May 31, 2012 Yukiyo Zaha of the Ryukyu Shimpo
On May 30, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that they had conducted DNA testing on 28 sets of remains of war dead from Okinawa Prefecture (one identified, 27 unidentified). The Ministry has been performing DNA testing on remains of war dead since 2003. In the nine years from 2003 to 2011, a total of 1550 sets of remains (836 identified, 714 unidentified) have been appraised. Bereaved families and a...
May 27, 2012 Kyoko Ishii of Ryukyu Shimpo
On May 26, at the Rural Environment Improvement Center of Kijoka, Ogimi, the unveiling ceremony was held of a tanka inscription dedicated to Major Hiroshi Terauchi, a Kamikaze pilot who died during the battle of Okinawa. Tokyo resident 86 year-old...
June 3, 2012 Maki Nagamine of Ryuyku Shimpo
Cultivation of estuary cod (mibai in the Okinawan dialect), a fish well known for its high-grade white flesh, has been steadily increasing. The production volume for fiscal 2010 exceeded 80 tons, the highest level to date, and the return...
May 29, 2012 Ikue Nakaima of the Ryukyu Shimpo
In Kagoshima City, there are four Okinawa pines (Pinus luchuensis) growing beside a road with a view of Sakurajima. Kagoshima resident Shoji Yoshimi, who has looked after these pine trees for 40 years, decided to hand on the baton to his son Akira...
June 3, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
In the afternoon of June 2, at Music Town Oto Ichiba in Okinawa City, the final audition was held for bands performing at the 30th Peaceful Love Rock Festival and a 13 year-old girl from Okinawa City, Sakura Ishado was selected. She will be the youngest performer...
June 3, Hideaki Yoneda, correspondent of the Ryukyu Shimpo
Fumio Nakamura, who currently lives on Maejima Island, which comes under the administrative authority of Tokashiki Island and is located about 25 kilometers west of Naha, published a book entitled Hand on to the Next Generation...
June 3, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
The U.S. Government has sent the Ministry of Defense an unofficial report stating that human error caused the MV-22 Osprey vertical take-off and landing transport aircraft crash in Morocco in April, and that no mechanical problems have been found. This was revealed...
May 26, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
On Kohama Island in Taketomi, 77 year-old Kenji Miyazato is working to revive a traditional fishing method called kasuku.
Miyazato said, “It will be a natural aquarium. I think that it could help children learn about the ocean.”
Kasuku...
May 25, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
A photo exhibition entitled “Mayaga, Tayaga, Nuyaga (Where is it, Who is it, What is it) @ Kitanakagusuku” was held in a local community center through until May 15. Former marine Dick Bruce, now 73 year-old and living in Washington DC, displayed 200...
June 1, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
From May 31 to June 2, the harvest festival Sutsuupunaka was held at four sites in Tarama, with all the villagers hoping for a year with a good harvest and prosperity.
Based on their respective roles, groups called za are formed for each of four ceremony...
May 26, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
On May 20, people born on Shimoji Island, which is administered as part of Taketomi and has been deserted since 1962, chartered a dive boat to visit the island with their families on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of their departure. In spite of bad weather,...
Webcam(Kokusai Street)