Okinawa 1988-1991

Human bones found in Okinawa among oldest ever for Japan

2010-02-08T08:17:00.001-06:00

Human bones found on one of islands the southern part of Okinawa prefecture dates as far back as around 20,000 years, putting them among the oldest ever found in Japan, it was announced on Feb. 4th.

The bones were first unearthed in 2007 on the island of Ishigaki, southwest of Okinawa Island, in an area that was being prepared to be converted into a small airport, the Mainichi reported.

Nine bones were found, but only six could be directly dated from extracted collagen samples, according to Jiji Press. Of those six, the oldest piece, which dates back 20,000 years, was part of the skull of a man in his 20s to 30s. A piece of an adult leg bone that was found dates back around 18,000 years. Another bone is calculated to be 15,000 years old. The remaining three are all from approximately 2,000 years ago.

The 20,000 year old piece is the oldest human bone in Japan to have been found and directly dated. This piece took over the record from bones found in the 1960s in Shizuoka Prefecture, west of Tokyo, that were directly dated to be 14,000 year old, Jiji Press reported. The actual oldest human remains found on Japanese territory were discovered on Okinawa Island and are believed, through indirect means, to be 32,000 years old.

Professor of Paleethnology Minoru Yoneda at Tokyo University told Mainichi reporters, “This provides support that humans lived on Ishigaki Island during the Paleolithic period. A large number of human bones likely still remain there. Furthermore, continuing detailed investigation will lead to clues on the search for the roots of the Japanese people.”

Typhoon Melor

2009-10-05T13:51:00.000-05:00

Typhoon Melor spared Guam and Saipan its full wrath over the weekend, but could threaten the Kanto Plain area of Japan by mid-week.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasts Melor to curve sharply northeast at mid-morning Tuesday, skirting some 310 miles east of Okinawa and weaken as it heads toward cooler waters off mainland Japan.

It is forecast to track east of Tokyo, passing 55 miles southeast of Yokosuka Naval Base at 2 a.m. Thursday, packing sustained 80-mph winds and 100-mph gusts at its center.

Sunday morning Melor was a super typhoon spinning about 240 miles west-northwest of Saipan, packing sustained 167-mph winds and 200-mph gusts at its center — equal to a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic.

It is expected to pack sustained winds of 127 mph and 155-mph gusts when it turns toward the northeast on Tuesday.

National Weather Service officials on Guam reported gusts on the island of up to 38 mph and very little rain when Melor passed to the north overnight Saturday.

There were no immediate reports of damage at Air Force and Navy facilities on Guam.

Cities Of The Underworld : Tunnels of Hell

2008-10-27T12:55:00.000-05:00

The largest naval armada in U.S. history descended on the Japanese island of Okinawa in April of 1945. Instead of a swift victory for the American's it became the bloodiest battle of the Pacific. Much of the battle wasn't on land it was underneath it--from the beehive of combat tunnels to the caves where thousands of civilians hid. Join host Don Wildman as he discovers what it was like to live through the Battle of Okinawa. Watch as he delves into the subterranean tunnels, caves, and bunkers, and then dives to explore the lost naval destroyer sunken deep in the waters off Okinawa's coast.

Airs on the History channel Nov. 2 at 9pm.

History Channel

Tropical Storm Jangmi

2008-09-30T08:51:00.001-05:00

Japan issued warnings for potentially damaging rains and flooding as Tropical Storm Jangmi headed across the East China Sea toward the islands of Okinawa and Kyushu.

Full Story

Four Americans missing off Okinawa

2008-09-29T12:15:00.001-05:00

A YACHT with four US citizens aboard went missing today in waters south of the East China Sea as Typhoon Jangmi pounded the area, the Japanese coast guard said.

The coast guard said it was searching for the yacht after its office on the southern Okinawa island received a radio distress signal overnight.

"We then confirmed it was a US-registered yacht, Jade Princess, with the US coast guard," the Japanese coast guard official said.

Four US citizens are aboard Jade Princess, which was sailing from Malaysia to Okinawa, the official said.

"We received the signal shortly before noon from a location some 83km south-southwest of Iriomote island," he said, referring to a small Japanese island near Taiwan.

The typhoon is the strongest to hit Taiwan this year. It is expected to reach Japan's Okinawa island chain by Wednesday, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency.

Jangmi, meaning "rose" in Korean, made landfall in Taiwan's north-eastern Ilan county around 5.40pm AEST yesterday, according to local officials.

Tropical Storm Sinlaku

2008-09-16T08:19:00.000-05:00

Tropical Storm Sinlaku, which left seven people dead when it battered Taiwan as a typhoon, moved back over open water and was forecast to strengthen on its approach to the southern islands of Japan.

Sinlaku was located over the South China Sea about 300 kilometers (186 miles) north-northeast of the Japanese island of Miyako with maximum sustained winds of 74 kilometers per hour at 3 p.m.

Sinlaku's winds were gusting to 111 kph as the storm slowly headed east-northeast away from Taiwan. The storm's sustained winds are expected to strengthen to 93 kph, with gusts to 130 kph, by tomorrow as it swings to the east and heads for the Okinawa island chain, Japan's weather agency said.

Full Story

Panel to investigate Okinawa reversion

2008-08-18T08:29:00.000-05:00

A panel is to probe whether the 1972 reversion of Okinawa to Japanese sovereignty from the United States was carried out fairly, a lawyer says.

The investigation next month comes amid suspicion that there was a secret deal, the Kyodo news agency reported Sunday.

A 1971 document declassified by the U.S. government is believed to show Japan secretly shouldered $4 million in costs the United States was supposed to pay to restore Okinawa's land to its original state.

"The government must store copies of the documents, and we will demand that it make them open to the public by presenting the government with the duplicates of the released documents," said Kazuo Hizumi, a Tokyo lawyer representing the panel.

The investigative group was formed after the Tokyo High Court in February rejected a lawsuit filed by a former reporter convicted in the 1970s over his news-gathering about the Okinawa reversion.

Super Typhoon Rammasun

2008-05-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

As of Saturday afternoon, EDT, the storm was centered near 17.5 north and 132.1 east, or approximately 600 miles south-southeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. Rammasun has strengthened rapidly over the past 24 hours and is now a super typhoon with sustained winds of 155 mph with gusts as high as 190 mph. The storm is moving to the north at 15 mph, and this motion is expected to continue over the next 24 hours. The storm currently looks very impressive on satellite imagery with a concentric tight eyewall and well-defined spiral banding over much of the storm.

Rammasun continues to avoid land as it moves almost due north across the open waters of the eastern Philippine Sea. The storm is currently moving along the western edge of a subtropical ridge located to the east of the the typhoon. However, the storm is expected to turn more to the northeast early next week and could be a threat to Chichi Jima and Iwo To; whether or not this verifies depends on the timing of the storm's turn to the northeast. A sharper northeast shift would take it very close to these islands; a less drastic turn or a continuous northerly path would take it close to mainland Japan.

The storm has reached its peak intensity as a super typhoon. When storms reach this intensity, often times eyewall replacement cycles will slow down strengthening and possibly cause some weakening. However, subtle fluctuations in strength are possible the next 24 hours with the chance of the storm reaching the 160-mph wind mark. The storm is expected to begin to weaken later Sunday and into Monday EDT as the storm moves farther north over an area of cooler weather and increasing wind shear.

5.2 earthquake jolts Okinawa

2008-05-05T11:51:00.000-05:00

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 jolted Miyako Island, Okinawa Prefecture, and its vicinity early Monday, the Meteorological Agency said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the 2:32 a.m. quake, and no tsunami warning was issued. The quake measured 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 on several parts of the island, according to the agency.

Full story

Disney unveils glimpses of animation series in Japan

2008-03-30T13:31:00.000-05:00

The Japanese version of Disney’s original Lilo and Stitch is being jointly produced by Japan based mid-sized studio Madhouse and Walt Disney.

The original Lilo and Stitch series told of the bonding between the orphan girl Lilo and a little blue alien named Stitch on the lush Hawaiian island of Kauai.

The local version has a Japanese girl skilled at karate and set on a fictional island in Japan's subtropical southern chain of Okinawa.

In the three-minute pilot version, the girl, tentatively named Hanako, and other characters dance to the tunes of traditional Okinawan music while eating a bowl of rice with chopsticks.

A Japanese adaptation of Lilo and Stitch will kick off in late 2008.

Ernie Pyle death photo surfaces

2008-02-04T08:26:00.000-06:00

"This photo provided by Richard Strasser, perhaps never before published, shows famed World War II war correspondent Ernie Pyle shortly after he was killed by a Japanese machine gun bullet on the island of Ie Shima on April 18, 1945. Pyle, 44, had just arrived in the Pacific after four years of writing his popular column from European battlefronts. The Army photographer who crawled forward under fire to make this picture later said it was withheld by military officials. An AP survey of history museums and archives found only a few copies in existence, and no trace of the original negative."
Full Story
We built an airstrip on Ie Shima back in 89 or so. I was fortunate enough to see the monument there in tribute to Ernie Pyle. In this picture it almost looks like he just layed down to take a nap.

Cherry Blossom Festival

2008-02-01T09:34:00.000-06:00

"Thousands of festival goers searched for the first signs of spring in the blossoms of cherry trees lining the streets of Nago City and Nago Central Park during the 46th Annual Nago Cherry Blossom Festival Jan. 26-27.

Some of the festival highlights included performances by local schools' brass bands and cultural performers such as Eisa dancers and taiko drummers. Parades, competitions, karaoke, carnival games and food vendors were also attractions for the visitors.

A popular activity at the festival was 'hanami,' or flower viewing. Festival goers toured the park, where they had a scenic view of approximately 20,000 pink Taiwanese cherry trees blooming."
Full story

Japanese diets changing to a more western flavor

2007-12-31T08:06:00.000-06:00

Scientists have often praised the healthy eating of the Japanese, saying there are real benefits in a diet of rice and seafood.

But now Japanese children are rebelling against the traditional eating habits, reflecting the changing lifestyle in Japan.

“The people of Okinawa are turning away from eating rice every day as we used to when we were young,” seaweed vendor Toshimitus Wakuga-Wa told 3 News. “Instead there are Italian restaurants in Okinawa and they often eat pasta, cheese, pizza and a lot of bread.”

