CULTURE
Pick Up Stories
All Okinawa Eisa Festival 2026 [CULTURE Festival]
The Zento Eisa Matsuri, the All Okinawa Eisa Festival, takes place every year on the first weekend after Obon. This tradition began in 1956 ...Read More
Obon is time for family gathering to rem… [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE]
For three days starting on Tuesday, August 25th through Thursday, August 27th, many privately owned businesses on Okinawa will close their ...Read More
Remembering Reversion and Driving on th… [History]
When Okinawa was returned to Japan on May 15th, 1972, part of the package was an entirely new set of challenges that needed to be met. For O...Read More
2012.09.28
Okinawa-India Friendship marks 10th anniversary [Community]
Musicians, artisans and artists from India are appearing at the Naha International Airport Domestic Terminal this weekend as the Okinawa-India Friendship Association celebrates its...
Open-air concert slated Sunday at Futenma Shrine [CULTURE]
The Okinawa Philharmonic Orchestra will be in full swing Sunday, performing a variety of music at Futenma Shrine. The Sunday musicale is a pre-event for the 4th Futenma Festival co...
2012.09.28
Shuri Castle Park Harvest Moon Celebration [CULTURE]
Colorful scenes of the Ryukyu Kingdom’s old and ancient times “Chuusyuu no utage” will be duplicated under the harvest moon this weekend, although the passing Typhoon J...
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...
2012.09.15
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...
2012.09.15
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...
2012.09.06
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...
2012.09.06
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...
2012.09.01
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...
2012.08.24
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...
2012.08.17
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 ...
2012.08.17
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...
2012.08.17
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...
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