Author Archives: loochoo77

‘Asadoya Yunta’ – A Common Bond for Okinawans the World Over

Posted on June 25, 2014 by loochoo77

Last updated  2/26/20  11:50 PM I found the following YouTube video on Rodney Inefuku’s Facebook page. It’s the best version I’ve heard thus far. [Update 3/16/16: It’s among the best I’ve heard.] Removed from YouTube. “Asadoya Yunta” [安里屋ユンタ] is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Dance, International, Music | 5 Comments

Video: ‘Okinawa 1950s to 1960s’

Posted on June 24, 2014 by loochoo77

This video, comprising still photos, was created and uploaded to YouTube by Donn Cuson (aka “Desert Donn”) on 5/12/13. The images are among the best I’ve seen from this period. I especially like the Okinawa minyo in the soundtrack. I … Continue reading →

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Lynne Yoshiko Nakasone: Master of Okinawan Dance

Posted on June 23, 2014 by loochoo77

Lynne Yoshiko Nakasone is a 2012 U.S. National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellow. Following are some excerpts from the NEA site: Born in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, in 1933, into a family that appreciated classical Okinawan music and … Continue reading →

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6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Taikai in 2016

Posted on June 23, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 6/16/15 (A message from Minami Tamamoto, president of the World Association of Youth Uchinanchu. The emphasis in this announcement is the 3rd youth festival, but it also mentions the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival.) Haitai, from Okinawa, I am Minami … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Festival, International, Travel | 1 Comment

Kokusai Dori; Ishikawa Woodblock; ‘Okinawa: The Last Battle’

Posted on June 21, 2014 by loochoo77

Umushirikutu See Ishikawa Toraji’s woodblock print, ‘Ryukyu Market,’ (琉球の市場 Ryukyu no ichiba) c. 1935. * * * Read Okinawa: The Last Battle (U.S. Government Printing Office, 1948), the work of combat historians of the 1st Information and Historical Service, Tenth … Continue reading →

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‘The Targeted Village’ – A Lightning Rod for Okinawans’ Discontent

Posted on June 12, 2014 by loochoo77

The Targeted Village (標的の村) is a 91-minute documentary based on Chie Mikami’s 2012 award-winning TV program produced for an Okinawa station. Mikami, 48, is a newscaster at Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting. The village, Takae, is in northern Okinawa. At issue is … Continue reading →

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OkiNinjaKitty’s YouTube Videos on Okinawa

Posted on June 12, 2014 by loochoo77

“Poem of Sorrow – Yomitan Village Okinawa, Japan,” uploaded to YouTube by OkiNinjaKitty on 5/29/14.

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Children’s Day May 5 at Chatan Dome in Mihama, Chatan

Posted on June 12, 2014 by loochoo77
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Rare and Handmade Items at Okinawa Flea Market on 6/15/14

Posted on June 12, 2014 by loochoo77
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Surfing Okinawa

Posted on June 11, 2014 by loochoo77

The following is a partial list of surf breaks in Okinawa. (Source: Magic Seaweed/Stormrider Surf Guide) Aha Point Kudaka Castles Sunabe Seawall Mainside Buma Sunabe II Aja Bowls Maeda Suicide Cliffs Turtles Ikei Ko Chan Other sources: Surfing Japan – … Continue reading →

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Liana Nakahodo to Speak at WUB on 6/12/14

Posted on June 10, 2014 by loochoo77
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Junko Fisher: Ryukyu Dance and Music Lessons in NYC, Summer 2014

Posted on June 9, 2014 by loochoo77

For details, see Susan Miyagi Hamaker’s “Ryukyu Dance and Music Lessons with Junko Fisher,” Japan Culture NYC, 6/3/14.

