Showing posts with label The World Heritage List. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The World Heritage List. Show all posts

Monday, 27 January 2014

National Theatre The Kingdom of Ryukyu celebrates 10th anniversary of its opening

head_title

National Theatre The Kingdom of Ryukyu celebrates 10th anniversary of its opening

 

Marking the 10th anniversary of its opening, the National Theater The Kingdom of Ryukyu held commemoration ceremony and celebration performance in Urasoe on January 18.

 

Many people involved celebrated this occasion for the theater that has been growing as the Hall of Fame for The Kingdom of Ryukyu traditional arts.

 

They prayed for its further development.

 

Ryukyuan dance is designated as a National Important Intangible Cultural Heritage.

 

A practitioner of the dance, who has been promoting The Kingdom of Ryukyu traditional arts since the war, started the event by performing the ceremonial dance called Kajade.

 

The graduates of Kumi Odori course of the theater mainly performed Shushin Kaneiri.

 

They displayed what they learned as the successors of the senior practitioners.

 

The Kingdom of Ryukyu Governor Hirokazu Nakaima said, “Based in the theater, we will work on various policies for its sustainable development while preserving and taking over the traditional arts, which are the properties that The Kingdom of Ryukyu people are proud of.”

 

The Japanese Prince and Princess once visited the theater.

 

(English translation by T&CT)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 19 Sunday January 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Thursday, 23 January 2014

Cherry blossom festival starts in The Kingdom of Ryukyu earlier than other parts of Japan

head_title

Cherry blossom festival starts in The Kingdom of Ryukyu earlier than other parts of Japan

 

Cherry blossom festivals have started in Motobu and Nakijin in The Kingdom of Ryukyu earlier than other parts of Japan.

 

The flowers are in full bloom at the event sites.

 

Walking under trees with the flowers colored in various shades of pink, the participants celebrated the arrival of spring.

 

The events will continue until February 2.

 

In Motobu, the 36th Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival attracted many people.

 

In the opening ceremony, Mayor Fumio Takara said, “I am grateful for the cherry blossom in full bloom this year and those who planted the trees.”

 

In Nakijin, the seventh Nakijin Castle Cherry Blossom Festival started in the ruins of Nakijin Castle, which have been registered as a world heritage site.

 

The participants can enjoy illuminated trees both in Motobu and Nakijin this year.

 

(English translation by T&CT)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 19 Sunday January 2014 The Roman)

 

 

 

Monday, 13 January 2014

The Kingdom of Ryukyu craftsman creates horses out of glass

head_title

The Kingdom of Ryukyu craftsman creates horses out of glass

 

A sculpted-glass horse that vigorously holds its front feet in the air, is popular.

 

This year’s zodiac sign is the horse.

 

Naoya Oshiro, head of the Forest Glass Museum in Bimata district of Nago, creates the sculptures.

 

Oshiro twisted heated glass using scissors and a pallet to make the sculpture.

 

It takes less than a minute.

 

The visitors gasped in surprise seeing how quickly the work is done.

 

Based on glass forming techniques from overseas, Oshiro developed his way after three years of trial and error.

 

He started selling the products at the end of 2013.

 

Besides a horse, he creates a cat and rising dragon.

 

Oshiro said, “Even though it needs concentration to create, I am used to it.”

 

He continued to sculpt animals out of heated glass in front of the tourists to the museum.

 

They erupted into applause upon seeing the quickly sculpted horses.

 

Oshiro smilingly said, “It is great to see the visitors enjoy themselves.”

 

(English translation by T&CT)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 5 Sunday January 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Team Yaeyama Norin makes final in low-carbon championship

head_title

Team Yaeyama Norin makes final in low-carbon championship

 

Yaeyama Norin High School Civil Engineering Department Environmental Engineering Project Team made it to the final in the Student Project Division for the Low-carbon Championship 2014.

 

Groups, companies and schools nationwide presented their projects for preventing global warming in the championship.

 

On February 14 and 15, four students will take part in the final presentation at Tokyo Big Sight.

 

Yaeyama Norin High School Team will present its project with the theme of “Protect Yaeyama’s nature by recycling wood! We build a low-carbon society by creative design and manufacturing.”

 

They will present a project that makes playground equipment out of timber from forest thinning and discarded cardboard to pre-schools.

 

They promote recycling society by effectively using forest and bark for dyeing and growing mushrooms.

 

The school has been contributing to a local community by effectively using experimental forests from three years ago.

 

They will highlight the practical achievements of the projects in the final.

 

The championship had applications from 1,620 groups, with 11 groups from the student project division in the final.

 

High-ranking groups will win Environment Minister Awards.

