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11 years after the Tohoku Earthquake, 187 evacuees reside in Okinawa; most from Fukushima

11 years after the Tohoku Earthquake, 187 evacuees reside in Okinawa; most from Fukushima

March 11, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Chikako Maemori

 

March 11 marks the 11th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident that devastated Japan’s Tohoku Region. Approximately 38,000 diasporas (as of February 8) are scattered nationwide because of the catastrophic events, according to Japan’s Reconstruction Agency. In Okinawa Prefecture, 187 evacuees currently live across 22 municipalities; The agency...

 

First woman wins Yamaimo Competition with 170-kilogram yamaimo

First woman wins Yamaimo Competition with 170-kilogram yamaimo

March 8, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Wakana Arakaki

 

Most people who grow yamaimo (Japanese mountain yam) are men, and the Yamaimo Competition (Yamaimo Subu), a contest in which farmers compete using the weight of their yamaimo, has long been considered a competition between men....

JICA Okinawa holds online lessons to teach Karate techniques and the essence of peace to students in south America as it eyes World Heritage List recognition

JICA Okinawa holds online lessons to teach Karate techniques and the essence of peace to students in south America as it eyes World Heritage List recognition

March 7, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Sayaka Yoshida

 

In order to further the study of peace by passing down Okinawan traditional karate, and to strengthen relationships with people of Japanese descent in other countries, JICA Okinawa hosted an online seminar for Japanese descendants...

Japanese government aims to streamline Blue Patrol program by mobilizing 3,600 taxis in Okinawa for crime prevention next year

Japanese government aims to streamline Blue Patrol program by mobilizing 3,600 taxis in Okinawa for crime prevention next year

March 4, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Yosuke Anri

 

Tokyo – Japan’s cabinet office announced March 3 that they would be proceeding with the introduction of crime prevention duties for taxis in Okinawa as part of the “Okinawa Regional Safety Patrol Corps” (often referred...

PFAS levels exceed the national provisional guideline value at two water sources in Kin Town

PFAS levels exceed the national provisional guideline value at two water sources in Kin Town

March 4, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Miho Iwakiri

 

Due to an inspection of the tap water conducted in Kin Town in February, it came to light on March 3 that a level of 59 nanograms per liter (ng/L) of harmful organic fluorine compounds known as PFAS, a level exceeding the national...

Government committee to plan 50th anniversary celebration of Okinawa Reversion at Tokyo hotel

Government committee to plan 50th anniversary celebration of Okinawa Reversion at Tokyo hotel

March 3, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Yosuke Anri

 

Tokyo and Okinawa Prefecture are co-hosting the 50th-anniversary ceremony of the Reversion of Okinawa to Japan. During an interview conducted before March 2, an official revealed some details of the May 15 celebration, including...

Kunigami and Yoron Reenact Exchange of Goods to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of Okinawa’s Reversion

Kunigami and Yoron Reenact Exchange of Goods to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of Okinawa’s Reversion

March 1, 2022, Ryukyu Shimpo

By Kotaro Nagamine

 

Kunigami – On February 28, representatives of Kunigami and Yoron, Kagoshima reenacted the exchange of goods between the two towns that occurred regularly before World War II. The exchange was one event commemorating the...

“War is a mistake” 94-year-old survivor of the Battle of Okinawa decries Russian invasion on Naha’s streets

“War is a mistake” 94-year-old survivor of the Battle of Okinawa decries Russian invasion on Naha’s streets

March 1, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Masatoshi Inafuku

 

The Asato – Daido – Matsugawa Island-wide Association gathered at Asato Crossroads in Naha, raising placards calling for peace and protesting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The group included someone who lived through...

Breaking – Former Miyakojima mayor found guilty of corruption in JGSDF garrison land acquisition case, sentenced to 3 years in prison, with a 5-year suspended sentence

Breaking – Former Miyakojima mayor found guilty of corruption in JGSDF garrison land acquisition case, sentenced to 3 years in prison, with a 5-year suspended sentence

February 22, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

Former Miyakojima mayor Toshihiko Shimoji, 76, who was indicted for bribery in the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) land acquisition corruption scandal in Nobaru Ueno, Miyakojima, was found guilty by the Naha District Court on February...

Battle of Okinawa survivors share their fears about Russia’s attack on Ukraine

Battle of Okinawa survivors share their fears about Russia’s attack on Ukraine

February 25, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

The news that Russia began its attack on Ukraine broke on February 24, instantly sending the world, including Okinawa, into a frenzy. The question on everyone’s lips is, “Will this plunge us into a time of war?” Okinawan citizens are concerned...

Chubu Photo Studio changes hands to new generation in hope of keeping Koza landmark present “for another 50 years”

Chubu Photo Studio changes hands to new generation in hope of keeping Koza landmark present “for another 50 years”

February 20, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Takahiro Kina

 

Okinawa City – On February 6 in central Okinawa, Chubu Shashinkan (Chubu Photo Studio) had a passing of the torch ceremony, with Yutaka Tokeshi, 22, officially taking over the store from its previous owner, Yoshinobu Kuba,...