Top News
April 1, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
(Tokyo) On March 31, the Ministry of the Environment compiled its results from FY 2019 surveys of the state of habitation of the dugong, which is a Natural Monument of Japan, and revealed that it found new marks thought to be dugong feeding trails near Hateruma Island and Irabu Island. 2019 was also the first year surveyed in which no feeding trails were seen off the coast of Kayo in Nago.
The Ministry of the Environment carried out surveys on Hateruma...
April 9, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
JetStar Japan announced April 9 that they are suspending all flights between Shimojishima Airport and Narita Airport, as well as all connecting flights from April 10 through May 6.
As a result, Shimojishima Airport Management, the firm that operates the Miyako...
April 2, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
On April 1 it came to light that mistakes were found in 20 portions of the explanatory documents from the Ministry of Defense’s “technical investigative commission” panel of experts. This technical investigative commission was established to address...
April 2, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
On April 1, the tree nymph was established as the Prefectural Butterfly of Okinawa, the prefecture’s newest symbol. Previously, there were six established Prefectural Symbols, including the Prefectural Emblem, the Prefectural Flower (deigo flower), and the Prefectural...
April 2, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
Due to the continued spread of COVID-19, the Okinawa Medical Association (Tetsuyoshi Asato, committee chair) announced April 2 that, with the opening of the tomb sweeping festival (shimi) season taking place this weekend, they are asking people to refrain from returning...
April 12, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
Fire-extinguishing foam containing PFOS, a type of carcinogenic organic fluorine compound, was discovered to have escaped outside of MCAS Futenma and onto the streets of Ginowan, polluting the rivers and falling on the streets in residential neighborhoods. This...
April 13, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
Ginowan City, Okinawa—It was agreed 24 years ago that the U.S. Marine Corps base in Futenma would be closed and the site would be returned to Okinawa. In the meantime, the base burden on Ginowan residents has not lessened. The number of military aircraft flights,...
April 11, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
(Ishigaki) On April 10, Seifuku Distillery (based in Ishigaki, Okinawa; president: Kenryu Kanna) held a press conference at Ishigaki City Hall and announced that it will start manufacturing awamori called “Seifuku 77” having a 77% alcohol content.
The...
April 9, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
In Kijoka, Ogimi Village, the Iris ochroleuca is in full bloom and the flower fields are awash in purple. On the morning of April 8, families and shutterbugs arrived at the flower fields, enjoying the drive and the early summer weather. Yoshiko Okonogi, 69, who visited...
April 5, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
During the Battle of Okinawa, immediately following the U.S. military landing on Okinawa Island, on April 2, 1945, 83 residents of the island were gathered for “collective self-determination” (compulsory group suicide) at the natural cave Chibichiri-gama...
April 8, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
Nanjo – On April 7, due to the spread of novel coronavirus, representatives of Kudaka Island, Nanjo asked tourists to refrain from visiting the island. Nagayasu Hokama, head of Kudaka Ward, says that while the request is not intended to regulate entry...