Full story

Toys for Tots Program expands; volunteers needed

2007-11-04T09:12:00.000-06:00

"The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders," according to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation Web site.

Coordinators running Okinawa's program have a lot of events for this year's drive and need plenty of volunteers to help them. Volunteers can help with tasks such as sorting toys or promoting donations by making an appearance in public with their dress blues.
Full story

The birth of a Manta Ray in captivity

2007-10-02T07:06:00.000-05:00

A Manta ray was born in the Kuroshio tank, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Japan. This is the first known manta birth in captivity. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium has been succeeding in keeping the Manta Rays (Manta birostris) for the first case in the world since November, 1988. On June 16, 2007 the birth was observed.

A baby Manta ray was born after a gestation period of 374 days, and moved to the sea pen for feeding.

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Typhoon Nari Strengthens on Path for Okinawa

2007-09-14T07:33:00.000-05:00

Typhoon Nari headed across the Pacific Ocean with winds of 157 kilometers per hour (98 miles per hour) and is forecast to strengthen before hitting the Japanese islands of Okinawa later today or early tomorrow.

Nari, classified as ``extremely strong,'' was moving west- northwest at 20 kilometers an hour, with winds gusting to as high as 222 kilometers per hour. The weather agency issued warnings for strong winds, battering waves and a storm surge for the Okinawa island chain.

Nari's eye is expected to pass to the west of Naha early tomorrow, the agency said.

Full story

Moderate quake jolts Okinawa

2007-09-08T17:48:00.000-05:00

A moderate earthquake jolted Okinawa Prefecture in the early hours of Friday, the Meteorological Agency said.

There were not reports of casualties or damage to properties, Okinawa Prefectural Police said, and no tsunami warning was issued following the quake.

The tremblor that struck at 2:51 a.m. registered 3 on the 7-point Japanese intensity scale on Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost island.

The focus of the earthquake, which is estimated at 6.5 on the open-ended Richter scale, was located near Taiwan, the agency said.

Okinawa Shaken By Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake

2007-08-10T12:35:00.000-05:00

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook Okinawa in southern Japan at 9:02 a.m. local time. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake was centered near Okinawa's main island, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on its Web site. The quake's depth is ``very shallow'' and ``minor changes in sea level are possible,'' the agency said. No tsunami warning has been issued.

The country's last major earthquake hit the north-central prefecture of Niigata on July 16, killing 11 people and injuring more than 1,000. Damage from the magnitude 6.8 quake forced Tokyo Electric Power Co. to close its biggest nuclear power plant and Japanese carmakers, including Toyota Motor Corp., to cut production after a parts supplier in the region halted operations.

A quake that hit the same area in 2004 killed 33 people, shut a section of a bullet train line and halted production at a semiconductor plant operated by Sanyo Electric Co.

Strong quake hits off Okinawa's coast

2007-08-06T21:18:00.000-05:00

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 struck off the shore of Japan's southern Okinawa island on Tuesday, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

There was no risk of injuries or damage from the quake, which hit at 9:02 a.m. (0002 GMT), the agency said.

The focus of the tremor was close to the surface of the earth and 140 km (90 miles) off the northwestern coast of Okinawa.

Exxon Mobil Japan group refiner Nansei Sekiyu KK's Nishihara refinery in the area was unaffected by the quake and was operating as usual, an official at the refiner said.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

Typhoon Man-yi hits Southern Japan, grounds air traffic

2007-07-13T12:49:00.000-05:00

More than 300 flights were cancelled on their way into and out of Japan's Southern islands as typhoon Man-yi swept through the region Friday, according to the Nikkei daily. The typhoon, the fourth to hit Japan this year, was forecast to hit the southern tip of Kyushu on Saturday, bringing heavy rain across a vast region of Western Japan, the Nikkei report said, citing data from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The typhoon made landfall in Okinawa Prefecture Friday morning. Winds of 252 kilometers per hour (156.6 miles per hour) were recorded near Okinawa's capital of Naha, the Nikkei reported. Man-yi is forecast to pass across Kyushu and Shikoku islands and expected to hit Tokyo on July 15, loosing strength as it passes over land, according to reports.

Powerful typhoon bound for Okinawa

2007-07-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

A large and very powerful Pacific typhoon was bearing down Thursday on Okinawa and remote islands south of Kyushu, the Meteorological Agency said, warning against heavy rain in wide areas of southwestern Japan.

The season's fourth typhoon, Man-yi, is expected to hit Okinawa on Friday and may approach western Japan on Saturday.

Okinawa governor has mild stroke

2007-06-26T07:09:00.000-05:00

Okinawa governor has mild stroke | The Japan Times Online: "NAHA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima has been hospitalized for treatment of a slight stroke but surgery is unnecessary, his deputy said Monday."

Manta Ray dies

2007-06-22T20:43:00.000-05:00

The world's first manta ray born in captivity, in an aquarium on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, died five days after its birth, an aquarium spokeswoman said Friday.

'It's very regrettable that we lost the baby,' the spokeswoman at the Churaumi Aquarium said. 'We feel bad about failing to raise it well.'

The newborn male manta ray reportedly died of concussion and scratches when it swam into the wall of the aquarium.

The manta-ray's father had been seen chasing its own offspring, and the aquarium staff said that the baby ended up smashing against the wall in an attempt to escape.

Rare Giant Manta Born at Japan Aquarium

2007-06-17T23:24:00.000-05:00

The baby manta, a female, was born late Saturday in a huge fish tank at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, more than a year after its parents mated, the aquarium said in a statement posted Sunday on its Web site.

In a video capturing the birth, the baby manta, rolled up like a tube, came sliding out of the mother manta, then quickly spread its fins and began swimming around.

The scene, recorded by the aquarium, was broadcast by national broadcaster NHK on Sunday.

The event marks the first birth of a manta in captivity, according to the aquarium, which started raising manta rays in 1988.
Full story

Peace marches expected to snarl Okinawa

2007-05-11T13:23:00.000-05:00

If you’re driving along major highways on Okinawa now through Sunday, expect delays due to a three-pronged peace march by thousands of people commemorating the 35th anniversary of Okinawa’s reversion to Japan.

Local residents, peace activists and labor union members from Okinawa and mainland Japan are expected to take part in the marches that were slated to begin Thursday and end Sunday with a massive attempt to encircle Kadena Air Base.

The Okinawa Peace March is an annual event that began in 1978, six years after the U.S. ended its WWII occupation.

Full Story

Four Quakes Strike Near Okinawa

2007-04-20T11:34:00.000-05:00

Four earthquakes, the biggest with a
magnitude of 6.1, struck between the islands of Okinawa in
southwest Japan and Taiwan, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Japanese authorities lifted a tsunami alert issued earlier.

The strongest tremor struck at 10:46 a.m. Japan time and 9:46 a.m. Taiwan time at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), 180 kilometers west of Naha in Okinawa and 360 kilometers east- northeast of Su-ao in Taiwan. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the magnitude was 6.7.

Japan's weather agency lifted its tsunami alert at 11:50 a.m., which warned that a 50 centimeter (20 inch) wave may strike the Miyako and Yaeyama island chains in southernmost Okinawa. No injuries or damage were reported, Kyodo News said.

A later tremor of 5.9 magnitude, initially measured at 6.3, struck in the vicinity at 11:23 a.m. Japan time. The first quake hit at 9:26 a.m. and had a magnitude of 6. That was followed by a 5.6 shock five minutes later. All quakes were revised from initial estimates that went as high as magnitude 6.4.

Three further tremors were recorded of 5.1 magnitude or higher by 2:23 p.m., the USGS said.

Nakijin Castle

2007-03-04T11:46:00.000-06:00

A kingdom in ruins

In the hills on the outskirts of the Motobu Peninsula stands what is left of the Kingdom of Hokuzan, one of three kingdoms that ruled Okinawa between the 13th and 15th centuries.

Nakijin Castle was the center of the Hokuzan, or Northern Kingdom, until the early 1400s when it was attacked and conquered by Sho Hashi, king of the Chuzan, or Central Kingdom.

Today, after suffering damage brought on by war, time and weather, Nakijin Castle is now a shell of its past glory but still offers visitors a unique look at the rich history of Okinawa.

Covering close to 14 acres and surrounded by more than 1.5 kilometers of Ryukyu limestone rock, the Nakijin Castle site, constructed in the late 13th century, is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Today, visitors can walk through the ruins and take a peek into the castle's past.

Stone walls that once protected the castle are still standing, surrounded by an ongoing archeological excavation. Many of the artifacts found at the site are on display at the Nakijin Village History and Culture Center, west of the ruins.

Shrines, constructed to pay tribute to gods, still stand as well, and stone pavements carved out of the bedrock remain on a trail known as the Hanta Trail. The trail leads to other shrines north of the ruins. There are also many areas with a bird's-eye-view of the coastline and the mountains of Northern Okinawa.

To find the Nakijin Castle ruins, travel north on Highway 58 towards Nago. Once inside the city, turn right onto Highway 72 northbound. Inside Nakijin Village, turn left onto Highway 505 westbound. Approximately three kilometers west of Highway 72 there is a sign on the left indicating the route to the site.

For more information on the Nakijin Castle site, call (098) 056-4400.

Portions of this story were compiled from information provided by Wonder Okinawa, http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp, a Web site maintained by the Okinawa Prefectural Government.
Photos and full story here.

Rare Captive Whale Shark Goes On Display

2007-02-16T19:17:00.000-06:00

It�s truly a sight to behold. Visitors to a Japanese aquarium are getting an underwater view of the world�s biggest fish species, the whale shark.

A rare captive whale shark went on display at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium on Friday.

Spectators flocked to the exhibit to admire the whale shark, behind the biggest acrylic window in the world, which provides people with a breathtaking view of the tank in its entirety.

The whale shark joins numerous other fish, sharks, and rays of many sizes and shapes as they swim and glide about in the giant tank.

The Okinaway Churaumi Aquarium has undertaken a mission once thought to be impossible because of their enormous size � successfully housing several whale sharks in one tank in order to attempt to breed whale sharks in captivity.
Watch the video.

Stripes launches free paper listing Okinawa events

2007-01-13T11:17:00.000-06:00

A new publication hit Okinawa bases Friday.

Stripes Okinawa, a free, weekly publication produced by the Stars and Stripes advertising department in the Pacific, will be delivered with the regular newspaper and will also be available in newsstands, stores and elsewhere on the island’s bases.

