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November 29, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
On November 20, “An emergency meeting to discuss the establishment of an Okinawan Language immersion school” was held at Makishiekimae Hoshizora Community Center in Naha. The organizers were Okinawan Studies 107 (Okisuta 107), a group of the local people who have studied in Hawaii. Seventy people gathered and discussed establishing a school for studying local dialect.
Masahide Ishihara, professor of the University of the Ryukyus, gave a lecture about immersion schools in Hawaii where people are able to study in the Hawaiian language from kindergarten right up to graduate school.
Professor Ishihara explained that the passion of just six native Kauai Island mothers determined to pass on the Hawaiian language to their children was instrumental in the establishment of the immersion school.
Emphasizing the need to maintain local languages, Professor Ishihara said, “Language has a role to play in connecting us to the land and our ancestors. Losing the language means that we lose our relationship with our own land and our ancestors.”
A woman who teaches Okinawan language in Ginowan City commented, “I’ve been teaching the language for three years now in order to hand it down to further generations. If we don’t do this, it will disappear in no time. I want to make use of the Internet to spread the word.”
(English translation by T&CT, Shinako Oyakawa and Mark Ealey)
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November 29, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
On November 28, a press conference was held at nicofarre in Roppongi, Tokyo regarding the production of the 3D movie, “The Tempest 3D” which is based on a novel set in the Ryukyu Kingdom in the 19th century and stars Okinawan actress Yukie Nakama.
Nakama, who played both the lead male (Neion) and female (Mazuru) roles, promoted the film, saying, “I would really like people to enjoy the stunning 3D images and the beauty of Shuri Castle.”
“The Tempest 3D” is based on the novel written by Okinawan novelist Eiichi Ikegami which has been adapted both for the stage and for a television drama series.
In addition to Nakama, actor Shosuke Tanihara, who plays the role of feudal retainer of the Satsuma Domain Masahiro Asakura, who falls in love with Mazuru, and actress Saki Takaoka, who plays Kikoeookimi, a character who becomes hostile towards Neion, spoke at the press conference.
Tanihara said, “I was very deliberate in how I approached the role of Asakura, who is a character who has struggles within himself. He loves Neion and the Land of Ryukyu despite being a foreigner in the Ryukyu Kingdom.”
When asked what he and Asakura have in common, Tanihara’s response of, “I and Asakura both like Yukie Nakama and Okinawa,” was warmly received.
Takaoka said, “I felt the depth of Okinawan history when I felt the wind on my face at [the sacred location of] Sefa-utaki. When we prayed for rain, it actually rained!”
Nakama talked about her feelings towards the film, saying, “Although I was born and raised in Okinawa, where I led quite a normal life, when I went to Tokyo I realized for the first time how beautiful the natural environment of Okinawa is. I need to find out more about what is happening in Okinawa now. When I was playing the characters, I felt that I had to save Okinawa.”
(English translation by T&CT, Mark Ealey)
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November 28, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
On November 27, at the site of the planned construction of the New Ishigaki Airport in Shiraho, Ishigaki, the city held the “Ishigaki Beef BBQ Festival” and set a new Guinness World Record for the longest kebab-style BBQ. The kebab was measured at 107.6 meters, breaking the previous record set in Lebanon of 97.5 meters by 10.1 meters.
As many as 15000 people participated in the event designed to promote Ishigaki Beef and to look ahead to the opening of the New Ishigaki Airport in 2013. A total of 1710 people cooperated to break the Guinness World Record. Starting by threading five-centimeter cubes of Ishigaki Beef onto a skewer, people worked together to then put the skewer on the grill and turn it over.
The iron skewer broke twice, but they welded it back together and pressed on. The attempt to break the record only finished when they finished eating all of the grilled meat, and it took about five hours until to achieve their objective.
(English translation by T&CT, Megumi Chibana and Mark Ealey)
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December 1, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
From December 1, Prefectural Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports commences a service called “DOR39,” a participatory Internet site that offers photographs, movies and comments for people who plan to visit one of the 39 inhabited islands off Okinawa.
The purpose of the site is to establish an island-tour, boosting demand for travel among residents of the prefecture, and stimulating the economies of the islands. The site offers basic information on each island and how to get there. People who wish to post information need to register as a “supporter.” The website offers an application for smart phones, with links to the social-networking site Facebook.
This is carried out as part of the Discover Okinawa Promotion Project for Island Tourism, which began this fiscal year. The Nippon Travel Agency Okinawa was commissioned to set up the site, and the operating budget for the first year is 15 million yen.
