Monthly Archives: April 2014

Tamari Miyashiro – U.S. Olympian

Posted on April 30, 2014 by loochoo77

As a member of the United States women’s national volleyball team, Tamari Miyashiro won a silver medal in the 2012 London Olympic Games. As a collegian, she was a two-time National Defensive Player of the Year at the University of … Continue reading →

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Travel Guide to Okinawa by Robert Walker

Posted on April 30, 2014 by loochoo77

Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands: The First Comprehensive Guide to the Entire Ryukyu Island Chain by Robert Walker to be released on May 27, 2014. It’s billed as “the first comprehensive guide to the 150 sub-tropical island chain that stretches … Continue reading →

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Japan’s First Paleolithic Discoveries in Okinawa

Posted on April 29, 2014 by loochoo77

Japan Daily Press (2/17/14) reported that “tools made from shells have been discovered at the Sakitari-do cave in Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture.” Archaeologists “also discovered in the same geological rock … a human tooth and a foot bone.” Carbon dating indicates … Continue reading →

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Op-Ed: President Obama’s Visit to Japan and the Okinawa Question

Posted on April 28, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 4/29/14, 5/13/14 In an editorial dated 4/29/14, the Ryukyu Shimpo pleaded with President Obama to unconditionally close the Futenma U.S. Marine Corps Air Station and return, to Japan, the land that it now occupies. The current agreement to close … Continue reading →

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Taketomi Island: Living in Harmony with Nature

Posted on April 26, 2014 by loochoo77

This is a wonderful 28 minute video made by a German visitor to this tiny coral atoll, which is part of the Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa. The images are beautiful, as are the people. The island is only 2 square … Continue reading →

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Tule Lake Relocation Center – A Personal Reflection

Posted on April 26, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 4/27/14 For “place of birth” in the hundreds of forms I’ve filled out since grade school, I’ve always written “Newell, California,” but I’ve never known much about the place and don’t recall anything about it. I grew up on … Continue reading →

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Color Film of Shuri Castle Strafing in 1945

Posted on April 23, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 5/4/14 A film clip shot by a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft during a bombing and strafing run in the Battle of Okinawa in mid-April 1945 was shown in a recent ANN newscast. The image above was captured from the … Continue reading →

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An Amazing Collection of Okinawa Photos

Posted on April 20, 2014 by loochoo77
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Chinese Influence in Naha – Late 14th Century

Posted on April 20, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 4/21/14 The following is an excerpt from Katrien Hendrickx’s The Origins of Banana-fibre Cloth in the Ryukyus, Japan, Leuven University Press, 2007.

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Okinawa-Related Courses at University of Hawaii-Manoa

Posted on April 20, 2014 by loochoo77

The following are courses that are available at the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus. Please check the class schedule to see what’s offered for the upcoming semester. ANTH 487 Okinawa and Its Diaspora – (3 credits) Explores the ties … Continue reading →

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Okinawan Festival 2014 Aug 30-31

Posted on April 20, 2014 by loochoo77

Update 8/17/14: Click here for the program. Click here for the latest flyer.

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Yafaiian Music Concert 2014 in Hawaii – May 18

Posted on April 20, 2014 by loochoo77
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Okinawan-Americans in Hawaii Targeted for WWII Study

Posted on April 20, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 4/21/14 According to the Ryukyu Shimpo (10 Apr 2014), “the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) will carry out a project to interview and collect the stories of Okinawan Americans who worked for the U.S. military during the Battle of Okinawa.” … Continue reading →

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‘Karakara’ – 2012 Canada-Japan Film Set in Okinawa

Posted on April 4, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 5/3/14 Karakara is a joint Canada-Japan film, released on August 31, 2012. It was written and directed by Claude Gagnon and stars Gabriel Arcand, Youki Kudoh, and Megumi Tomita. At the 2012 Montréal World Film Festival, it won the … Continue reading →

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