All information is local and focused on community and school events, entertainment listings and schedules. Freelance writers and advertising staff produce the stories.

Stripes Okinawa will have island-wide distribution at all bases and will be found at common locations in front of or inside exchanges, commissaries, gyms, schools, clubs, billeting, MWR facilities, banks and credit unions.

Woman in Okinawa stung by scorpion while trying on jeans

2006-12-22T14:34:00.000-06:00

NAGO, Okinawa -- A woman was hospitalized after a scorpion stung her on the leg and finger while she was trying on a pair of jeans at a clothing shop here, local officials said.

Health officials were called to the shop, Fashion Center Shimamura in Nago, and captured the scorpion, which was about five centimeters long. They believe that the scorpion is from China, as the jeans involved were imported from there.

The scorpion found inside the jeans was probably a Chinese bark scorpion. Researchers at the Okinawa Prefecture Institute of Health and Environment said that Chinese bark scorpions have poison in the tip of their tails, but it is not lethal.

The woman came to the store in Nago on Oct. 26, and tried on a pair of jeans. She suddenly felt pain in her right knee and rubbed it with her right hand. The scorpion then stung her right index finger, officials said.

Store clerks called an ambulance and she was taken to hospital, where she stayed for five days.

Employees at the store said that the jeans were from China and were shipped via Tokyo on Oct. 24. The jeans were displayed at the shop on Oct. 26. They added that during the process of drying and pressing jeans, workers use chlorine agents so they don't believe the scorpion crawled inside the jeans at that stage. "We will investigate how it crawled inside the jeans and try to prevent a recurrence," one employee at the store said.

Two types of scorpions inhabit the Yaeyama Islands and the Miyako Islands in Okinawa Prefecture and the Ogasawara Islands in Tokyo. But scorpions don't live in any other areas of mainland Japan and on Okinawa Island.

Toys for Tots campaign underway on Okinawa

2006-12-03T10:02:00.000-06:00

The 2006 U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign on Okinawa began with a ceremony Nov. 18 at the Post Exchange on Camp Foster.

Each year, Marines on Okinawa contribute their time during the months of November and December to collect new, unwrapped toys and charitable donations for children in need during Christmas.

"This is a great opportunity for us to show one of the best things about America - our generosity," said Col. Russell I. Jones, the commanding officer for Headquarters and Service Battalion Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, during the kick-off ceremony. "To quote an unknown author, 'no man stands taller than when he helps a needy child.'"

The toys collected here on Okinawa will be given to children in the local Japanese and military communities this holiday season, according to Staff Sgt. Jon E. Loppe, an Individual Ready Reserve military policeman with III Marine Expeditionary Force.

"Volunteering for the program helps build good relations between the local and military communities on Okinawa," said Loppe.

Toys for Tots organizers on Okinawa collected nearly 9,000 toys last year, Loppe said. This year they want to shatter that record by collecting more than 10,000 toys.

"Toys for Tots is an organization that gives every boy and girl a chance to have a normal Christmas," Loppe said. "It gives them the opportunity to believe there is hope."

Military families who would like to request assistance from Toys for Tots this Christmas can contact their unit representative, Loppe said. Marines can also nominate other families who need assistance but would not be likely to ask for it on their own.

Organizations or individuals interested in participating in the Toys for Tots campaign should contact Loppe by email at jon.e.loppe@usmc.mil or phone 645-8066.

Several opportunities to donate blood on Okinawa next week

2006-11-24T09:25:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving week begins the “Season of Giving” and what better way to give than to donate a pint of blood?

There will be three chances to donate blood next week as the Armed Services Blood Bank Center makes stops at Torii Station, Camp Courtney and Camp Foster. The Blood Bank is the sole source of blood products for the entire U.S. Pacific Command’s 18 medical treatment facilities, according to Blood Donor Recruiter Tracy Parmer.

Blood products collected on Okinawa routinely are shipped throughout Japan, South Korea, Guam, Hawaii and numerous ships throughout the USPACOM area of responsibility.

* Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Building 250, Torii Station, sponsored by the
10th Army Support Group.
* Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Courtney Chapel, Camp Courtney.
* Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Globe & Anchor, Camp Foster, sponsored by
the 53rd Signal Battalion.

Tornado injures 3 Marines in Okinawa

2006-11-18T12:47:00.000-06:00

A tornado hit a U.S. military base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa on Saturday, injuring three Marines who were rushed to a hospital to treat their cuts, officials said.

The gust hit Camp Schwab, a U.S. Marine Corps base in northern Okinawa, toppling cars, knocking down trees and cutting power lines, prefectural police spokeswoman Tamao Ishikawa said.

The wind also destroyed two cars and damaged 17 others inside a parking lot on the base.

None of the three injuries were life-threatening, said another police official, Yoshiaki Shimoji.

The Marine Corps said in a statement that an electrical transformer was also damaged, and post office on base received minor damage to one of its doors. Barracks, the enlisted club and the camp theater were also slightly damaged, it said.

Okinawan officials were inspecting the area, but no other injuries or damage were immediately reported, police said.

Tornados are relatively rare in Japan, but the latest incident comes about 10 days after the nation's deadliest tornado on record hit the remote northern town of Saroma, killing nine and leaving in its wake a pile of collapsed buildings, badly damaged cars and utility poles strewn across streets.

Okinawa Lion Dance Festival a roaring good time

2006-10-03T11:06:00.000-05:00

Getting playfully “bitten” by a shishi during a traditional lion dance performance is considered extremely good luck.

At the festival Sunday, six community groups performed the dance, which has been around for hundreds of years in Japan and is believed to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity to the community.

Each lion dance follows a similar pattern, but individual communities have their own unique versions.

“The shishi dance of Kin is known for its slow and dignifying movements,” said Ryoji Miyazato, 37, who used to perform the dance until six years ago and now teaches the skills to others.
Full Story

Typhoon Shanshan

2006-09-14T12:24:00.000-05:00

Shanshan, the 14th storm of the Pacific northwest’s tropical cyclone season, strengthened into a typhoon overnight Monday and tracked northwest toward a possible weekend collision with Okinawa, weather officials said.

A typhoon strike meeting was planned for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday by Kadena’s 18th Wing staff. Officials at Kadena’s weather flight said Shanshan is forecast to pass east of Okinawa late Saturday or early Sunday, and the island should brace for sustained winds of 80 mph and gusts of up to 115 mph.

“It’s dangerous enough to cause some damage,” said Capt. John Hurley, of the 18th Wing weather flight.

Shanshan was forecast to move west-northwest into Thursday, influenced by high pressure to the north. Another high-pressure ridge is forecast to move from China east over Taiwan and force the storm to curve sharply north-northeast toward a low-pressure trough to the north, taking it toward the “path of least resistance,” Hurley said.

As it heads toward Okinawa, “it will weaken as it interacts with the island, but expect it to gain more strength” as it moves away from the island, Hurley said.

Kadena weather flight officials project to set Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3 at 4 p.m. Thursday, followed by TCCOR 2 at 4 p.m. Friday, TCCOR 1 at 4 a.m. Saturday, TCCOR 1C (caution) at 6 a.m. Saturday and TCCOR 1E (emergency) at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasts call for Shanshan to pass 37 miles east of Kadena at 6 a.m. Sunday, packing sustained winds of 115 mph and gusts of up to 140 mph at its center — equal to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale of 1-5.

At noon Tuesday, Shanshan swirled 541 miles southeast of Okinawa, rumbling west-northwest at 7 mph with sustained Category 2 hurricane-equivalent winds of 104 mph and 127 mph gusts.

9/11 Remembrance ride set for Saturday

2006-09-07T19:08:00.000-05:00

Torii Station is calling all motorcycle riders for a 9/11 Remembrance Motorcycle Ride scheduled Saturday.

The ride, to honor and remember the victims of the Sept 11, 2001, terror attacks, will start at 9 a.m. at the Coral Cove Restaurant. Riders will travel to Nago and back, a trip of about three or four hours, according to an Army release.

The route follows Highway 58 west to Nago and returns on Highway 329 to the Coral Cove Restaurant for lunch.

The remembrance ride is sponsored by the United Service Organizations, Army Air Force Exchange Service, AAFES Car Sales, Coral Cove Restaurant and Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program.

All motorcyclists are invited to participate; there is no registration fee. Donations will be accepted for the single sailors program.

Call 080-1764-1432, for more information.

Typhoon Saomai puts Okinawa at TCCOR 3

2006-08-09T11:54:00.000-05:00

Winds expected to reach 121 mph as storm hits island.

Typhoon Saomai put Okinawa in its crosshairs as Typhoon Alley remained congested on Monday, with Saomai and two other tropical storms rumbling through the northwest Pacific.

A Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3 was issued at noon Monday for Okinawa in advance of Saomai, the eighth of 10 storms of the Pacific Rim’s tropical cyclone season. It continued strengthening and tracking northwest toward a possible Wednesday afternoon visit.

“This is a serious threat, definitely,” said Master Sgt. Brian McDonald, noncommissioned officer in charge of Kadena Air Base’s 18th Wing Weather Flight. “We could have some problems if we get the force of winds that we’re expecting.”
Full Story

Typhoon Kaemi

2006-07-23T10:40:00.000-05:00

Okinawa probably will be spared the full wrath of Typhoon Kaemi, but the island still should expect some effect from the storm’s outer bands, Kadena Air Base weather officials said Friday.

“We’ll get isolated showers and no more than 35-knot [40-mph] winds” as Kaemi, the sixth storm of the northwest Pacific’s tropical cyclone season, passes well southwest of Okinawa on Monday, said Capt. Colin Reece, 18th Weather Flight commander.

Though Kaemi continues tracking northwest toward Taiwan, “we’re keeping an eye on it to see if anything changes,” Reece said.

At noon Friday, Kaemi was reported to be 851 miles south-southeast of Okinawa, churning west-northwest at 16 mph, packing sustained winds of 98 mphs and gusts of up to 121 mph at its center.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasts Kaemi to increase in strength, with peak sustained winds of 127 mph and maximum gusts of 155 mph occuring from early morning to midday Sunday.

Still, Kaemi is forecast to pass well to the southwest of Okinawa, 373 miles away at 7 a.m. Monday.

Independence Day Guidelines

2006-07-02T00:21:00.000-05:00

Base officials offer guidelines for fun, safe Independence day.

