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Seventy people gather to discuss the establishment of an Okinawan Language Immersion School

Seventy people gather to discuss the establishment of an Okinawan Language Immersion School

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...

 

Novel “The Tempest” turned into a 3D movie

Novel

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,...

World’s Longest Ishigaki Kebab created to mark New Ishigaki Airport

World’s Longest Ishigaki Kebab created to mark New Ishigaki Airport

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...

Prefectural Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports sets up an information site on the islands off Okinawa

Prefectural Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports sets up an information site on the islands off Okinawa

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....

Yamakawa Shuzo Co. LTD. sells awamori aged 40 years. Only 100 bottles will be sold

Yamakawa Shuzo Co. LTD. sells awamori aged 40 years. Only 100 bottles will be sold

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...

Ocean-lovers make a work of art with rubbish that has drifted ashore at Ishigaki Island

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...

Okinawa’s Islands Fair kicks off – Stadium imbued with island flavor

Okinawa’s Islands Fair kicks off - Stadium imbued with island flavor

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...

U.S. fighter drills to move from the Kadena Air Base to Guam next month

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...

Japan has jurisdiction over the fatal traffic accident caused by a U.S. military civilian employee this January.

Japan has jurisdiction over the fatal traffic accident caused by a U.S. military civilian employee this January.

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...

Foreign Ministry does not intend to investigate the Agent Orange issue in Okinawa

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...

Okinawa defense chief sacked for his injudicious remark

Okinawa defense chief sacked for his injudicious remark

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...