CULTURE
Pick Up Stories
Golden Week, Japan’s Mega Holiday [CULTURE Family Festival]
Spring is here. And in Japan that means warmer weather, cherry blossoms, and rainy season. But, before the rainy season takes hold and shrou...Read More
Shiimi: A time to remember and honor th… [CULTURE]
April marks the beginning of one of Okinawa’s most important and sacred religious ceremonies, known locally as shiimi. This particular cerem...Read More
Okinawa’s guardian shisa has its own day… [History Travel & Beach]
April 3rd is the “Day of Shisa” in Okinawa as four (April) is “shi” and three is “san” in Japanese. The day was established in 2002 to promo...Read More
U.S. Senkakus Return in ’72 upset Beijing, Taipei [History]
The raging controversy over ownership of the Senkaku Islands in southern Okinawa Prefecture is a long brewing issue, stemming all the way back to the U.S. Reversion of Okinawa to J...
Tens of thousands protest Osprey deployment [Community]
Ginowan Seaside Park and a space outside the Diet building in Tokyo on Sunday were the venues for tens of thousands who gathered to voice their opposition to deployment of U.S. Osp...
Pointillist learns all from grandmother [Community]
His family line is special, his grand mother was a Kaminchu, a person able to talk to gods, her family being a Kaminchu family since ancient times, but not wanting to mix with thos...
Three-day Okinawa ChaganZoo Festival at Furusato Park [CULTURE]
Okinawa Kodomono-Kuni is busily preparing for its ChaganZoo Festival next weekend. The Festival takes place at Furusato Park in Okinawa Kodomono-kuni from 10 a.m. ~ 5 p.m. Septembe...
Urasoe Museum to show latest works of Ryuta Kinjo [CULTURE]
Okinawan creative artist Ryuta Kinjo is preparing for his second local art exhibition in two years, hosting a six-day program at the Urasoe Art Museum. The 34-year-old Kinjo is wor...
Kyubon Bullfight Tournament in Ishikawa Dome [CULTURE]
The people of Okinawa are welcoming the Obon festival today through Saturday, a time of paying homage to their ancestors. The Obon festival is held here according to the lunar cale...
500 dancers to perform at Yomitan Takashiho Eisa [CULTURE]
Hundreds of Eisa dancers are going through final rehearsals for Sunday’s Takashiho Street Eisa in Yomitan Village, where more than 3,000 spectators are expected to turn out. The Ta...
Marines to test tsunami warning system [Community]
A new installation-wide tsunami warning system designed to alert personnel on all Marine camps and stations, and White Beach Naval Facility, to the threat of an imminent destructiv...
Heshikiya Eisa teams to strut their stuff [CULTURE]
One of Okinawa’s most famous district eisa groups is going through final tune-ups for a weekend of Eisa action. Heshikiya Eisa’s performance style is not as much showy as most eisa...
Stunning physics photos in OIST photo exhibition [Community]
Physicists and scientists all over the world are dealing in complex issues like ‘why is the universe made of matter and not antimatter?’. However, very few people know what actuall...
Ryukyu Mura, Kin prepare for Summer Eisa Festival [CULTURE]
A total of eight eisa groups from around Okinawa are descending upon Ryukyu Mura theme park in north central Okinawa for the 4th Ryukyu Mura Eisa Festival on Sunday. Ryukyu Mura op...
Kid groups to perform at Zoo Summer Festival [Community]
The Okinawa Kodomo-no-Kuni Eisa Summer Festival is all set for 28 kids groups to perform Saturday and Sunday at the Okinawa City Zoo. The Summer Festival runs 4 p.m. ~ 9 p.m. both ...
OKIU ’04 helicopter crash anniversary remembered [Community]
On the eighth anniversary of the crash of a Marine Corps heavy lift helicopter onto the Campus of Okinawa International University, students are planning a two-part remembrance Aug...
New Golden Kings coach sets lofty goals for season [Community]
There’s a new bench leader for the Basketball Japan League champion Ryukyu Golden Kings, and he’s preparing to fire up his squad for the coming season. Kohto Tohyama takes the rein...