The Fourth of July is a time for fun and revelry as Americans across the globe celebrate freedom and commemorate their independence from Great Britain.

There are many activities associated with the holiday weekend such as barbecues and fireworks, but these activities can be hazardous and sometimes, especially in the case of fireworks, illegal.

Marine Corps Bases Japan Order 5500.2C prohibits the use of fireworks on base and by Status of Forces Agreement personnel.

Fireworks can be a risk to operate for anyone other than professionals and cause $20 million in property damage annually, according to the National Fire Prevention Association.

There are many opportunities to enjoy fireworks during the summer, and many occasions and local festivals throughout the year that incorporate fireworks, such as Kadena Air Base's Great American Bash July 4. For more information regarding the display, call the 18th Services Squadron at 632-0310.

Fireworks are not the only danger to people and property during the Independence Day weekend, according to Recil Mabry, assistant fire prevention chief of the Marine Corps Bases Japan Fire Department. During the holiday, the fire department regularly receives calls to put out outdoor barbecue fires.

The MCBJ Fire Department recommends always supervising the grill while barbecuing, keeping children and pets away from the grill, checking hose connections on gas grills, only using charcoal starting fluids on charcoal grills, and reading the manufacturers instructions completely.

'The 101 Critical Days of Summer on Okinawa are a great time for barbecues, festivals, and fireworks each with their joys and inherent dangers,' said Robbin Johnson, an occupational safety and health specialist for the Marine Corps Base Camp Butler Safety Office. "Think about your safety and the safety of those around you when you partake in the happy days of summer."

Mudslides injure two; hundreds evacuated

2006-06-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

A house teeters Friday on the edge of a hill that has been eroded by recent heavy rain in Nakagusuku, Okinawa Prefecture.
Two people were injured in a mudslide and hundreds of others were evacuated as heavy rain moved up the archipelago, officials said Friday.

In Tochigi Prefecture, two people were slightly hurt when a tour bus carrying 42 passengers hit debris caused by a mudslide that had been triggered by the deluge, local police spokesman Toshihiko Kishimoto said.

On Okinawa, about 400 people were evacuated amid continuing danger of mudslides from the heavy rain that passed through earlier in week, prefectural official Mitsunori Sakihara said.

Among them were 40 residents of a three-story hillside condominium complex in Naha who had to leave Monday after the building began tilting toward a large hole that had opened up in the ground nearby.

Officials said Friday the building was leaning over 4 mm more than the previous day and the hole had deepened by 7 mm.

The prefecture began debating whether to offer temporary housing to the evacuees. Officials said Okinawa will ask people what they need and decide what to do by the end of next week.

The heavy rain has killed one person so far. An 81-year-old man drowned Thursday when he fell into a swollen river in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The Meteorological Agency predicted up to 200 mm of rainfall in northern Japan by Saturday morning.

Marine credited with saving Okinawa man

2006-06-11T09:25:00.000-05:00

A 28-year-old Marine is being credited with saving the life of an Okinawa man involved in a fiery traffic accident on the Okinawa Expressway.

Lance Cpl. Brent Spooner, a motor vehicle operator with the 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, said he saw a car lose control in the southbound lane, between exits 3 and 4, and collide with a concrete bus stop about 9 p.m. on May 29.

According to a Marine Corps news release, he immediately pulled over to help and was one of the first people at the scene of the accident. The crashed car erupted into flames on impact and Spooner raced to extract the driver, Takashi Shinjo, 46, an NHK broadcasting station employee.

Spooner was assisted by Air Force Capt. Ronald J. Chastain and Ishikawa Police Capt. Hidenori Akamine, the release said.

Shinjo was hospitalized for injuries to his neck and ribs.

New AAFES mall under construction on Hansen

2006-05-27T10:26:00.000-05:00

Marines and sailors sit and wait at the bus stop every weekend in Camp Hansen, hoping for a spot on the next bus for a ride to the Camp Foster exchange.

Construction workers are working on a building that will make the shopping trip unnecessary in the future.

In an effort to improve the amenities on Camp Hansen, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is building a mall scheduled for completion in October.

The new facility will house an expanded Post Exchange, food court and military clothing store within a 55,000 square-foot building in order to better serve Camp Hansen customers, according to Robert Little, the general manager of AAFES Okinawa Exchange.
Read more

Base closing plans don’t please all Okinawans

2006-05-22T10:19:00.000-05:00

As Okinawa a celebrates its 34th anniversary as a Japanese prefecture, one large group of workers wants to see the American presence continue.

Okinawa reverted to Japan from U.S. control 34 years ago this week, and Americans moved from being the hosts to the guests. Despite the political change in Okinawa, life continued much the same for thousands of local residents who work on the bases. Even as anti-military groups conducted demonstrations Monday, base workers were expressing apprehension at how a reduced American military presence can affect their livelihoods.

“Okinawa’s economy has grown up with the bases,” said a pro-military group leader. “The bases will always be important. He noted that nearly 10,000 Okinawa residents work directly for the U.S. military, and that tens of thousands of others derive significant income as a result of military bases, troops and families spending money here.
Read more

Okinawa Poker Run

2006-05-22T10:17:00.000-05:00

Boozefighters Far East Motorcycle Club wants to raise money for scholarships.

The Okinawa City bikers club is staging a poker run May 27th, and is looking for riders looking for a good hand for a good cause.

Boozefighters, which bills itself as a motorcycle club dedicated to supporting communities and sharing the road with other clubs, will run the May poker run at five locations across the island. In simple terms, bikers sign up to play poker at $5 per hand, aiming to win either the high hand, low hand or a 50/50 hand. The bikers draw one card at each of five locations, with winners stepping forward at the end.

Donations are going to Kubasaki High School’s college fund. The action begins May 27th, Saturday, at the Boozefighere Clubhouse at 911 Sonoda 3-Chome in Okinawa City. The clubhouse is two blocks down from Club Pyramids. Check-in time is 10am. A rain date has been set for June 3rd, just in case.

Boozefighters Far East is a chapter in a U.S. motorcycle club established in 1946 in California. The group, founded by a group of young guys fresh from World War II fighting, found the camaraderie of bikers to be almost as good as the military. Willie Forkner founded the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club, which was ultimately immortalized by the movie “The Wild One” starring Marlon Brando. For movie buffs, Lee Marvin played the role of Forkner.

Rainy season starts in Okinawa

2006-05-16T08:16:00.000-05:00

The rainy season got under way in the Okinawa region Sunday, a day after it hit in the Amami Islands off southern Kagoshima Prefecture, the Meteorological Agency said.

The official start of Okinawa's rainy season was six days late this year compared with an average year, and 12 days later than last year, according to the agency.

The agency's forecast for the next seven days is for rain and cloudy weather. The rainy season usually ends in Okinawa around June 23.

Okinawa woman chosen as Miss Universe Japan

2006-05-08T10:53:00.000-05:00

Okinawa has another opportunity to present itself to the world.

A 24-year-old Okinawan has been selected Miss Universe Japan. She will represent the country at the Miss Universe Champion Tournament in Los Angeles in July.

A Japan competition that began with 4,200 entrants wound up with 12 in Tokyo for the finals. Kurara Chibana won the competition. The Tokyo Jouchi University graduate, who is an activist performing volunteer work, is promoting her plan for a ‘Stop AIDS Foundation’ while making leadership the cornerstone of her social welfare activities.

Chibana’s father says “I can’t meet her often because she’s in Tokyo and we’re in Okinawa, but when I heard the news about her championship, it made me feel great. I think she was chosen because of her kind heart.” He predicts his 173cm tall daughter will represent Okinawa well, and thinks she’ll win the 2006 world championship.
Photo source, and more photo's

Okinawa Gov. Inamine tired, won't seek third term

2006-04-30T09:14:00.000-05:00

NAHA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine does not plan to run for a third term in December, political sources said Friday.

Inamine, 72, revealed his intention in a dinner meeting with Diet lawmakers from Okinawa and others Thursday, the sources said.

'I have been sprinting 400 meters at the pace of a 100-meter run. I cannot run anymore,' he was quoted as saying. He also said he will announce his intention to step down to the prefectural assembly in June, the sources added.

Inamine was in Tokyo to attend Thursday's annual spring garden party hosted by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, and other functions.

Inamine is a strong proponent of reducing the heavy burden on the prefecture of hosting U.S. military bases.

A former president of Ryukyu Oil Co., he was first elected governor in 1998 and re-elected in 2002.

Japan plans to build its own island

2006-04-25T11:46:00.000-05:00

Japanese officials reportedly plan to grow an island on an isolated reef 1,000 miles south of Tokyo to win a political dispute.

Scientists plan to implant coral 'seeds' on the reef in an effort to raise the reef's ranking to that of an official island, The Times of London reported Tuesday. An island designation would give Japan economic rights to 162,000-square miles of ocean that occupy a crucial strategic position.

The territory, known as Okino-Torishima is a coral reef three miles long and a mile wide. But, The Times noted, as an island it would secure Japan's rights to an Exclusive Economic Zone in a 200-mile radius.

So now, Japanese scientists are to harvest about 300,000 'eggs' of three varieties of coral from Okino-Torishima, and grow them in warmer, less turbulent seas near Okinawa before they are returned to the Okino-Torishima reef to transform it into an island.

'It is hard to say growing coral will directly result in our holding on to our territory,' Toru Noda, of Japan's Ministry for Land, Infrastructure and Transport, told The Times. 'But it should help to preserve the island.'

Okinawa Armed Services Blood Bank seeks O+, O- blood

2006-04-19T08:55:00.000-05:00

CAMP LESTER, Okinawa — The Armed Services Blood Bank Center here is asking folks to roll up their sleeves and give the gift of life — especially if your gift is O-positive or O-negative.

The center is always in need of blood, but according to blood donor recruiter C. Tracy Parmer, it’s in dire need of O types.
Read more

Two moderate earthquakes strike Japanese islands near Okinawa

2006-04-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

Tokyo, April 15. (AP): Two moderate earthquakes jolted an island chain off southwestern Japan today, but there was no danger of a tsunami, the Meteorological Agency said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quakes, the first of which registered a preliminary magnitude of 4.3 and hit at 0912 IST (12:42 pm local time), the agency said. The second, of magnitude 3.6, followed five minutes later.

