Archive for April, 2019

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Residents near MCAS Futenma concerned by high concentrations of PFOS/PFOA in water, U.S. military refuses on-base investigation

Residents near MCAS Futenma concerned by high concentrations of PFOS/PFOA in water, U.S. military refuses on-base investigation

April 12, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Maki Nagamine

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the use of which chemicals is principally prohibited within Japan, have been detected at high concentrations in spring water and other water sources in the vicinity of the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (MCAS Futenma).

Residents of Ginowan City are expressing their uneasy feelings at this. The U.S. military is not allowing examinations within the base compound,...

 

The three participating parties at a summit to reduce the base burden agree to set new deadline for closing MCAS Futenma

The three participating parties at a summit to reduce the base burden agree to set new deadline for closing MCAS Futenma

April 11, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

Tokyo – Representatives from the Japanese government, the Okinawa prefectural government, and Ginowan City met April 10 at the prime ministers offices for a conference to further the lessening of the burden brought by MCAS Futenma.

At the conference, the...

Complaints of aircraft noise from Air Station Futenma at a record high of 684

Complaints of aircraft noise from Air Station Futenma at a record high of 684

April 12, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

In 2018, Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture received 684 complaints pertaining to the aircraft noise from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

This is a record high since Ginowan City began accepting complaints in 2002.

The number of complaints...

Okinawa Governor protests fatal incident involving U.S. solider, resulting in local apprehension

Okinawa Governor protests fatal incident involving U.S. solider, resulting in local apprehension

April 15, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo online edition

On April 13 the dead bodies of a U.S. Navy sailor assigned to a Marine unit in Okinawa and a Japanese woman were found in an apartment in Kuwae, Chatan Town. It appears the sailor fatally stabbed the woman and killed himself. Okinawa Governor Denny...

U.S. navy sailor presumably kills woman, commits suicide

U.S. navy sailor presumably kills woman, commits suicide

April 14, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

On the morning of April 13 a 44-year-old Japanese woman and a 32-year-old U.S. Navy sailor assigned to a Marine Corps unit in Okinawa were found dead in a bloody apartment bedroom in Kuwae, Chatan Town.

According to the prefectural police, there are signs...

Washizu wins record 5th Miyakojima Triathlon, Tohara wins men’s race

Washizu wins record 5th Miyakojima Triathlon, Tohara wins men’s race

April 15, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

[Miyakojima Triathlon New Team] – The 35th All-Japan Triathlon Miyakojima (Hosted by Miyakojima City and the Ryukyu Shimpo News Corporation) took off from Yonoha Maehama Beach April 14, a 202.195 km race that includes a 3 km. swiming leg, a 157 km. cycling leg,...

No-war pledge: families bereaved by mass suicide hold memorial service

No-war pledge: families bereaved by mass suicide hold memorial service

April 7, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

Yomitan—the War-Bereaved Families Association (represented by Norio Yonaha) held a memorial service at the Chibichiri Gama cave in Namihira for the 85 people who were forced to commit mass suicide on April 2, 1945, shortly after American troops landed on Okinawa’s...

Descendants of the Himeyuri Peace Corps visit the battlefield where the student nurses were mobilized for the 30-year anniversary of the Himeyuri Peace Museum

Descendants of the Himeyuri Peace Corps visit the battlefield where the student nurses were mobilized for the 30-year anniversary of the Himeyuri Peace Museum

April 7, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Chikako Maemori

The Himeyuri Peace Museum in Itoman conducted field work at the battlefield that contained many of the casualties from the “Himeyuri Student Corps,” a corps of students that were mobilized to meet the need for medics during the Battle...

Government’s broken promise not to store missiles on base unravels locals’ condition for accepting GSDF deployment

Government’s broken promise not to store missiles on base unravels locals’ condition for accepting GSDF deployment

April 8, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Junnichi Maeshiro

When the Ministry of Defense was still in the stage of planning to deploy a security force in Miyako, local residents demanded that missiles not be stored at the deployment site. In response, the Ministry of Defense continually told residents...

MLIT annuls OPG revocation of land reclamation permit, OPG prepares to legally counter

MLIT annuls OPG revocation of land reclamation permit, OPG prepares to legally counter

On April 5, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Keiichi Ishii accepted the Ministry of Defense (MOD) Okinawa Defense Bureau’s (ODB’s) formal objection to the Okinawa Prefectural Government’s (OPG’s) revocation of the land reclamation permit for construction...

Compendium of Ryukyu literature to be published by Meio University

Compendium of Ryukyu literature to be published by Meio University

April 2, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

On April 1, Meio University President Katsunori Yamazato announced that the university would start an editing and publishing project for the “Compendium of Ryukyu Literature,” which is to have notes and explanations in combination with the original text.

It...