By E. Heinrich-Sanchez

“Our Blue Planet” play and music performance takes place Jun. 13 in Kadena Town and Jun. 14 in OIST auditorium.

We are soon to welcome summer.  Although in the US, Memorial Day traditionally marks the start of the summer season with only a week or so left for school, in Okinawa summer starts with the Japan Marine day on the third Monday of July.

June is the global environment month.  June 8th is World Oceans Day.  Register to download fun materials by Dr. Seuss.  Health oceans leads to “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” and many more.   “Our Blue Planet” play with music based on the Earth Charter will also visit Okinawa performing on Jun. 13th at the Kadena Town Culture Center next to the Kadena Town Office (http://www.town.kadena.okinawa.jp/english/access_to_kadena.html )  from 6 p.m. and on June 14th in Onna Village at the OIST Auditorium (http://www.oist.jp)  Pledges of support and sponsorship are still available.  For English information please contact Ms. Iko Ogawa at people@classiclive-un.org  

The nonprofit Cliassic LIve for the United Nations is an approved associated United Nations organization and performs under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Ministry of Environment among others.  They have performed since 2001 from Tokyo to Geneva to New York.  Their last performance in Okinawa was in 2004.  ALL performances are free to the public.  See the homepage for details: http://www.classiclive-un.org/

The “MARUGOTO” (All Island) Okinawa Clean Beach Campaign is organized by the Okinawa Clean Coast Network (OCCN) and will kick off Saturday, Jun. 7^th, from 10 a.m. to noon at Tomigusuku City “Toyozaki Chura SUN Beach” down the street from the Outlet Mall Ashibina.  There will be an opening ceremony.

Everyone is welcome.  The “MARUGOTO” Okinawa Clean Beach Campaign runs from Jun. 1st through Jul. 31st.  Groups organize cleanups all over and register the results in the OCCN monthly newsletter and website.  OCCN is managed by the 11th Division Headquarters of the Japan Coast Guard Pollution Prevention and Disaster Response Section.  An English page is still slow in coming so please ask one of your bi-lingual staff or volunteers to register your cleanup and results.

We ask all participants to declare their beaches, river, coastal or underwater “ZERO TRASH” and then cleanup the same location during the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) between September and November using Marine Debris/Litter Data Cards.

June 23rd is time to pray for those lost during the “Battle of Okinawa”.  Please contact your local USO for the yearly trip to the Itoman co-sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce in Okinawa.