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Hokubu Agricultural High School students succeed with sterile cultivation of Easter lily

Hokubu Agricultural High School students succeed with sterile cultivation of Easter lily

July 13, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

Ten students majoring in horticultural engineering at Hokubu Agricultural High School, have succeeded in sterile cultivation of the Easter lily. They launched the project last year with the aim of increasing the numbers of this flower that symbolizes Nago but is losing its hold in the wild. The strain grown in a sterile culture has a high probability of taking root in a natural environment. Koji Miyoshi, who teaches the students, stated, “This project marks...

 

Male hula dancers to perform at Hawaiian event in Onna

Male hula dancers to perform at Hawaiian event in Onna

July 6, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo 

In preparation for Moon Beach Luau 2012, a Hawaiian event to be held on July 7 and 8 at the Hotel Moon Beach in Onna, several men have been practicing the hula dance. The Kailua Hula Studio, based in Kubota, Okinawa City is unique in that they have ten male dancers.

A...

Tiny baby grows steadily thanks to devoted nursing

Tiny baby grows steadily thanks to devoted nursing

July 5, 2012 Eriko Tamaki of Ryukyu Shimpo

Sachika Kinjo, a girl born this January weighing just 407 grams left the Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital on July 3. Even for the hospital specializing in treatment for the most critically ill baby-patients, a baby weighing only 407 grams required...

Electric power purchase starts to encourage the use of renewable energy

Electric power purchase starts to encourage the use of renewable energy

July 4, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

On July 1, a feed-in tariff energy system commenced. This is a system that requires utilities to purchase all of the electricity generated by renewable-energy sources such as wind and the sun and pay a fixed-price to those who generate renewable electricity generators....

Orders for raw mozuku increase

Orders for raw <em>mozuku</em> increase

July 5, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

At Taiwan’s largest international food show held at the end of June, there were many new orders taken for goods such as mozuku. The largest number of companies from Okinawa to date, 17 in total, participated in the event and initiated 1032 business discussions....

Crabs spawn in Ikema-jima

Crabs spawn in Ikema-jima

July 5, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

On the night on June 4, in Taira on Ikema-jima, north of Miyako-jima, a species of terrestrial crab known as okagani was observed spawning. The crabs moved down towards the sea in the moonlight with eggs about to hatch stuck on their bellies.

Every year around...

Discussion about Okinawa under U.S. military occupation held at Brazil

Discussion about Okinawa under U.S. military occupation held at Brazil

July 4, 2012 Akiko Yasuhara Correspondent of Ryukyu Shimpo

On June 24, at the Brazil Okinawa Cultural Center in Sao Paulo, a discussion involving first-generation Okinawan Brazilians was held to mark the 40th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa to Japanese sovereignty and to deepen the...

Cargo ship carrying Osprey aircraft departs U.S. port for Iwakuni

July 3, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

On July 2 government officials reported that the cargo ship carrying the MV-22 Osprey vertical take-off and landing transport aircraft, which will be deployed at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, departed from San Diego, California, and is heading for U.S. Iwakuni...

Yonaha Bay becomes Ramsar site

Yonaha Bay becomes Ramsar site

July 4, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

Ahead of the 15th meeting of the signatory countries to be held in Bucharest, Romania, commencing on July 6, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands has added new areas to its list, including Yonaha Bay in Miyako-jima. The Convention on Wetlands, otherwise known as the...

East team wins Ojima Island’s dragon boat race

East team wins Ojima Island's dragon boat race

June 26, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo

On June 23, in the waters off Ojima Island, Tamagusuku in Nanjo, the Watatsumi Festival with its dragon-boat race was held. Many visitors from both on and off the island cheered on the oarsmen.

The main dragon boat race is decided by the outcome of the best...

Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival to be held in Brazil in July

Worldwide Youth <em>Uchinanchu</em> Festival to be held in Brazil in July

June 26, 2012

On June 25, at a press conference held at the Okinawa Prefectural Government Office, the World Youth Uchinanchu Association (WYUA) released the program of the 1st Worldwide Youth Uchinanchu Festival, which will take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil from July 25 to...