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April 26, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
The Okinawa Department of Culture, Tourism, and Sports announced the 2021 tourist visitor totals (April 2021 – March 2022) on April 26, reporting a 26.7% year-over-year increase (an increase of 690,700 people) for a total of 3.27 million visitors.
The is the first increase in visitors in three years.
While there are still lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as an absence of foreign tourists, the results show a trend of gradual recovery since the record-breaking drop in 2020 (a year-over-year decrease of 72.7%).
Okinawa prefecture indicated that the primary factors leading to the increased tourism were increased vaccination rates, the end of reduced domestic flights, summer seasonal flights, and the return of NPB spring training and the spectators that came with it.
The number of tourists who visited Okinawa in March, 2022 was 415,700 people, a 38.9% year-over-year increase for the same month.
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
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April 20, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Teppei Ikeda
On April 19, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki issued a comment about the prosecution of a U.S. Marine lance corporal for raping a woman, resulting in her bodily injury. Governor Tamaki clarified that the incident occurred in October last year, and that the U.S. authorities provided the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) with information about the prosecution of the soldier, which took place on December 23 last year. While the OPG was aware of the incident, no official announcement was made about the incident. Governor Tamaki explained the OPG’s stance, saying “For the sake of protecting the privacy of the victim, the Prefectural Police and other agencies requested that the information be handled cautiously.”
According to the OPG, an apology from the U.S. authorities was requested last year, and OPG personnel privately called involved persons from the U.S. military, U.S. government, and Japanese government to the Prefectural Office to present an objection, and requested that recurrence prevention measures be swiftly taken to provide more thorough and effective education and management of U.S. soldiers.
Sex crimes are repeatedly perpetrated by U.S. military-related personnel in Okinawa, such as the following: in Naha City in January last year there was an incident of indecent assault by a U.S. soldier; and in the central region of Okinawa Island in April last year there was an incident of attempted rape by a civilian in U.S. military employ. Governor Tamaki spoke about the repeated incidents, concluding that “It must be said that the system for educating and managing U.S. troops stationed in Okinawa is extremely insufficient.”
(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)
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April 24, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Takuya Kayou
On April16, the prefectural council for promoting and disseminating the Okinawan language held its board meeting at the civic collaboration plaza in Naha City and decided on its activities for the fiscal year 2022. Its plan focuses on succession efforts, including publicizing the Okinawan language through YouTube and making the council’s language lectures practical by adding speaking and writing components. The proposals will be officially decided on at the general meeting on June 11.
As efforts to preserve the Okinawan language or shimakutuba have stagnated in various parts of Okinawa, the council aims to boost public interest and infuse it back into people’s daily lives. The council’s acting president Chosei Kuniyoshi said, “shimakutuba will disappear without a revival. We want to plan activities that unite the prefecture, prefectural assembly, municipalities, and educational institutions.”
The council, established in 2000, initially had approximately 300 members which dwindled to about 120. Due to Covid-19, the council has been unable to offer lectures and other events for some time. In the new fiscal year, the organization will focus on recruiting younger members and expanding its chapters, as well as launching a regional shimakutuba greetings campaign and a fwafuji (grandparents) campaign in which the elderly generation speaks to the young.
(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)
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April 21, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
On April 21, the Kyoto District Court handed down their decision to reject a lawsuit seeking the return of Ryukyuan remains in the possession of Kyoto University. The suit was brought by a group including Professor Yasukatsu Matsushima of Ryukoku University. The plaintiffs demanded the return of remains that have been in Kyoto University’s possession since being taken from burial sites such as the Mumujana Tomb in Nakijin at the beginning of the Showa Period.
The plaintiffs asserted that when a group of anthropologists took the remains in 1930, they did so “completely without the consent or permission of anyone connected with the graves,” and so Kyoto University does not have the right to keep the remains. The plaintiffs demanded the remains be returned based on the Civil Code and the Constitution of Japan, as well as international human rights law. The plaintiffs include descendants of the First Sho Dynasty, in addition to Professor Matsushima.
In response, representatives of Kyoto University called for the plaintiff’s suit to be dismissed, saying that their argument “does not establish the plaintiffs’ right to demand the return of the remains.”