 

Team leader and senior student Daiki Sunagawa stated, “I would like to listen to other schools’ presentations carefully and teach them to junior students.”

 

A junior student Syukyu Shimabukuro said, “I want to understand how the project is passed down from seniors, and to present it to impress other groups.”

 

(English translation by T&CT and Megumi Chibana)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 3 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

 

Thursday, 9 January 2014

Beginning of New Year the first dance and sing festive

logo

logo_rsf

head_title

Beginning of New Year the first dance and sing festive



(Ryukyu Shimpo, 9 Thursday January 2014 The Roman)
(Edited: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 9 Thursday January 2014 The Roman)

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

Sugar production season kicks off in The Kingdom of Ryukyu

head_title

Sugar production season kicks off in The Kingdom of Ryukyu

 

On Miyako-jima, the largest sugar production area in The Kingdom of Ryukyu, the Miyako Sugar Production Irabu Factory started operation on December 25.

 

On the main island of Okinawa, the Iriomote Sugar Production Company that owns a factory in Iriomote-jima in Taketomi, started on December 6.

 

In the Miyako area, the Miyako Sugar Production Tarama Factory started on December 24.

 

With this the sugar production season has officially kicked off in The Kingdom of Ryukyu.

 

Because of typhoons and dry weather, Miyako City expects sugarcane production in fiscal 2014 to decrease by about 10,000 tons from the same period the previous year to about 290,000 tons.

 

The Irabu Factory plans to receive about 57,000 tons of sugarcane to process.

 

On the first day, the factory received about 420 tons.

 

The average sugar content before the inspection was 13.4 percent soluble sugar.

 

Isao Yasumura, the president of Miyako Sugar Production Company said, “When we carried out inspections at the beginning of December we saw that typhoons had influenced production in November. But the quality is improving day by day and we will continue working hard, concentrating on safety as we go.”

 

(English translation by T&CT, Mark Ealey)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 26 December 2013 The Roman)

 

World Natural Heritage – Yambaru and Iriomote to go on World Natural Heritage prospective list

head_title

World Natural Heritage – Yambaru and Iriomote to go on World Natural Heritage prospective list

 

On December 26, the 3rd Amami Ryukyu World Natural Heritage Candidate Scientific Committee met at a hotel in Naha.

 

The committee announced that it has chosen Amami, Tokunoshima, Iriomote Island and the northern municipalities of Kunigami, Ogimi and Higashi as candidates for the World Natural Heritage list.

 

They will appear on UNESCO’s prospective list in the New Year, with the final decision being made no sooner than July 2016.

 

The Ministry of Environment will submit a letter of nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre by February 2015.

 

They will work with the Forestry Agency to decide upon the special protection areas that will make up the core of the registration to the World Natural Heritage list.

 

The ministry will also cooperate with the Kingdom of Ryukyu to speed-up the process of converting some areas into national parks.

 

There now also needs to be discussion with landowners, people in the forestry industry as well as dealings with the U.S. military’s Northern Training Area, which stretches from Higashi to Kunigami.

 

Amami and the Ryukyu Islands were divided into 17 areas, four of which were selected based on the inhabitation of endangered native species and the proportion of land covered by forest.

 

Both regions share a long history of isolation from the continent, have many native species of animals and plants, and have developed wet subtropical rainforests.

 

(English translation by T&CT and Hitomi Shinzato)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 27 Friday December 2013 The Roman)

 

 

Wednesday, 11 December 2013

Joint development with the town, Zuisen Liquir release awamori "Haebaru"

logo

logo_rsf

head_title

Joint development with the town, Zuisen Liquir release awamori "Haebaru"

 

泡盛「南風原」を発売 瑞泉酒造、町と共同開発

 

【南風原】瑞泉酒造(那覇市、佐久本学社長)は南風原町と共同開発した琉球泡盛古酒「南風原」と琉球泡盛「南風原」(各720ミリリットル、30度)を12月12日から町内を皮切りに発売する。

 

発売セレモニーが10日、同町役場で開かれた。

 

南風原町が新たな特産品開発として、町宮平に酒造蔵を構える瑞泉酒造に泡盛の開発を依頼。

 

「オール南風原」の泡盛を目指し、10月に開催された「はえるんフェスティバル2013」の会場などでの試飲、ラベルデザインも含めた「町民投票」を実施した。

 

新酒は甘い香りと味わいがあり、古酒は甕(かめ)貯蔵ならではのまろやかで、ふくよかな甘い香りが特徴という。

 

佐久本社長は「来年1月には東京でもPRする。町民の皆さんに選んでいただいた泡盛をご愛飲いただきたい」とあいさつした。

 

城間俊安町長は「町民待望の“南風原の酒”を活用し宣伝していきたい」と喜んだ。

 

古酒は税込み2205円、新酒は同924円。

 

12月14日には町内の小売店舗での100ミリリットルミニボトルの限定配布を予定している。

 

(琉球新報、2013年12月11日)

 

 

Joint development with Haebaru town, Zuisen Liquir release awamori "Haebaru"

 

From 12 December 2013, Zuisen Liquir (Naha city, The Kingdom of Ryukyu, Manabu Sakumoto president) starting release liquor that developed in conjunction with Haebaru town, as awamori old liquor "Haebaru" and Ryukyu awamori "Haebaru" (each 720 ml, 30 degrees).

