy vessel has cut off the longlines, the parties involved should determine the proper compensation for the damages by talking to each other.”
(English translation by T&CT)
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June 5, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo
On the evening of June 4, a charter flight from Khabarovsk, Russia arrived at Naha Airport. The Okinawa Visitor Convention Bureau held a welcoming ceremony on the same day at the international passenger terminal, greeting 115 tourists and officials from Russian travel agencies. There are five round trips planned for June. According to the bureau, this is the first time charter flights from Russia have been scheduled to arrive Okinawa regularly. The agencies aim to have more charter flights from May to October 2015.
Major Japanese travel agency HIS (Tokyo) and Russian travel company Aviacharter-DV organized this initial round of charter flights between Okinawan and Russia .
Aviacharter-DV’s general director Roman Chernyavskiy said the company started the charter flights between Naha and the Russian Far East to open up a new tourism market. He said Okinawa would soon become one of the popular, nearby resort island destinations for Russians vacationers.
The company plans to operate two round trip charter flights per week from Khabarovsk, Vladivostok and Sakhalin to Okinawa between May-October 2015.
This June, Aviacharter-DV will operate three round-trip flights from Khabarovsk and two round-trip flights from Vladivostok. The airline will use 185-seater Boeing 737-800s.
The tourists will stay for eight days and seven nights, and plan to visit beaches around Okinawa.
(English translation by T&CT and Lima Tokumori)
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June 9, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo
A classical Ryukyuan performance organization, led by 82-year-old Japanese Living National Treasure Choichi Terukina, held a concert at the National Theatre of Japan in the Chiyoda district of Tokyo on June 8. In a rare event for the theatre, Terukina’s organization Ryukyu Koten Afuso Ryu Ongaku Kenkyu Choichi Kai showcased classical Ryukyuan music.
Over 200 of Terukina’s students took part from Okinawa, the Kanto, and Kansai regions, Los Angeles and Hawaii. While promoting international exchange, they demonstrated the charm of classical Ryukyuan music.
Terukina has been teaching over 400 students since he opened his school in 1960.
For this concert, Terukina aimed to highlight to the world the little-known art of classical Ryukyuan music.
The show was based on a Ryukyuan Dance and kumiodori. Terukina said, “My students became single-minded about taking part. I would like to keep performing with young people.”
The head of the executive committee of the event Junichi Tomita, who is president of the Ryukyu Shimpo, said, “The event is epoch-making and brought a new wave to classical Japanese music.”
(English translation by T&CT)
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June 3, 2014 Ryukyu Shimpo
Former employees of American Bottling Company Inc., which has been selling Bireley’s Orange since before the United States returned Okinawa to Japan, held a reunion party at a hotel in Kitanakagusuku on May 30. American Bottling is the predecessor company of Bireley’s Okinawa Co., based in Nanjo
Former employees took part in the party. Some of them reunited with former colleagues they had not seen for about 42 years. They enjoyed reminiscing over glasses of the company’s flagship orange juice.
About 60 employees from the American Bottling Company established jointly Bireley’s Okinawa in 1972 when the U.S. government returned Okinawa to Japan. While most beverage manufacturers in Okinawa have been reorganized as subsidiary companies of major enterprise in Mainland Japan, Bireley’s Okinawa is one of the few remaining Okinawa-owned companies. The company’s product has been popular with Okinawan consumers. The company announced in April that it would transfer its operations to Asahi Soft Drinks in Tokyo by the end of this year.
Shotoku Asato, 84, the organizer of the reunion said in his speech, “Our company and its products were able to survive after Okinawa’s reversion to Japan. I would like to say thanks to all of you.”
Choko Uema, the president of Bireley’s Okinawa Co., who attended as a guest said, “We will inherit the tradition that you have built up. Would you please continue cherishing the company’s products with pride and confidence.”
(English translation by T&CT)
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Webcam(Kokusai Street)