The Meteorological Agency said the quakes were most strongly felt along an island chain stretching southwest from the island of Kyushu toward Okinawa prefecture, more than 1,000 kilometres southwest of Tokyo.

The tremors were centered between 20 kilometres and 30 kilometres under the ocean floor. The agency said there was no threat of a tsunami, potentially dangerous waves triggered by seismic activity.

Japan, which rests atop several tectonic plates, is among the world's most earthquake-prone countries. A magnitude 5 quake can damage houses and buildings in densely populated areas.

China won't return Okinawa treasures

2006-04-14T09:54:00.000-05:00

China will turn down any request to return ancient Japanese treasures given in tribute to past Chinese rulers, a government official has said.

Zheng Xinmiao, curator of Beijing's Palace Museum and vice minister of culture, was responding to Japanese media reports that Okinawa officials had asked Japan's new ambassador to China to 'return the Ryukyuan treasures to their hometown.'

The Beijing museum has several hundred items given to Chinese emperors by the Ryukyu Kingdom, now Japan's prefecture of Okinawa.

'This is impossible if they are referring to articles given as tribute to emperors during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties by the Ryukyu Kingdom, a dependency of China at that time,' said Zheng.

'We would like to be of assistance, if the people of Okinawa wish to borrow these treasures for exhibition,' said Zheng, adding China had not received a formal request in this regard.

'We organized an exhibition of these items in Okinawa once, and that is the only time they have been abroad for show,' Zheng said.

Historical records show the Ryukyu Kingdom formally became a Chinese dependency in the 1300s and the association lasted nearly five centuries before Japan claimed it as a prefecture in 1879.

Okinawa governor rejects US base relocation plan

2006-04-12T08:19:00.000-05:00

The governor of Japan's southern island of Okinawa on Saturday rejected a compromise plan to relocate a US Marine base, raising a fresh hurdle to wrapping up an overall deal on reorganizing US military forces in Japan.

Okinawa governor Keiichi Inamine said he had told Defense Minister Fukushiro Nukaga he would not accept the government's proposal to relocate the US Marines' Futenma air base on the subtropical island, about 1,600 km (1,000 miles) south of Tokyo.

"In order to maintain the solid Japan-US structure, it is essential to secure social and political stability in Okinawa," Inamine told reporters after holding talks with Nukaga.

The governor's rejection follows an agreement on Friday between the central government and a rural city on Okinawa to relocate the US Marine base.

Inamine can legally block the relocation plan because he has the authority over the use of the ocean where the central government wants to relocate the base.

Full Story

Govt looks to persuade Okinawa on U.S. base transfer

2006-04-12T08:14:00.000-05:00

The government is willing to take time to win the support of Okinawa Prefecture for a plan to build a new air base at the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Schwab on the island prefecture, Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya said Monday.

There is still plenty of time to win over the prefecture on the plan, Moriya said, adding that reclamation work, which requires the approval of the Okinawa governor, will not begin until after construction progresses on a land area.

The new facility will be built along the coast at Camp Schwab in the city of Nago.

The Defense Agency is expected to start reclamation work about three years after construction starts for the air base.

The facility is designed to allow the Marine Corps to vacate and return the site of Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, southern Okinawa, to Nago as the two countries agreed in 1996.

The Futenma station is located in the heart of Ginowan and has been a constant source of friction with local residents.

The agency hopes to transfer the helicopter unit at Futenma to Camp Schwab before the new facility is completed, by first creating enough space for helicopter operations at the camp.

Okinawa Governor Keiichi Inamine is against the relocation, but Nago Mayor Yoshikazu Shimabukuro expressed his support for the plan in his talks with Defense Minister Fukushiro Nukaga on Friday.

The minister and the mayor agreed to modify the original plan and build two runways so that planes using them will not fly over the city''s residential areas.

Okinawa Forum

2006-04-06T14:49:00.000-05:00

I have created a new Okinawa Forum. Registration is free. I will be asking visitors to leave when, and where, they were or are on Okinawa. The more people sign up, the better your chances are of finding an old friend. Feel free to let me know if there is anything you would like me to add to the forum.

I am using a free version of Invision Power Board right now, if the forum takes off I will switch to a paid version.

Okinawa Forum

Skeletal remains found on Okinawa base

2006-03-27T11:14:00.000-06:00

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Military and Okinawa police are investigating the Wednesday morning discovery of skeletal remains in the Marine Corps’ Central Training Area.

“The Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Major Case Response Team, the Pacific Region’s U.S. Armed Forces Medical Examiner and the Ishikawa Police Department are working together to investigate and determine the circumstances surrounding skeletal remains,” Gunnery Sgt. Chuck Albrecht, a Marine Corps spokesman, said Friday.

“The incident is under investigation and further information will be provided as it becomes available,” he said.

Details on the circumstances surrounding the discovery were not available Friday.

Okinawa Webcams

2006-03-16T08:55:00.000-06:00

I found a nice collection of webcams over at Okinawa Surf.com
I have put a link to one of the cams at Sunabe Seawall in my sidebar for your convenience. For the complete collection of all the cams visit Cams.

United States to return Okinawa bases

2006-03-14T07:37:00.000-06:00

Japan and the United States have reached an agreement that three military bases in Okinawa prefecture will be fully returned to Japan.

During talks at the vice ministerial level in Hawaii on the reorganization of U.S. forces in Japan Friday, the United States accepted a plan to return all facilities at Naha Port, Makiminato Service Area and Camp Kuwae to Japan, and part of Camp Zukeran, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Monday.

The agreement will be included in a final report, to be made at the end of this month. The decision will lessen the burden on Okinawa of hosting U.S. military facilities.

Japan has long sought the return of these facilities, and the United States finally gave its consent during the talks. Though it has not yet decided which parts of Camp Zukeran will be returned to Japan, a decision is expected shortly, the newspaper reported.

New movie to explain the Battle of Okinawa

2006-03-10T11:16:00.000-06:00

Kousho Fukuchi is now releasing a third motion picture on the World War II Battle of Okinawa.

Produced by the One Feat Campaign Association, the new documentary is ‘The Evidence of the Okinawa Battle’. It’s Japanese release is set for March 27th. An English language version is now in production.

Fukuchi says the movie’s purpose is to let the world’s children and others see the war from a Battle of Okinawa perspective. He chose television newscaster Jhon Kabira to narrate the film. Kabira, who was born in Naha City, says he’s happy to help because “I want the world’s people see this movie and let it be an inheritance to the future.”

‘Evidence of the Okinawa Battle’ is the third in Fukuchi’s Okinawa series. The first, ‘Evidence of the Future’, was released several years ago. It was followed with ‘The Documentary of the Okinawa Battle War’. The films are made using films taken by American military photographers during and after the Battle of Okinawa. Fukuchi notes the film shows experienced people talking, and says it’s easy to understand.

“This movie has made it easy to understand,” says Fukuchi. “The words are selected just like a school child’s text book. I hope school children can see the movie too.”

The upcoming World Uchinanchu Festival played into Fukuchi’s planning. The October event will be a time “for everyone to see this movie.” He says “these days, children are forgetting about the war, and don’t care so much about talking about war stories.”"

Sunabe Seawall

2006-03-04T20:57:00.000-06:00

Here is a shot out at Sunabe Seawall. We use to climb around on these when we were doing what Marines do best, gettin' drunk hahaha..........Anyway I'm surprised none of us ever broke a leg or something.

This was my favorite place to hang out on Okinawa. Pack a cooler, park, turn up some tunes............Good times.

Habu heading south

2006-03-03T10:11:00.000-06:00

Taiwan Habu
Okinawan Habu
The Taiwan habu has been a fixture in northern Okinawa, but now seems to be slithering south.

The poisonous snake has long been in the Nago City area and points north. That changed a week ago, when the Taiwan habu was found mixed in with sugar cane at a factory in Uruma City. It was the first time the snake was observed in the south.

The Taiwan habu has a strong poisonous venom, posing a threat to workers harvesting the sugar cane. The Prefecture Environmental Office is now involved, trying to determine how extensive the problem could be. For now, they’re warning farmers to exercise caution when in the fields with the cane.

There is a chance the snake may not have actually migrated south. Officials say some sugar cane grown in the north is transported by truck to the factory in Uruma City. “If the habu has moved alive to the south with the cane, and then escaped, it poses a big problem,” said an official. “The Taiwan habu will be spreading quickly to all Okinawa.”

The habu migrated to Okinawa from Taiwan and China decades ago. Officials say its poison is far stronger than that of its Okinawan habu relatives.

Okinawa classified ads

2006-02-28T10:47:00.000-06:00

I have discovered a new site that offer's ads for Okinawa. The site is called Dixie-Ads. Dixie-Ads offer's Free Text Ads, and picture ads are only $1. Dixie-Ads also offer's a forum covering everything from pets, to scuba diving, to your favorite place to eat on Okinawa. This is a new site that looks like a hit to me. Registration for the forums is free, so if you are currently living in Okinawa, or just missing Okinawa(like me)sign up and start posting.
Dixie-Ads
Dixie-Ads Forums

Japan offers U.S. a loan to pay for troop moves

2006-02-24T10:13:00.000-06:00

The idea of getting US Marines off Okinawa sooner rather than later has reportedly triggered a Japanese offer to front the costs, but on a loan basis.

An agreement last Fall called for 7,000 Marines to relocate from the island to Guam, but the $8 billion price tag has caused Japanese lawmakers to blanche. Now, reports circulating through the Japanese capitol suggest the central government will offer to loan the United States the money necessary to make the moves happen quickly.

Full Story

Luxury resort to open this Spring

2006-02-24T10:10:00.000-06:00

A mainland Japanese company is spearheading the drive for luxury accommodations for vacationing rich Japanese and foreigners.

The new 14-cottage resort in Onna Village’s Seragaki area will cater to the wealthy, with daily rentals running Y150,000 ($1,305). Each room in the new Oriental Hills Okinawa will serve up two meals a day, included in the price. Guests will be chauffeured to and from Naha Airport in limousines or other luxury automobiles.

A staff of 25 will cater to guest in the new facility, which is costing Y1,000,000,000. The Oriental Hills Okinawa is owned by Techno Japan, a construction group based in Yokohama. Aside from the in-room luxury services, the owners promise fine dining as well as spa and health and fitness facilities and a swimming pool.

The land is owned by Onna Village.