The staff member from the Prefectural Office who is in charge of the initiative said, “We have advertised to gather comments directly from tourists. I’d like to be able to introduce unusual sightseeing spots.” From 2012 fiscal year, they plan to design a tour of places about which people have posted information on the website. The website: http://dor39.jp/
(English Translation by T&CT, Lima Tokumori and Mark Ealey)
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December 1, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
From this December, the Yamakawa Shuzo Co. LTD., which is based in Motobu Town, will sell a variety of amamori called “Awamori Kaneyama 40 year-old.” Only 100 bottles of this product, that has been stored and aged for 40 years, will be sold. It comes in 720 ml bottles, is 41 percent alcohol and the suggested retail price is 300000 yen including tax. Executive Director Munekuni Yamakawa said, “It has a sweet cocoa flavor and is very smooth considering that it is 41 percent alcohol. I would like to introduce this old vintage that I have looked after for 40 years since Okinawa’s reversion to Japanese sovereignty.” Orders will be accepted at liquor stores.
The company has sold vintage awamori before. In 2007, a variety that they aged for 40 years was well-received and sold out very quickly.
Bottles of “Awamori Kaneyama 40 year-old” will be presented in a box made of Paulownia wood. The name was carved out by Nangyu Higa, a calligraphy engraving artist from Motobu town, and young fabric dyeing artist Seisaku Chinen made the cloth on the box. Each bottle has been given a number as proof of the limited sales run. For further information, please call the Naha branch of Yamakawa Shuzo Co. LTD. on 098-868-3855.
(English Translation by T&CT, Shinako Oyakawa and Mark Ealey)
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November 27, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
On November 13, the third Ocean Love-Love Festival 2011 in Ishigaki Island was held to clean up the shore at the Akaishi coast in Ishigaki City. This year a total of 732 people participated in the event, the highest number to date. They collected items of rubbish that had drifted ashore from locations both in Japan and overseas.
According to the executive, 374 garbage bags, 20 dangerous objects such as lighters and bottles of medicine, and 264 over-sized items of rubbish such as buoys were collected on the shore. The people who helped collect the rubbish arranged it on the ground in the shape of a heart and the words “Keep going forward.” Participants made a plea for the early recovery of the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and to prevent illegal disposal of rubbish.
(English Translation by T&CT, Lima Tokumori and Mark Ealey)
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November 26, 2011 Yukiyo Zaha of the Ryukyu Shimpo
On November 25, the Okinawa Islands Fair – Blessing from the Islands commenced at the Okinawa Cellular Park Naha at Onoyama Park. Some of the Okinawa’s premier products were exhibited and sold over three days until November 27. The traditional performing arts of Okinawa will also be on stage for all to enjoy.
One hundred five groups from 18 island municipalities displayed and sold a total of 966 products. The site was crowded with shoppers from the opening day on November 25. The booths of Miyako Miso or bean paste from Miyako Island, and Yaeyama kamaboko or fish paste from Ishigaki Island attracted many people. Nine island municipalities opened up 12 dining booths and served irabu-jiru or sea snake soup and Yaeyama soba noodles.
As she bought some Ishigaki boiled fish-paste, Naha housewife, 60 year-old Kayoko Nakama said, “I rarely get to Ishigaki Island, so it was good to be able to buy it here.”
For further information about the performances and time schedule, please check the website http://www.ritoufair.jp
(English Translation by T&CT, Shinako Oyakawa and Mark Ealey)
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November 26, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
On November 25, the Ministry of Defense announced that from December 1 U.S. fighter aircraft drills initially planned to take place from the Kadena Air Base in December will start partially moving to Guam. This is one of the initiatives that Japan and the United States have agreed to carry out so as to reduce the burden on Okinawa, and this is the second redeployment of U.S. fighter drills scheduled for Kadena since this October. The drills will involve about 20 FA18 fighter jets and 650 personnel based in Iwakuni Air Station (Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture).
From December 1 to 18, jet fighters and refueling aircraft will be moved for the drills.
The Ministry of Defense is keen to redeploy the F15 jet fighters from the Kadena Air Base to Guam, but at this point in time this has not been achieved.
In January, Japan and the Untied States agreed on plans to move ahead with the relocation of the drills, which started in 2007, from the Kadena Air Base to Japan Air Self-Defense Force Bases outside of Okinawa and to Guam.
(English Translation by T&CT, Megumi Chibana and Mark Ealey)
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November 25, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
At a press conference on November 24, Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba announced that the Japanese and the U.S. governments have reached an agreement under the new framework by which Japan will be granted jurisdiction over serious crimes such as a fatal traffic accidents committed by civilian employees of U.S. military in Japan that have occurred “in the line of duty” if the United States authorities do not conduct a criminal prosecution and agree to give Japan “favorable consideration” to exercise jurisdiction.
Both governments agreed to improve the application of the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement.
At the Japan-U.S. Joint Committee meeting on November 23, they confirmed that this is an adjustment of the application of the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, and while this improvement of the application of the law is expected to resolve the illogical situation in which neither the Japanese nor the U.S. governments conduct a criminal trial in the cases of crimes or incidents involving U.S. military civilian employees on duty, the United States continues to have jurisdiction in these cases due to the fact that no actual changes have been made to the Agreement that primary jurisdiction over this is determined to be with the United States.
