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Okinawa Beach Opening Information 2026! [CURRENT ISSUE LIFE]
Okinawa Beach Opening Information 2026! Ginowan Tropical Beach (Apr. 18) Chatan Sunset Beach (Apr. 10) Chatan Araha Beach (Mid. Apr.) Nishih...Read More

Itoman Tug-of-War marks end of summer [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT]
Many Okinawan farmers and fishermen, in some form or fashion, pay tribute to the Gods, seeking their blessing and favor for a great harvest ...Read More

Awamori "Ku-su" Day [CURRENT ISSUE LIFE]
September 4th is the “Ku-su Day”, with September = ‘9’ which is pronounced ‘kyu’ or ‘ku’ in Japanese, and ‘4’ being pronounced ‘...Read More
2012.11.28
CH-46 withdrawn, U.S. set to start full operations of Ospreys [Military]
The U.S. Marine Corps completed the withdrawal of a fleet of 12 CH-46 helicopters from its Futenma air station in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, on Tuesday to prepare for the ...
Ship crewman dies in accident [News]
A cargo ship called the 11th Coast Guard Headquarters at 1:20 p.m. on Nov. 18, reporting that a member of its crew, Noritaka Yaduka, was unconscious as a result of an accident onbo...
Civilian contractor arrested for having knife [News]
Ishikawa police arrested a self-employed male civilian contractor of the military living Kin district of Kin Town, 42-year-old Steven Aaron Sepian, Nov. 17, on a charge of violatin...
City worker found dead floating in ocean in Miyako [News]
Shipping company staff reported to police and fire department that “There’s a man floating in the ocean” at Sarahama Port in Irabu Island in Miyako-jima City in the morning of Nov....
Ginoza through ages on exhibition [News]
An exhibition at Ginoza Village Art Museum called “The history of Ginoza village’s mountain and people” is open to the public through Dec. 9. The exhibition shows that nature chara...
Restaurant robbery at Hiyane [News]
A man pointed a knife at a male staff at a restaurant in Hiyane district of Okinawa City 5 a.m., and threatened him saying “I will stab you if you don’t give me all the money in th...
Junior high school student nabbed for car theft [News]
Ginowan Police arrested a 14-year-old junior high school boy on a charge of theft on Nov. 17. Police say that the boy stole a mini-car from a factory in Onaha district of Nishihara...
Mashiki Junior High marching band earns bronze [News]
“The 25th Japan Marching Contest” was held at Osaka Castle Hall in Chuo Ward of Osaka City on Nov. 18. 25 groups from all Japan entered the junior high school division, and were ju...
Fatal hit and run in Kochinda [News]
A car hit a man walking on a road in Kochinda, Yaese Town at 10:20 p.m. on Nov. 16 and sped away without stopping. The victim was taken to a hospital, but he was seriously injured ...
American GI’s in Japan just can’t stay out of trouble [News]
Senior military commanders in Japan, not to mention the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, are anything but happy today after three separate incidents have landed American servicemen behind...
Chinese ships still continue sailing into Senkakus zone [News]
For a 30th straight day, Chinese surveillance ships have entered the contiguous zone lying just outside Japan’s territorial waters in the vicinity of the Senkaku Islands in the Eas...
ANA keeping small jets on China routes [Business]
The tensions between Japan and China over the Senkaku Islands issue is keeping business movements down, leading All Nippon Airways to announce it is continuing its use of smaller a...
2012.11.23
Miyazato falters, finishes fifth at Titleholders finale [Sports]
Ai Miyazato was off to a good start at the Titleholders Ladies Professional Golf Tournament, holding a one-stroke lead at the midway point before losing concentration and winding u...
2012.11.23
24th Tour de Okinawa runs this weekend in Nago [Sports]
More than 4,000 cyclists are getting together and racing every year around the Yanbaru area, an event simply called the Tour de Okinawa. The 24thTour de Okinawa 2012 convention thi...
Marine, Airman trespassing cases go to prosecutor [News]
The immediate futures of a U.S. Marine Corps officer and an airman are in the hands of the Naha District Prosecutor’s Office, which will decide what to do with the pair who are acc...
U.S. watching polls and promises to work with winner [Politics]
From the State Department to the White House, all eyes are on Japan’s December 16th Lower House of Representatives election, and the State Department is assuring everyone in Japan ...
Praise heaped on grapes as Beaujolais Nouveau uncorked [News]
Hundreds of wine drinkers are smiling over the 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau vintage wines, which were presented last week in a series of parties on Okinawa. The Beaujolais Nouveau and B...
2012.11.22
Opposition LDP leading In all pre-election polls [Politics]
The principal opposition party in Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party ousted from power in August 2009, is now being heavily favored to win Lower House elections set for December 1...
2012.11.22
Islands Fair showcases outer islands [Business]
The theme of the annual Islands Fair is “We Love Specialties of the Islands.” To get that message across to the public, the three-day Ritou Fair at the Okinawa Cellular Park Naha a...
2012.11.21
This week’s winner [Weekly Winners]
Sandy Abadia is the lucky winner of this week’s Japan Update raffle. She won a pair of tickets to Kinoshita Circus that will stage daily old fashioned circus extravaganza starting ...
