Archive for December, 2019

Recent News

Editorial:With Henoko construction costs expected to reach 930 billion yen, land reclamation must be stopped at once

December 27, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

The Ministry of Defense announced that new base construction at Henoko in Nago city would have an estimated total construction cost of around 930 billion yen, and would take approximately 12 years to complete. Due to soft ground conditions in Oura Bay spreading, construction costs have increased almost 2.7 times the 2014 estimate of 350 billion yen, and the return of MCAS Futenma to Okinawa has been pushed from sometime after 2022 to sometime in the 2030s.

As...

 

The Original Awamori opportunity with Lao-Lao made by Lao women

The Original Awamori  opportunity with Lao-Lao made by Lao women

December 26, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Yuki Nakamura

In the new year, Co-Op Okinawa (Urasoe City, Okinawa) will begin importing the Lao traditional alcohol Lao-Lao into Okinawa to support industrialization in Laos. Currently, Lao-Lao is produced and sold in Laos and a portion of profits is...

Ryukyu performance arts win national arts awards

Ryukyu performance arts win national arts awards

December 26, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

The play Gungwachi Kungwachi (Okinawan for May and September) by the Ryukyu Art Embassy was awarded Grand Prize in the Popular Entertainment category of the 2019 74th annual ACA National Arts Festival, organized by the Japanese government Agency for...

Taiwan donates to Okinawa, optimistic on timber sourcing for Shuri Castle

Taiwan donates to Okinawa, optimistic on timber sourcing for Shuri Castle

December 20, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 19, Fan Chen-Kuo, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative to Japan in Naha, visited the Okinawan prefectural government office to present Governor Denny Tamaki with a donation to rebuild Shuri Castle, which had burned down in a recent fire....

One of a kind! An armored deep sea fish? Churaumi Aquarium displays the rare oni armored searobin for the first time ever

One of a kind! An armored deep sea fish? Churaumi Aquarium displays the rare oni armored searobin for the first time ever

December 17, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

Motobu – The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium has for the first time in the world put the exceedingly rare deep-sea oni armored searobin on display.

As the name suggests, armored searobins are characterized by scales that look like a suit of armor, however...

Okinawa welcomes peak chrysanthemum season as supplier of the New Year’s staple

Okinawa welcomes peak chrysanthemum season as supplier of the New Year’s staple

December 19, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

Okinawa’s chrysanthemum flower producers have welcomed peak shipping season ahead of the New Year.

To accommodate the increased output, the Okinawa Flower Grower’s Co-op set up an expanded delivery schedule in partnership with ANA Cargo.

Each...

Showing Friendship in Ryusou and Chima Jeogori An Event on Kokusai Street, Okinawa The Tourism Industry Amid Worsening Japanese-Korean Relations

Showing Friendship in Ryusou and Chima Jeogori An Event on Kokusai Street, Okinawa The Tourism Industry Amid Worsening Japanese-Korean Relations

December 16, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 15, an event called “Let’s Show Friendship Between Okinawa and South Korea” was held on Kokusai Street in Naha, Okinawa.

Visitors could take photos with female staff in traditional Okinawan dress, called ryusou, and Korean chima jeogori...

“I understood how both the Uchinanchu and U.S. military felt.” Okinawan musician who grew up down the street from military base shares his story on the 49th anniversary of the Koza Riot

“I understood how both the Uchinanchu and U.S. military felt.” Okinawan musician who grew up down the street from military base shares his story on the 49th anniversary of the Koza Riot

December 20, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Mikako Shimoji

Okinawa – The air was thick with the smell of smoke, and the people were filled with anger.

On December 20, 1970, 49 years ago, in an angry response to a U.S. military member causing a traffic accident as well as the response...

Editorial: It has been one year since the start of land reclamation in Henoko. Japan should end construction Henoko and close MCAS Futenma

December 14, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

Does the Japanese government consider Okinawans as Japanese? Their extreme arrogance fill us with these doubts.

December 14 marks one year since the government started reclaiming land along the coast of Henoko, with the goal of building new base facilities...

How far will costs rise? 147.1 billion yen already spent on mere 1% of Henoko land reclamation, prefectural government estimates total of 2.55 trillion

How far will costs rise? 147.1 billion yen already spent on mere 1% of Henoko land reclamation, prefectural government estimates total of 2.55 trillion

December 14, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

December 14 marks one year from the day that the government started dumping soil into the bay for the new base construction in Henoko, Nago.

In the past year, roughly 1% of the total soil required for the land reclamation project has been filled in. Going...

Here’s what to know about the new food hall on Kokusai Street

Here’s what to know about the new food hall on Kokusai Street

December 17, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

On December 16, South Island Spice Co., Ltd. (Naha City,) owned by Spice Works Inc. (Tokyo, CEO: Wataru Shimotono) launched the “Okinawa Kokusai Noren-gai” food hall complex inside the former Okinawa Mitsukoshi building in Makishi, Naha City.

The...