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Introduction to Okinawan Dance at Leeward Community College, Oahu, July 6-Aug 3, 2014

Posted on June 9, 2014 by loochoo77
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Hanagurumu: Ryukyuan Fashion Show and Dance 7/26/14

Posted on June 9, 2014 by loochoo77
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767 Children Killed in 1944 When Tsushima Maru Torpedoed

Posted on June 4, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 10/11/14, 5/31/15, 6/6/15, 1/5/17 In my Google Alerts this morning, I found an item from the Ryukyu Shimpo about a WWII memorial service held at Tinian, in the southeast of Okinawa “one of the three principal islands of the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Images | 4 Comments

Tamashiro Market – A Gabby-style Band in Okinawa

Posted on June 2, 2014 by loochoo77

The Okinawa Botanical Gardens in Chibana, Okinawa City, was the setting for the second “Uchina-Hawaiian Meets Jazz” event yesterday. One of the featured attractions was an Okinawan group called Tamashiro Market.1 See the video below, which was uploaded to YouTube … Continue reading →

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Okinawa Day 2014 in London, June 21

Posted on June 2, 2014 by loochoo77

http://www.okinawaday.org.uk/

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Osaka to Okinawa: 9-day Trip on a Suzuki DL650

Posted on May 31, 2014 by loochoo77

“V-strom DL650 9 days Japan trip HD (大阪→沖縄 納車野宿ツーリング)” uploaded to YouTube by Ironwindow13 on 5/19/11. This Okinawan wanted a Suzuki DL650, but it wasn’t available on Okinawa. So he bought one over the phone from a dealer in Osaka. … Continue reading →

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Street Racing in Okinawa

Posted on May 31, 2014 by loochoo77

“深夜に繰り広げられるカーレース – Illegal Street Racers in Okinawa,” uploaded to YouTube by VICE Japan on 2/17/14.

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‘Ryukyu Song’ by Aria Asia

Posted on May 31, 2014 by loochoo77

“Ryukyu Song ~ Aria Asia Live Rock” uploaded to YouTube by Watashitokimi on 7/20/09. The performer is Aria Asia (Aizawa Aria), from Fuefuki, in Yamanashi Prefecture. The genre is street rock violin.

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Cocco: Singer, Songwriter, Author, Actor – Genius

Posted on May 19, 2014 by loochoo77

She goes by Cocco, and she’s a multi-gifted songwriter, singer, author, and actor. Her name is Satoko Makishi (真喜志 智子), and she’s from Naha, Okinawa. Her works and performances are edgy, and she’s socially and environmentally conscious. She’s a one-off, … Continue reading →

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‘Okinawa Hai!’ 2014: April 11-May 12

Posted on May 13, 2014 by loochoo77

Okinawa Hai is managed by Marie Lewis, and it features some of the best articles by people who are actually on the ground in Okinawa and writing about their own experiences in a style that’s informal, readable, informative, and fun. … Continue reading →

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‘Uchinanchu’ Newsletter March-April 2014

Posted on May 13, 2014 by loochoo77
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4th Eisa Drum Festival 5/17/14 at Kapiolani CC

Posted on May 13, 2014 by loochoo77
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Learn Basic Uchinaaguchi

Posted on May 12, 2014 by loochoo77

The following video lessons were uploaded to YouTube by Aloha Uchinaaguchi, a YouTube channel dedicated to Okinawa studies, on 25 May 2010 (“Resources,” Center for Okinawan Studies, UHM). There are 15 segments in all, and each is brief, roughly 35-45 … Continue reading →

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‘Tinsagu nu Hana’ Is Okinawa’s Official Favorite Song

Posted on May 3, 2014 by loochoo77

Updated 6/2/18 Daiichi Hirata, Okinawa Prefectural Government’s director general of the Department of Culture, Tourism, and Sports, announced the selection of “Tinsagu nu Hana” (てぃんさぐぬ花 Rose Balsam Flower) as the official favorite song of the prefecture at the Okinawa International … Continue reading →

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‘The Power of the Sanshin’ – Exhibit Ends 5/11/14

Posted on May 2, 2014 by loochoo77

From Japan Update 5/1/14: This exhibit at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum ends on 11 May 2014. Here’s more from the article: The sanshin program takes visitors through how the sanshin has changed its form from the Chinese three-string instrument, which … Continue reading →

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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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