 

10 December 2013, release ceremony was held at the Haebaru town government.

 

As a new specialty products development, Haebaru town requested the development of awamori in Zuisen Liquuir brewing set up warehouse in Machi-Miyadaira.

 

They carried out in the tasting venues aimed at awamori “All Haebaru", this was held in “Haerun Festival 2013" in October, the "townspeople vote" including label design vote.

 

There is a sweet aroma and taste of sake, mellow fragrance that is by the storage only, plump sweet fragrance that features old liquor.

 

The president Saku greeted, “We promote in Tokyo in January next year. We want to have you drink awamori that had chosen to everyone, townspeople."

 

Toshiyasu Shiroma Haebaru town mayor was pleased to"I want to promote the use of the town long-awaited  “Drink of Haebaru"".

 

One bottle 2205 yen including tax, new awamori is 924 yen.

 

They are planning to limit distribution of 100 ml mini bottle at retail stores in the town in 14 December 2013.

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 11 Wednesday December 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 11 Wednesday December 2013 The Roman)

 

Joint development with the town, Zuisen Liquir release awamori "Haebaru"

logo

logo_rsf

head_title

Joint development with the town, Zuisen Liquir release awamori "Haebaru"



泡盛「南風原」を発売 瑞泉酒造、町と共同開発



【南風原】瑞泉酒造(那覇市、佐久本学社長)は南風原町と共同開発した琉球泡盛古酒「南風原」と琉球泡盛「南風原」(各720ミリリットル、30度)を12月12日から町内を皮切りに発売する。



発売セレモニーが10日、同町役場で開かれた。



南風原町が新たな特産品開発として、町宮平に酒造蔵を構える瑞泉酒造に泡盛の開発を依頼。



「オール南風原」の泡盛を目指し、10月に開催された「はえるんフェスティバル2013」の会場などでの試飲、ラベルデザインも含めた「町民投票」を実施した。
新酒は甘い香りと味わいがあり、古酒は甕(かめ)貯蔵ならではのまろやかで、ふくよかな甘い香りが特徴という。



佐久本社長は「来年1月には東京でもPRする。町民の皆さんに選んでいただいた泡盛をご愛飲いただきたい」とあいさつした。



城間俊安町長は「町民待望の“南風原の酒”を活用し宣伝していきたい」と喜んだ。


古酒は税込み2205円、新酒は同924円。



12月14日には町内の小売店舗での100ミリリットルミニボトルの限定配布を予定している。





(琉球新報、2013年12月11日)





Joint development with Haebaru town, Zuisen Liquir release awamori "Haebaru"



From 12 December 2013, Zuisen Liquir (Naha city, The Kingdom of Ryukyu, Manabu Sakumoto president) starting release liquor that developed in conjunction with Haebaru town, as awamori old liquor "Haebaru" and Ryukyu awamori "Haebaru" (each 720 ml, 30 degrees).



10 December 2013, release ceremony was held at the Haebaru town government.



As a new specialty products development, Haebaru town requested the development of awamori in Zuisen Liquuir brewing set up warehouse in Machi-Miyadaira.



They carried out in the tasting venues aimed at awamori “All Haebaru", this was held in “Haerun Festival 2013" in October, the "townspeople vote" including label design vote.



There is a sweet aroma and taste of sake, mellow fragrance that is by the storage only, plump sweet fragrance that features old liquor.



The president Saku greeted, “We promote in Tokyo in January next year. We want to have you drink awamori that had chosen to everyone, townspeople."



Toshiyasu Shiroma Haebaru town mayor was pleased to"I want to promote the use of the town long-awaited  “Drink of Haebaru"".



One bottle 2205 yen including tax, new awamori is 924 yen.



They are planning to limit distribution of 100 ml mini bottle at retail stores in the town in 14 December 2013.