Techno Japan owner Kenji Tada says “Okinawa is becoming a high class resort area, so there needs to be a high class facility to take care of people.”

Weekend Festival

2006-02-17T15:38:00.000-06:00

The magnificent beauty of orchids and cherry blossoms in full bloom fills the island, signaling it’s time for a new round of festivals.

Okinawa City leaps to the forefront this weekend with its International Festival taking place Sunday in Noborikawa. The single day festival this year pays homage to four thousand years of Chinese history, while also honoring Okinawans who’ve emigrated overseas.

The burst of warm weather is an added incentive to get out and...

Whales put on a spectacular show

2006-02-03T09:29:00.000-06:00

They are big and slow, but they love to play and have fun.

Humpback whales are making their annual migration to Okinawa waters, and now it’s easy for people to watch the lumbering mammals in the Kerama Islands, near Naha. Tours are the most simple way to join Mother Nature as her ocean species show off for you.

The Zamami Whale Watching Society is responsible for dozens of tours now through March, the peak...

Okinawa blood drives scheduled this week

2006-02-01T17:28:00.000-06:00

The Armed Services Blood Bank Center has scheduled two blood drives on Okinawa this week.

The first drive is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma chapel. The other is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday in Kinser Surfside on Camp Kinser.

All publicized blood drives are open to servicemembers, Department of Defense civilians and family members 17 years old and older.

Cherry blossom season starts

2006-01-23T10:59:00.000-06:00

Okinawa cherry blossom season gets its official start this Saturday with the opening of Mt Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival in Motobu, the first such event in Japan. The Yaedake season officially lasts until Feb 12. The festival program features live concerts and cultural shows on its opening days of Saturday and Sunday, and, of course, food , drink and game booths.

Admission to the festival grounds is free. To get to Mt. Yaedake, go to Nago, then follow signs to Ocean Expo Park, until just before Motobu, turn left to Mt. Yaedake. You can drive all the way to the top of the hill where there is a camping ground.

U.S. jet crashes near Okinawa, Japan

2006-01-17T16:11:00.000-06:00

A U.S. F-15 fighter jet crashed near Okinawa Tuesday morning, but U.S. military officials said the pilot managed to eject safely from the plane.

The jet went down about 44 miles east of Ikeijima island, part of the Okinawa island chain, during a routine training mission, according to Noriaki Hatake, an official at the Naha Defense Facilities Administration in Okinawa.

The cause of the crash was unknown. The pilot ejected from the plane and was rescued.

Ex-JSDF chief warns against moving Marines off Okinawa

2006-01-11T18:22:00.000-06:00

Kyuma: U.S. presence deters China from attacking Taiwan.

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A former Japan Self-Defense Force leader has cautioned against any deep cuts in the number of Marines stationed on Okinawa.

That some 13,000 Marines are assigned permanently to Okinawa, with 2,000 to 3,000 more there occasionally for temporary training, keeps China from invading Taiwan, Fumio Kyuma, former SDF chief, said during a recent visit to Washington, D.C. Kyuma now chairs Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party general affairs council.

He was in Washington at the same time Japanese defense and foreign ministry officials were to meet with their U.S. counterparts on a plan to realign U.S. troops in Japan. Part of an interim report released Oct. 29 calls for 7,000 Marines to transfer from Okinawa to Guam and elsewhere in Japan during the next six years.

If China occupied Taiwan, “there would be no Taiwan between China and Japan,” Kyuma said. “China would move right over to Okinawa.”

Residents of Ishigaki and Miyako, Japanese islands between Okinawa and Taiwan, “would grow extremely nervous, resulting in Okinawa having no alternative but to ask for the military to stay,” he said, according to Japanese news reports.

Kyuma praised increased joint...

Six towns become two in a New Year’s merger

2006-01-04T10:59:00.000-06:00

A half-dozen southern Okinawa towns and villages argued and fought over the idea of merging into a single community, even knowing their financial survival depended on it.

As the clock ticked down on 2005, the six—Sashiki Town, Chinen Village, Tamagusuku Village, Osato Village, Gushikami Village and Kochinda Town—realized they had to make some compromises. They agreed to disagree, saying they could not form a new city because of philosophic differences.

They chose instead to realign themselves into a new city and a new town.

Nanjou City is the new creation merging Sashiki Town, Chinen Village, Tamagusuku Village and Osato Village. Nanjou City now has a population of 41,000. Kochinda Town decided it could link forces with Gushikami Village; it’s new name is Yaese Town."

R. Lee Ermey to visit Okinawa for book-signing events

2005-12-31T19:02:00.000-06:00

Listen up, maggots! Marine “Gunny” R. Lee Ermey is returning to Okinawa to “take some Qs and kick some A’s.”

Ermey, a former Marine drill instructor and film and television actor, will be signing copies of his new book, “Mail Call,” at the Kadena Bookmark Jan. 9 from 3 to 7 p.m. and the Foster Bookmark Jan. 10 from 1 to 5 p.m.

Ermey received a Golden Globe nomination and the Boston Society of Film Critic’s Best Supporting Actor’s award for his role as the hard-bitten Marine drill instructor in Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam War movie “Full Metal Jacket.” He’s been a featured actor in numerous films, including “Dead Man Walking,” “Mississippi Burning,” and “Apocalypse Now,” and is the host of The History Channel’s “Mail Call,” which focuses on investigating military technology over the ages.

Ermey served 11 years in the Marine Corps, serving a tour in Vietnam in 1968 with Marine Wing Support Group 17(my old unit). He later served two tours on Okinawa, where he ran a bar in Kin for three years after his medical discharge in 1972. He later went to college on the G.I. Bill, graduating from the University of Manila in the Philippines as a drama major.

For a long time Ermey, now 61, specialized in playing Americans in advertising campaigns in the Philippines, becoming the country’s “Marlboro Man.”

In May 2002 Ermey received an honorary promotion to gunnery sergeant from the commandant of the Marine Corps, becoming the first retiree in Marine Corps history to receive such an honor.

According to blurbs published on Ermey’s Web site , the book includes photos, historical anecdotes and interviews with top experts and active-duty servicemembers.

Elusive dudong mom and child are captured on film

2005-12-29T15:35:00.000-06:00

The dudong, a lumbering mammal similar to the American manatee, was thought to reside in the northern Okinawa area where the U.S. and Japanese governments wanted to build a replacement airfield for Futenma.

Environmentalists pressed the issue, and won, forcing the governments to back off plans to build the Henoko facility. Newly released photographs from the Japanese Environmental Ministry support the decision. Photographs taken last February have been released showing a female dudong and her child swimming off the Okinawa coast.

Officials say the shots were taken from a helicopter flying over the Okinawa west coast. The pair was observed swimming together for more than three hours, during which the mother dudong breast-fed her child. The dudong is a shy animal, and officials say the relatively few numbers make it difficult to document their activities.

The Environmental Ministry says it considers Okinawa a dudong habitat, and ahs designated it a natural monument. Studies of the area have been going on for more than five years.

Bells, bands and friendship to ring in the new year

2005-12-29T15:33:00.000-06:00

The final hours of this year of the rooster are rapidly ticking away, and Okinawans are gearing up to welcome 2006 as the Year of the Dog.

There’s plenty on tap these next couple days, with ancient traditions mixing with pop music to offer something for everyone. Concerts abound this...

Northern dispute pits environment against private land & forest owners

2005-12-27T17:24:00.000-06:00

The northern region of Okinawa has many natural wonders and world heritage sites.

Private landowners are threatening those wonders, and that heritage status, with individual decisions to cut down trees and strip the hillsides. The Yambaru area is vital to Okinawa’s World Heritage Sites status, government officials point out, and want the forests to remain intact.

Private land owners say it’s their land, and they’re within their rights to do what they want with it. Most of the forests are public lands, but there are enough private forests to cause concern. Concerned about the situation, some communities say they’ll take measures within the year to create designated natural environment areas. Governments in the Motobu and Nakijin areas, the Motobu peninsula and Conic Karst area are leading the environmental charge, but know they’ve an uphill battle against private land owners.

One private forest owner says “making these areas state owned designated parks is all right, and we’re glad to hear that. But what about me? The state has never...

2005-12-27T17:17:00.000-06:00

This picture is from 1989 of a farm right in the middle of Okinawa city.

Proposed joint use of Kadena opposed by local residents

2005-12-27T16:41:00.000-06:00

OKINAWA CITY — The communities of Okinawa City and Chatan passed unanimous resolutions last week opposing plans to allow the Japan Air Self-Defense Force joint use of Kadena Air Base.

By opposing the plan made public Oct. 29 in a bilateral report on realigning U.S. troops in Japan, the two cities joined the prefectural government and five other Okinawa municipalities which have passed resolutions opposing parts of the realignment proposal.

The Okinawa City resolution noted that while realignment was “supposed to be reducing the burden while maintaining a deterrence power,” maintaining a deterrence “took priority … which is never acceptable.”

“If Kadena Air Base becomes a joint use air base … the situations surrounding the air base remains the same,” the resolution stated. “The realignment would be far from a reduction of the burden but, instead, would add to the burden and a growth in the base functions. As a result, residents in the communities surrounding the air base remain exposed to danger and fear.”

The Chatan Town Council’s resolution also said joint use would “lead to growth of the functions and permanent presence of the military base.” The council also voiced its opposition to part of the realignment plan that suggested closing most bases south of Kadena and consolidating the Marine bases to existing facilities in more rural northern Okinawa.

It “would do nothing but threaten the lives of residents of the neighboring communities where the base functions are to be moved,” the resolution stated. “Such an expansion of the military installations would damage the nature of Yambaru, the northern part of the island.”

The resolutions were addressed to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and other ministers.

Five other Okinawa municipalities — Naha, Nago, Kin, Kadena and Ginoza — and the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly have passed resolutions opposing the realignment plan, specifically the part of the proposal that calls for building a heliport to replace Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on part of Camp Schwab.
source:Stars and Stripes

Local ire could hit US-Japan ties-Okinawa governor

2005-12-21T10:23:00.000-06:00

The governor of Okinawa, host to the bulk of U.S. forces in Japan, warned on Tuesday that ignoring local anger over plans to relocate a Marine base on the southern Japanese island could hurt the U.S.-Japan alliance.