(English translation by T&CT and Ellen Huntley)
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April 21, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Masatoshi Omine
The executive committee board of governors for the “50-year reversion anniversary Okinawa citizens convention for a prosperous Okinawa proud of peace and free of military bases,” and event planned in large part by the ruling party of Okinawa’s prefectural assembly, announced April 20 that they would be replacing the 100,000-person in-person event with an online “citizens convention,” with the original event having been cancelled due to a new wave of coronavirus cases throughout the archipelago.
The event is scheduled to take place from 1-3 p.m. on April 30, and will be broadcast over the internet.
The event will add to its current joint representation of Kamenosuke Taira, Genpei Ishikawa, and Jinshiro Motoyama, who will now be joined by the 4th Kadena Noise Pollution Lawsuit Plaintiff Group leader Shosei Arakawa, Okinawa Women’s Foundation board chairwoman Kiyoko Oshiro, and Okinawan-born author Yuuki Organic.
The event program was finalized at the board of governors’ meeting on April 24.
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
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April 18, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Kengo Fujimura
The 14th Okinawa International Movie Festival (hosted by the Okinawa International Movie Festival Executive Committee) wrapped up on April 17. Starting with the Sakurazaka Theater in Naha and the Ryukyu Shimpo Hall, the event took place at locations all over Okinawa such as the Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom in Kitanakagusuku, and Theater Donut in Okinawa City. The festival featured a variety of film screenings and live events. The two-day event, which started April 16, drew a total audience of 18,000 (as reported by the event organizers).
At noon on April 17, the festival had its first red carpet event on Kokusai Dori in Naha, which was walked by around 130 of the actors and entertainers that appeared in the festival’s movies. Takako Miyahara, director of the movie “Cinema Kumiodori Kokonomaki” said smiling, “When shooting the film, we were taking special measures such as zoning, so I never got to get close to the performers, so I was very happy to get to do so out here on the sunny stage.”
Kiyoshi Nishikawa, one of the performers who walked the red carpet, said, “Now, the world, and of course Japan is clouded with uneasiness, but I think a movie festival can help to dispel some of that feeling.”
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
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April 15, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Takuya Kayo
With a new wave of coronavirus infections spreading throughout elderly care facilities in Okinawa, governor Denny Tamaki announced April 14 that among other new pandemic-battling policies they would be taking steps to bolster assistance for elderly care facilities.
The prefecture will be implementing a program for dispatching nurses to help with infection clusters as they arise, helping to support the rotations for doctors and nurses at key medical facilities.
According to Okinawa’s Office of Infectious Disease and Healthcare Maintenance, there has been a rapid increase in patients in recovery at these facilities, reaching 172 people on April 13. Until now, additional medical care at these facilities have been reliant on medical professionals volunteering, but this system has expanded significantly. The Naha, southern region, and central region’s key medical facility personnel will coordinate their rotations for the day, so in the case of an outbreak they will be able to handle it without any loss of time.
In addition to the prefecture’s central policy office, since June of last year private care centers have also been dispatching caretakers to facilities in the event of a cluster outbreak. However, since there is concern that an increase in cases will further exacerbate the lack of personnel, there is a plan to enact a nurse assistant dispatch program. They are looking into using government subsidies to quickly secure human resources by coordinating with institutions such as the Okinawa Nurses Association.
Satoru Kuniyoshi, head of Okinawa’s Office of Infectious Disease and Healthcare Maintenance said, “By readily offering these social welfare facilities support, we can prevent the spread and the worsening of cases, which in turn suppresses the hospital occupancy rates in Okinawa.”
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
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April 10, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Naoki Isa
Naha – Between March 9-20, six baby goats were born to the four goats who graze the green space next to Naha Shimin Kyodo Plaza in the Mekaru neighborhood of Naha. The energetic young goats running about or clinging to their parents have charmed the neighborhood.
A baby goat clinging to the parent goat
The goats are pastured in this green space to control weed growth. Their managem
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nt has been entrusted to the Oishi Park Hija Club and the Okinawa Goat Farm. Jugo Asato of the Okinawa Goat Farm says, “I think it’s unusual to be able to see goats in downtown Naha, and I hope that people will come to see the adorable babies.”
