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Foreign Laborers in Okinawa totals 8,138 at the end of October, 2018, highest ever figure for both people and businesses

Foreign Laborers in Okinawa totals 8,138 at the end of October, 2018, highest ever figure for both people and businesses

February 8, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

The Okinawa Labor Bureau (Takafumi Adachi, bureau chief) announced February 7 that the number of foreign laborers in Okinawa as of the end of October, 2018 increased by 828 people year-over-year (an 11.3% increase) to a total of 8,138 people. The number of businesses employing workers from foreign countries also increase by 146 companies (a 10.1% increase) to a total of 1,591. This is the highest number of total foreign workers and business that employ foreign...

 

PM Abe’s policy speech emphasizes Henoko relocation, fails to mention closely attending to Okinawans’ feelings

January 29, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

In a policy speech at the National Diet on January 28, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again stated his intention to move forward with the relocation of Futenma Air Station to Henoko, Nago City. He said, “After more than twenty years of discussions with Okinawa’s...

Okinawa fails to surpass Hawaii in terms of 2018 tourist numbers and increase rate

Okinawa fails to surpass Hawaii in terms of 2018 tourist numbers and increase rate

February 3, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

The U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in competition with Okinawa over incoming tourist numbers, had a preliminary estimate of 9,954,548 tourists in the 2018 calendar year, roughly 112,100 more than Okinawa, which had 984,2400 tourists visiting during the same period.

Okinawa...

Mysterious symbols found engraved in stones in newly discovered castle wall at Nakagusuku Castle Ruins

Mysterious symbols found engraved in stones in newly discovered castle wall at Nakagusuku Castle Ruins

February 3, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Kazuya Arakaki

[Nakagusuku] The Nakagusuku Board of Education (BoE) disclosed on February 2 that during their survey of the newly discovered castle wall at Nakagusuku Castle Ruins, the discovered symbols such as letters that resemble an “F” and an...

Central government considers Henoko seafloor reinforcement method using 60,000 sand pillars

Central government considers Henoko seafloor reinforcement method using 60,000 sand pillars

February 1, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

On January 31, it came to light that the Japanese government is considering using approximately 60,000 sand pillars at a depth 70 meters under the water of Oura Bay as the soil improvement method on a 57-hectare area of soft seafloor in the land reclamation area...

Himeyuri Peace Museum attracts visitors with Takako Miyahira video

Himeyuri Peace Museum attracts visitors with Takako Miyahira video

February 2, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

As part of its 30th anniversary project, the Himeyuri Peace Museum released a promotional video on its website and on YouTube.

The museum’s annual visitation had declined by nearly one-half, from its peak of one million visitors in 1999, to 580,000...

“Romance fraud” targeting women on the rise in and outside Okinawa

“Romance fraud” targeting women on the rise in and outside Okinawa

February 1, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Masaaki Umeda and Ami Chibana

A specific type of scam called “international romance fraud” has been on the rise in and outside of Okinawa. This scam involves perpetrators pretending to be foreign servicemen on social networking services (SNS) and...

Dugong lawsuit plaintiffs submit brief claiming DoD not consulting local citizens violated NHPA

Dugong lawsuit plaintiffs submit brief claiming DoD not consulting local citizens violated NHPA

February 2, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

A group of U.S. and Japanese environmentalists, which is the plaintiff group in the dugong lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and demands a halt to construction in Henoko, Nago City, held a press conference on February 1 at the...

16 Nago citizens sue the state for suspending revocation of the Henoko landfill permit

16 Nago citizens sue the state for suspending revocation of the Henoko landfill permit

January 30, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

On January 29, 16 Nago residents living in the vicinity of the landfill area resorted to legal action at the Naha district court to seek cancellation of the state’s decision to suspend revocation of the landfill permit.

Japan’s Minister...

Andres Higa, one of the founders of “Uchinanchu Day” marries fellow Uchinanchu after meeting in Okinawa

Andres Higa, one of the founders of “Uchinanchu Day” marries fellow Uchinanchu after meeting in Okinawa

January 30, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

Nago – Andres Higa ,43, a second generation Okinawan-Argentinian who has established the “World Uchinanchu Day” and “ International Day of Nikkei,” married Cynthia...

U.S. military amphibious vehicles cross highway in Ginoza, stopping traffic

U.S. military amphibious vehicles cross highway in Ginoza, stopping traffic

 

January 29, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

On January 28, fifteen U.S. military amphibious vehicles entered U.S. military Camp Hansen by crossing over prefectural highway 329 from the Katabaru seashore in Matsuda, Ginoza, Okinawa. When the vehicles crossed, U.S. military personnel...