Residents of Okinawa and other communities, however, are resisting the plan out of concern about crime, noise and environmental damage associated with the bases, creating a huge diplomatic headache for policy-makers in Washington and Tokyo.

"What's most important is to pay attention to the feelings of the people of the prefecture. Otherwise, you end up with an uncontrollable situation down the road," Okinawa Governor Keiichi Inamine told a news conference in Tokyo.

Tokyo and Washington want to finalize the realignment deal in March. While Japanese officials have mentioned the possibility of making "adjustments," Washington has...

Find tropical paradise 40 minutes from Okinawa

2005-12-09T13:07:00.000-06:00

If you are looking for a very cheap trip similar to the comedy set of the show 'Gilligan's Island,' then Ishigaki, Okinawa, is the place to go.

Ishigaki is located about 260 miles southwest of Naha, Okinawa. It takes approximately 45 minutes to get there from by plane. It is one of the 49 populated islands of the 159 islands of Okinawa and has about 45,000 people.

Most people can drive around Ishigaki by car in about three hours. About 15 minutes after leaving the airport, you will forget about the city and be surrounded by mountains, caves, sugar cane fields, green pastures full of cattle and beautiful beaches with clear, blue water.

The boat tours to several islands surrounding Ishigaki are worth every second and yen. The average price for an eight-hour tour is 10,000 yen, which includes lunch. The Ishigaki port has several large boats with seats similar to those in an airplane. You simply walk across the street from the port and purchase tickets for different types of tours. Each tour differs in the number and type of islands that you would like to visit. One of the best tours is the three-island visit to Iriomote, Yubu and Taketomi.

After a slow 10-minute ride on the boat from the port, the captain will unexpectedly hit the gas, sending you on a boat ride that feels like a professional speed boat race. Add rough seas to this ride and you feel like your in flight every 10 seconds.

It takes about 40 minutes to get to the island of Iriomote, which has a population of about 2,000. From here, you will ride a slow riverboat and travel through the Urauchi-gawa river, which is the largest river in the Okinawa prefecture. The tour guide speaks Japanese, but that should not hinder those seeking a beautiful ride through the mountains and awkward looking trees, which have large fungi-type roots rising above the water.

Once the boat tour is complete, you catch a 20-minute bus ride to the other side of the island. When you start to come down the mountain to the other side, you will see what appear to be small huts on the water. It is an amazing site.

Once you arrive, you will find that they are small huts, but they are filled with tourists who are being pulled by water buffalos to the tiny island of Yubu. What makes this ride even better is the sounds of laughter and singing in each cart.

Some cart guides play the Okinawan Sanshin while singing popular Okinawan songs, while others tell jokes about how the stubborn behavior of some bulls.

Once lunch on Yubu is complete, you ride back to the high-speed boat and head to Taketomi, which has a population of about 300. You will be able to see the famous star-shaped sand, ride a water buffalo cart through the city or see how they use tree bark to make their clothes.

Other popular stops on Ishigaki include the Hirakubo lighthouse, Toujin Grave, Sukuji beach, Yonehara palm tree groves, Banna Park and the Yonehara beach.

The Information Tours and Travel office offers packages to Ishigaki's Club Med Kabira, ranging from $400 to $600 in price for three nights and two days. The Club Med resort price covers the airfare, accommodation, food, drink, sporting activities and entertainment.

The ITT office can also help you plan a day trip to the islands surrounding Ishigaki. That could include finding a rental car company or finding out how to buy a ticket to get on the boat tours.

For more information on Ishigaki and the surrounding islands, visit the Hirata Web site at
hirata-group
source:Okinawa Marine

Ambassador to Japan says U.S. troops crucial to area's stability

2005-12-02T15:44:00.000-06:00

TOKYO — U.S. Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer said Japanese who contend they bear a heavy burden by hosting U.S. troops have a right to object but the presence is a small price to pay for the security and economic success it has afforded the country.

“During the last 60 years Japan has been at peace. The world has been spared another world war. A large part of the reason for that success is the presence of American troops here in Japan,” he said.

“The presence of our forces in Japan is sometimes seen as a burden to Japanese. That is understandable,” he said. “The presence of a foreign military anywhere in the world is no one’s first choice.

“But the fact that American forces have been here gave Japan the opportunity it needed to build the second-largest economy in the world,” he said.

“Those who oppose our forces being here make their arguments. We should ask two simple questions: If American forces were not here, would...

Hundreds of big bikes headline Sunday festival - JapanUpdate.com - Okinawa News, Classifieds, Events, Culture, Forums, and more!

2005-11-24T08:47:00.000-06:00

The throaty roar of Harley Davidson motorcycle engines will set the tempo Sunday for the Gate 2 Festival taking place on newly renamed Koza Gate Street.

In a throwback to days past, Okinawa City has renamed Gate 2 Street, taking the area back to a time when the city itself was Koza. The Gate 2 Festival will entertain Sunday afternoon and evening, with events free.

Opening Ceremonies start at 12:45pm, followed...

Toys for Tots campaign kicks off on Okinawa

2005-11-21T15:01:00.000-06:00

Every year, units all over the Marine Corps participate in the Toys for Tots campaign, collecting charitable donations of new, unwrapped toys during November and December and distributing them as Christmas gifts to needy children.

Marines have distributed over 332.5 million toys to more than 158 million needy children since 1947, according to a Nov. 3 Marine Corps press release. The goal of the charity is to build self-esteem and motivate needy children to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.

Donation collection boxes will be set up all over Okinawa until Dec. 22, including post and base exchanges on Camps Foster, Kinser and Courtney and Kadena Air Base.

The toys will be distributed to military family members on Okinawa military installations. The Toys for Tots volunteers will also be working with the Japan Ground Self Defense Force to distribute toys to Okinawa schools and orphanages, according to Staff Sgt. Roberto P. Raniero, the Toys for Tots coordinator on Okinawa.

Toys will be sorted by age and gender and checked for safety and propriety.

'We take into account who the toys are going to,' Raniero said.

Last year, Toys for Tots donated more than 6,000 new toys to local schools for the handicapped, orphanages and children's hospitals, according to Raniero.

'We give a lot of toys to the underprivileged children of Okinawa,' he said. 'We want to show them that the Marines here want to make a difference.'

Toys for Tots identifies military families in need during the holidays and helps ensure the children of struggling families get a new toy. Last year, Toys for Tots on Okinawa distributed more then 3,000 toys to children of military families in need.

By working with the Japanese military, Raniero hopes more toys can be received and distributed.

"The more people we help and the more children that get a toy from us, the better," Raniero said.

Local organizations or individuals who wish to receive toys can contact Raniero at 645-8066. Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the Toys for Tots campaign can also contact Raniero.

Marines to leave Okinawa…..Here's the catch!

2005-11-18T09:54:00.000-06:00

Marines to leave Okinawa…..maybe!

Thousands of US Marines will be redeployed to Guam as Japanese and American leaders work to reduce the burden on Okinawa Prefecture.

The headlines shouting the transfer of III Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters from Camp Courtney to Guam, together with 7,000 administrative, logistics and support troops, have generated a lot of excitement. The $4 billion plan would create new housing, schools, training areas, a hospital and even new bases in Guam, with troops beginning the move in 2008.

The Catch that could sink the entire deal:

Moving the Marines is linked to moving Futenma Marine Corps Air Station from Ginowan City to Camp Schwab on the island’s northside, and that is anything but certain. While everyone wants Futenma out of the crowded metropolitan Ginowan area, seemingly nobody wants it anywhere in Okinawa.

Governor Keiichi Inamine is the point man in a crusade to stymie the Marines airfield move anywhere within his prefecture. Simply stated, he wants it gone completely.

Richard Lawless, U.S. deputy undersecretary of Defense for Asia-Pacific Affairs, says the 2012 date is a target, but emphasized that there will be no Marines moved if the Futenma construction is not achieved.

Base employees speaking out:

Lost in the shuffle of the new security treaty being developed between Japan and the US are the voices of nearly 9,000 individuals who work for the US forces in Okinawa.

They’re the ones facing losses of jobs if the agreement goes through, and 7,000 Marines are removed from Okinawa. Bases realignment would strip many of the positions, placing Okinawans out of work at a time when the economy is lagging. The Japanese government currently pays the local nationals working on U.S. bases, and employees know they’ll not have jobs if the Americans pull out.

“Don’t tell the military to go home,” says one base worker. Another speaks out “The Americans are here for our safety. Let’s keep them.” Still another tells politicians to “please understand” the workers need their jobs.

Positions on the American bases are lucrative, well paying, and offer significant bonuses and benefits. More than 20,000 applicants vie for the 200~300 new positions each year.

The base workers say they’re afraid they’ll be hearing the dreaded “You’re fired” soon. Normally it is difficult to fire anyone working on the bases, because their union representation is strong. But with troop reductions and III Marine Expeditionary Force moving from Okinawa, there won’t be any protection.
Source:Japan Update

Nakagusuku at night

2005-11-13T13:43:00.000-06:00

This is a cool picture I found surfing the net. If you are the photographer and want it removed let me know, as I don't remember where I found it.

asahi.com：U.S.: Transfer of 7,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam hinges on Futenma relocation plan

2005-11-08T11:34:00.000-06:00

Transfer of 7,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam hinges on Futenma relocation plan

Washington set up a potential showdown between Tokyo and Okinawa Governor Keiichi Inamine by saying the transfer of 7,000 Marines from the prefecture depends on the planned relocation of the Futenma base, officials said.

Inamine has expressed his determination to reject the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, currently in Ginowan, to a U.S. military heliport to be built partly on U.S. Marines Camp Schwab land in Nago's Henoko district, and partly offshore.

That means the central government will likely face a stumbling block in Okinawa Prefecture in its efforts to compile a final report by March on U.S. troop realignment in Japan.

In a related story:

just in case you thought this was a new idea, Governor Ota rejected this back in 1998.

Okinawa Governor Ota rejects U.S. heliport project
Posted: February 13, 1998

The governor of Japan's southern island prefecture of Okinawa, Masahide Ota, announced his opposition to the construction of a U.S. offshore heliport, formally at a news conference on Friday.

"Okinawa has decided not to accept the government's proposal," stated Ota.

Tokyo would like to construct the offshore heliport in a secluded location to replace a U.S. air station that is located in an municipal part of the island in conjunction with a deal negotiated with Washington to diminish American military presence in Okinawa.