(English translation by T&CT and Ellen Huntley)
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April 15, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Kenta Masuda
The Seventh Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival will be held this fall, after a one-year postponement related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival’s executive committee secretariat which comprised five staff members until March quadrupled to 20 including interpreters, and its office is now 2.3 times its original size. The “hybrid” festival is scheduled to be held October 30-November 3, 2022, with both on-site and online components.
The Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival spawned from a Ryukyu Shimpo column in 1990 and has since been held every five years. The event has grown to attract people from around the world with ties to Okinawa. This year’s festival was originally slated for 2021 but was postponed due to COVID-related travel restrictions.
A total of five (Spanish, English, Slovakian, and two Portuguese) interpreters and translators have joined the festival committee secretariat. The men and women have diverse experiences and professional backgrounds; one, for example, is a flight attendant. Lisa Yamanouchi, 51, born and raised in Brazil, has over 15 years of professional experience working at consulates in various countries. She commented, “You must understand the culture to be a good interpreter. I am currently studying the rich history and culture of Okinawa.” Yamanouchi is also learning Uchinaguchi, the Okinawan dialect.
While challenges related to international travel persist, festival planners anticipate domestic kenjinkai (association of prefectural immigrants and descendants) members and locals to visit and selected the Okinawa Cellular Stadium Naha in Ohnoyama, Naha City, for the main venue. Virtual components will also be offered to hedge against the impacts of the pandemic. Kiyomi Miyagi, the executive director, said, “We hope to affirm the significance and strength of the Uchina (Okinawan) network through this event.”
(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)
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April 13, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
According to the Okinawa Meteorological Observatory, on April 12 the Okinawa region was covered by the Pacific Anticyclone, causing places throughout the region to experience what felt like a hot summer day. At 1:00 p.m. that day, a temperature of 28.2°C (approximately 82.7°F) was recorded in Nago City and a temperature of 28.1°C (approximately 82.5°F) was recorded in Naha City. The highest temperatures this year were measured at nine of out of twenty-five measurement sites throughout Okinawa.
Sunflowers reached full bloom in fields along Prefectural Highway 10 on Ikeijima, Uruma City.
Starting in the morning, domestic and foreign tourists came to visit, and, under the strong sunlight, could be seen enjoying the sight and taking photographs with their smartphones while surrounded by the large, dynamically blooming sunflowers.
(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)
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April 12, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Wakana Arakaki and Shugo Asato
Ginowan – We cannot allow our children and grandchildren to drink water that contains harmful substances, argues the “Take back our clean water! Protect life from pollution of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) committee” at a citizen’s assembly they hosted on April 10 at Ginowan Community Center. The day of the meeting marked the two-year anniversary of the discovery that fire extinguishing foam containing PFAS has leaked out from MCAS Futenma. The assembly drew a crowd of 442 people, where they adopted a resolution to petition the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly to conduct a bloodwork survey on Okinawans to determine the impact the incident had on their health.
The assembly featured speakers from Kadena, Kin, Chatan, Ginowan, Uruma and Naha. Because PFAS have a composition that is difficult to analyze, they indicated that a storage solution would be necessary. There were voices concerned about the health risks of PFAS in drinking water as well as the effect it would have on soil.
Eiwa Miyagi, from Uruma, touched on the incident where fire extinguishing liquid co
Participants at the assembly calling out the dangers of water polluted by PFAS
ntaining PFAS had leaked out from a U.S. military oil depot in June of last year, stressing, “This could happen anywhere there is a base. This is a matter of life or death.” Yumi Nakasone, from Chatan, said, “It is unbearable to think that our children could have been drinking water containing harmful chemicals. It is time for all Okinawans to come together in solidarity to protect our lives and safety.”
According to a survey of environmental pollution caused by the U.S. military, being conducted by journalist Jon Mitchell, PFAS in the United States is an emerging trend. He stresses that he needs to be allowed entry into the bases to determine the source of the pollution, and that the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) needs to be revised to indicate that the U.S. military should be responsible for the cleanup.
In the petition, the group asks that 1. A blood work and epidemiological survey be conducted for the seven towns that receive water from the Chatan purification plant, as well as Kin and Uruma, and 2. The survey be administered to both parents and children. The committee plans on sending the petition and written resolution to the U.S. government, the U.S. military, Japan’s central government, Okinawa Prefecture and the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly.
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
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Webcam(Kokusai Street)