Following the agreement reached by both governments under the new framework, the United States authorities stated that they would not conduct criminal prosecution over a case of a fatal traffic accident that occurred in Okinawa City this January. The Naha District Public Prosecutors Office then decided to indict the 24 year-old male U.S. military civilian employee alleged to have caused the accident on charges of negligent driving resulting in death. This latest announcement is part of the government’s effort to curb growing anti-American sentiments in Okinawa, which faces the issue of the planned relocation of the Futenma base within the prefecture.
Article 17 of the Status of Forces Agreement gives the United States primary jurisdiction in cases involving U.S. military civilian employees who cause accidents or commit crimes when on duty.
On the other hand, in 1960 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled it unconstitutional to bring U.S. military civilian employees, who are involved in crime or incidents on duty, to a court martial in times of peace. Subsequently, both countries lost the foundation to criminally prosecute these offenses. However, because the United States authorities did not issue Certificates of Official Duty at that stage, it was possible for Japan to indict offenders.
But as a result of establishment of Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act in 2000, since 2006 the United States authorities have resumed issuing Certificates of Official Duty.
Although the United States authorities issued such certificates for all the 62 cases of crime or incidents involving U.S. military civilian employees in Japan that have occurred “in the line of duty” during the five-year period of 2006-2010, and claimed its primary jurisdictions over the cases, none of those were brought to a court-martial, and 27 cases of those were processed as being not subject to punishment, with disciplinary action against the suspected civilian employees being taken in 35 cases.
≪Terminology related to the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement.≫
The U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement is an agreement between Japan and the U.S. that was approved and enacted in 1960 as stipulated in Article VI of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty. It is an agreement concerning the legal status of United States Armed Forces stationed in Japan, and the management and operation of military bases.
The Agreement gives the United States authorities primary jurisdiction over cases of crime or incidents caused by U.S. military service members and civilians “on duty” when both Japanese and the United States authorities compete for jurisdiction over the cases. It gives Japan the right to exert jurisdiction in cases only if the U.S. waives its jurisdiction, or in the case of crimes or incidents caused by U.S. military service members and civilians who are “off duty.” The opinion does exist that Japan has exclusive jurisdiction over the cases since the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled it unconstitutional to bring U.S. military civilian employees involved in crime or incidents on duty to a court martial in times of peace.
(English Translation by T&CT, Mark Ealey)
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November 25, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
On November 24, the Okinawa Liaison Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it will not carry out additional research regarding articles reporting U.S. veterans’ claims that a highly toxic defoliant containing dioxin was used extensively in the U.S. military facilities in northern Okinawa. The reason for this is that “The U.S. government doubts the credibility of these articles.” The Office said this in response to Yuichi Higa, the head of the Nago City Council and others having that day submitted a written request for an explanation for the issue and implementation of environmental investigation around the facilities.
Makoto Iyori, the deputy director of the Office, who met with them, said, “The Japanese government does not plan to conduct additional research on this matter. We understand that the Chatan Town authorities are collecting information on the issue and we will consider conducting research if new information is presented.”
According to Iyori, in response to a request from the Office, the U.S. government confirmed its stance on the reports and cast doubt on their validity, stating firstly that the U.S. military would not store defoliant along with other chemicals as shown in the photograph with the article, and secondly that a container storing defoliant would have a sign on it.
Zenkou Nakamura, a member of Nago City Council retorted, “The Foreign Ministry should pro-actively investigate this issue without waiting for new evidence to be produced.”
(English Translation by T&CT, Mark Ealey)
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November 29, 2011 Ryukyu Shimpo
In the evening of November 29, the government announced that it would dismiss 50 year-old Satoshi Tanaka, the director general of the Okinawa Defense Bureau after he had made a remark the previous evening (November 28) in which he compared the delayed submission of an environment assessment report on the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko in Nago to warning a woman about being raped, saying, “Would you say, ‘I am going to commit an act against you,’ before you commit an act against someone?”
The comment was made in the context of his being asked why the government has not made a clear statement with regards to the schedule for the submission date of an assessment report.
The government decided to immediately dismiss Tanaka on the basis that his remark that shows a contempt for human rights and because it could draw fire from Okinawa Prefecture and the Okinawan people, thereby hindering the Futenma relocation issue.
It is the first time that a director general of the Okinawa Defense Bureau (formerly head of the Facility Planning Section of the Facilities Department of the Naha Defense Facilities Administration Bureau) who is the head of the local agency of Bureau of Defense Policy for Okinawa Prefecture, in which the U.S. military bases are concentrated, has been dismissed because of such an injudicious remark.
(English Translation by T&CT, Mark Ealey)
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