An overwhelming vote against the heliport in a non-restrictive referendum, by residents of Nago last December, caused the resignation of Nago Mayor Tetsuya Higa, after expressing his support of the project.

Marine presence on Okinawa slashed 50% by agreement - JapanUpdate.com - Okinawa News, Classifieds, Events, Culture, Forums, and more!

2005-11-04T09:18:00.000-06:00

Seven thousand Marines will move south to US territory, aircraft will shift to the north and to the mainland, and bases will shuffle as part of a new deal the US and Japanese governments say will reduce the military burdens on Okinawa.

The decisions are part of a troop realignment plan hammered out over the past few months, and agreed upon last weekend during meetings in Washington. Reaction has been swift, and few are happy with the agreement.

Realignment Agreement Highlights

*III MEF headquarters and key support units to move from Okinawa to Guam. Combat units will remain on Okinawa.

*Futenma MCAS will relocate to Camp Schwab in Northern Okinawa. The new airbase will have a 1,800 meters long runway.

*Fighter operations will be downsized at Kadena Air Base, moving F-15 flight exercises to five mainland Air Self Defense Force bases. The move will cut the 70,000 annual takeoffs and landings at Kadena by a significant number.

*Atsugi Naval Air Facility will retain helicopters and turboprop fixed wing aircraft, while Japan Self Defense Forces will move aircraft to Atsugi. Naval Air Wing planes will move to Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station.

*Japanese Self Defense Forces will establish facilities at Kanoya to serve KC-130, P-3 and C-3 aircraft.

*A joint Operations Center will be established at Yokota Air Base. Japan’s air defense unit will relocate to Yokota. Discussions will continue on transferring control of Japanese airspace from U.S.

*Modern radar and weapons systems will be shifted, and new X-Band radar added to Japan’s arsenal. The US. Will bring Patriot PAC-3 and SM-3 missile systems to Japan, when needed.

*I Corps Headquarters will move to Camp Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture

*A U.S. Navy nuclear powered aircraft carrier will be assigned to Yokusuka to replace the aging USS Kitty Hawk. The change is expected in 2008.

Okinawa City International Carnival

2005-11-04T09:10:00.000-06:00

The festival is not new, but this year’s Okinawa City International Carnival has a dynamic theme.
This weekend’s festival is dedicated to promoting harmony and peace around the world, and carnival organizers want Okinawa to be an example to the world. What makes this year’s festival even more special is that it commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa and the end of World War II.

The Saturday-Sunday events will key not only on tourism, but on lifestyles and music cultures, sports, Okinawa traditions and opportunities for international friendship. Organizers say they’ve hit upon a better...

The Shuri Castle Festival - JapanUpdate.com - Okinawa News, Classifieds, Events, Culture, Forums, and more!

2005-10-28T10:10:00.000-05:00

A 15th century castle at the heart of Okinawa’s history is celebrating this weekend, and everyone’s invited to the festival.

The Shuri Castle Festival commemorates the Ryukyu Kingdom era, which dates back to the 1600’s, when Sho Hashi used his leadership skills to bring together three Sanzan Kingdoms peacefully. Shuri Castle was the hub of royal activity, and home of 19 Ryukyuan kings for an era that spanned nearly 500 years.

Beginning tomorrow, and running through Sunday, Shuri Castle Festival will showcase the ancient kingdom’s culture and history through music, dance and drama. Friday and Saturday events unfold at the castle itself, while Sunday brings the action down the hill from Shurijo to Kokosai Street in downtown Naha.

Festival activities, organized jointly by the Shuri Castle Park Center and Ocean Expo Park, begin tomorrow at 10am, when traditional...

Could USMC Futenma stay as it is? 琉球新報～沖縄の最新ローカルニュース

2005-10-26T09:49:00.000-05:00

Japan and the US divided over the relocation of Futenma at the meeting on realignment of US Forces in Japan.

　The talks on the realignment of US Forces in Japan have still not reached agreement on the relocation of Futenma. The positions of the two sides seem to be entrenched in opposing views. The US side is advocating landfill within the reef at Henoko, while the Japanese want the conversion of a training area within Camp Schwab.
　The US side states that if Japan insists...

Fake Yahoo news site falsely reports Chinese troops invade Okinawa

2005-10-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

A Website pretending to be the Yahoo news site has carried a fake Kyodo News article saying Chinese troops have invaded Okinawa, it was learned Wednesday.

The bogus news site carries the fake article it claimed to be a Kyodo News story written by a correspondent in the United States.

Gyokusendo cave

2005-10-18T10:18:00.000-05:00

Camp Foster Fest 2005

2005-10-14T11:45:00.000-05:00

Temperatures are cooling, and that makes a weekend of fun and games even more appealing.

The Camp Foster Fest 2005 is the perfect way to transition into the autumn season, with great food, family fun and fabulous entertainment. Marine Corps Community Services organizers are suggesting that a few hours at the Camp Foster Fest will work up an appetite for crispy fried chicken, yakitori and other tasty treats from vendors.

Children are special this weekend as the Kiddieland offers rides and games.

Something for everyone...

Tug of War pits east versus west - JapanUpdate.com - Okinawa News, Classifieds, Events, Culture, Forums, and more!

2005-10-08T13:19:00.000-05:00

A world record stands in the balance Sunday as the Naha Matsuri plays out in downtown Naha.

Tens of thousands will join hands trying to move a 40-ton rope in the great Naha tug-of-war, an event that first made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1997. The rules are simple; an estimated 25,000 men, women, boys and girls will team up with either the east or west side to shift the behemoth five meters during a half-hour competition.

An estimated 300,000 spectators will gather at Kumoji Crossing in downtown Naha for the tug-of-war, which...

2005-10-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

Northern Okinawa, 1990

Governments disagree where to build new military airfield - JapanUpdate.com

2005-09-29T08:31:00.000-05:00

Japan and the United States agree they must build a new military airport to replace the controversial Futenma Marine Corps Air Station.

The trouble is, each government has its own idea about how to best go about making the new facility a reality. Both have plans that would slash the construction time for a new airport from nearly a dozen years down to a manageable five years. As negotiations continue with Washington and Tokyo, the original plans for a massive airfield project off the coast of Henoko have undergone definitive change. The long approved design was for a 2,500-meter-long civilian-military use runway that would have extended into the waters, through reefs, off Henoko, near Nago.

That’s changed, and now defense planners are calling for a 1,500-meter military airfield only. It would, officials say, be sufficient to absorb the aviation mission now assigned to...

Okinawa regains top spot in ‘best place to live’ survey - JapanUpdate.com

2005-09-29T08:29:00.000-05:00

The most fantastic place to live in Japan is Okinawa.

A just-completed survey by Jiji Telecommunications Office shows Japan’s southernmost prefecture is once more rated the most lovely and gorgeous place to live. More than 700 doctors, politicians, education professionals, scientists and business leaders polled across the country cited Okinawa’s weather and cultural climate as reasons it’s the best place to be.

Okinawa moved into the survey’s Top 10 in 2000, jumping to number two in 2003. Now, there’s no question. Apart from the weather and climate, Okinawa Prefecture’s planning section director says “a big promotion on NHK television’s nationwide morning television drama series had a big impact.” He noted the show attracts hundreds of thousands of viewers, mostly in the educated and higher income brackets. Polls, the director says, show “optimistic bright characters of Okinawa attracted attention from almost everyone to make our islands boom upward.”

Shizuoka Prefecture ranks second in the survey, with its Mount Fuji, lakes and hot springs, mountains and skiing being an attraction. Kyoto, with its beautiful gardens and flowers, foods, temples and centuries of history made it number three.

Until less than a decade ago, Okinawa was considered “an uncivilized, poor place,” one official said. Even Okinawans kept to themselves when on the mainland, not telling anyone where they were from. Now, he says, “every Okinawan is proud to be an Okinawan.”

Okinawa Marines, JASDF pilots take to the skies

2005-09-25T23:16:00.000-05:00

Eight Japan Air Self-Defense Force pilots and four Marine Corps pilots flew skirmishes together for the first time Sept. 7-9 in the skies above Okinawa.

The JASDF pilots were with 302nd Fighter Squadron, 83rd Air Wing, and the Marine pilots were with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.

The skirmish training was unique in many ways, not the least of which was...

The Colonel

2005-09-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

Kentucky fried chicken on Okinawa. 1989

Thermo therapy treatments now appealing to promote health - JapanUpdate.com - Okinawa News, Classifieds, Events, Culture, Forums, and more!

2005-09-16T11:05:00.000-05:00

Americans are beginning to learn what Asians have known for centuries.

Good health is created by a variety of herbal medications and therapies, psychological and therapeutic regimens, chiropractic interventions. There’s a lot more to staying healthy than simply relying on the practices of “western” medicine.

In Okinawa, moxibustion and heat bath therapy are taking on a new life as people experience reductions in back and joint pains, and purge their bodies of toxins...

Typhoon Khanun

2005-09-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

A powerful typhoon, the 15th of the season, is
expected to come closest to the Sakishima
Islands south of Okinawa late Saturday, the
Japan Meteorological Agency said. Typhoon
Khanun is heading northwest at 25 km per hour
and has an atmospheric pressure of 950
hectopascals and was packing winds of up to 162
kph near its center, it said.

The typhoon is expected to be within a 110-km
radius of a point 120 km north of Ishigaki
Island at midnight Saturday, and to be within a
150-km radius of a point 280 km north of Taipei
in Taiwan at noon Sunday, the agency said.

American Village in Chatan a fantastic success story

2005-09-09T12:36:00.000-05:00

American Village in Chatan a fantastic success story - JapanUpdate.com - Okinawa News, Classifieds, Events, Culture, Forums, and more!

Chatan citizens like Americans.

They like American customs and culture, and they very much appreciate the tens of thousands who flock to their town every week. Chatan’s Mihama District is home to American Village, a megapolis of stores, markets and shops that tout all things American.

American Village attracted 8,300,000 patrons last year, some 160,000 visitors a week flocking to the 83 shops and stores, as well as to the 14 larger company operations within its boundaries. American Village, only 16 kilometers north of Naha City, is filled with movie theaters, a flea market, a nature park, a game center, and Jusco. There’s even a baseball stadium. It’s parking lot is among the largest on the island.

It’s the American atmosphere that attracts not only Americans, but thousands of locals to the shopping area. Mihama’s business association says...