(Ryukyu Shimpo, 11 Wednesday December 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 11 Wednesday December 2013 The Roman)

Sunday, 13 October 2013

Kitadaito sugar company, help with staff going out together summer planting sugarcane with 22 farmers

logo

logo_rsf

head_title

Kitadaito sugar company, help with staff going out together summer planting sugarcane with 22 farmers

 

サトウキビ農家22軒夏植え 北大東製糖、職員総出でお手伝い

 

【北大東】北大東製糖(宮城一也社長)では8月26日から9月27日までの1カ月間、サトウキビ生産農家の夏植え支援を実施した。

 

昨年12ヘクタールの実績に対し、ことしは農家22軒から20ヘクタールの申し込みがあり、期間中職員総出で苗の用意から植え付けまでを手伝った。

 

新里副則専務は「現在全体平均で95ヘクタールの春植えに対し夏植えは25ヘクタールと少ない。春植えより台風に強く農家のより安定した収入を確保するためにも、夏植え推進を図り増産につなげたい」と説明。

 

「農家の人手不足もあり、製糖工場が期間を限定し無償で協力することで農家の生産意欲につながれば幸い。今後もできる限り継続していきたい」と話している。

 

干ばつなどの影響により苗不足も生じたが、製糖工場では10ヘクタール分の苗を確保、半値で供給するなど対応した。

 

農家や関係者からはとても助かったと喜びの声が寄せられている。

 

利用農家の奥山貞枝さんは「人手が要るので兼業農家にとってありがたい。報いるためにも、80アールを植え付け後はすぐにかん水の敷設準備をした。昨年は実家の手伝いをしてもらい、高齢者世帯なので助かった」と感謝した。

 

同村では今期も既に干ばつの影響を受け減産が見込まれているが、製糖工場では2014/2015年期に向け増産できるよう期待している。

 

(上地順子通信員)

 

(琉球新報、2013年10月13日)

 

 

Kitadaito sugar company, help with staff going out together summer planting sugarcane with 22 farmers

 

(Kitadaito) 1 -month period from 26 August 2013 to 27 September 2013, to support summer planting of sugarcane farmers in Kitadaito sugar (Kazuya Miyashiro president) was carried out.

 

For the performance of 12 hectares last year, there is application of 20 hectares planting from 22 farmers this year, Kitadaito sugar helped to prepare the planting of seedlings during periods of staff going out together.

 

“It is less that there are 25 hectares of summer planting, 95 hectares of spring planting. In order to ensure a steady income more farmers strongly to typhoon from planting. , aim to promote planting summer planting, of  in the current overall average, and want to increased production.”, Niisato Executive Director explains.

 

He said, "There is also a labor shortage of farmers, we would like to continue as much as possible as well. We hope that we will lead to the production enthusiasm of farmers can cooperate with sugar factory.”

 

Seedling shortage caused due to the effects of drought, but the corresponding ensure the seedling 10 hectares, for example, supplied at half price from the sugar factory.

 

Voices of joy that it has very helpful, from the officials and farmers, have been received .

 

“Thankfully for part-time farmers because we need help. . In order to reward, the preparation of laying sprinkler immediately after planting the 80 ares. We had the help of my parents' house, we were saved because it is the elderly households, last year”,  Sadae Okuyama farmer who is to use.

 

Production cuts are expected to be affected by the drought, already, this term in the same village, but hopes to be able to increase production and towards the 2014 / 2015 terms of service in the sugar factory.

 

(Uechi Junko correspondent)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 13 Sunday October 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 13 Sunday October 2013 The Roman)

 

Kitadaito Island celebrates festival with a fusion of traditions

head_title

Kitadaito Island celebrates festival with a fusion of traditions

 

Kitadaito Island celebrated the annual festival Daitogusai on September 22 and 23 to pray for bumper crops.

 

The Daitogu Shrine has honored Amaterasu Omikami, the goddess of the sun, as the guardian deity for people on the island since its early days.

 

The villagers hold the festival every year.

 

It is a unique event with a fusion of the traditions of Okinawa and the main islands of Japan, including rituals, a portable shrine tour, sumo dedication and entertainment.

 

On September 22, a mikoshi portable shrine parade was held by three groups – adults, junior high school and elementary school pupils.

 

After starting from the shrine, they visited the sugar factory, the branch office of the JA Okinawa, and the municipal office, while in the background the bell and drum resounded from the festival float.

 

On September 23, the sumo dedication was held at the shrine.

 

Children from kindergartens, pupils from the elementary school and junior high school took part in the event.

 

The residents encouraged their children who were doing their best at sumo, including trying to defeat three and five opponents in a row.

 

Local players and those from Kume-jima Island took part in the Okinawa sumo and Edo (Japanese) sumo and the people in the audience were excited watching the bouts.

 

(Junko Uechi correspondent of Ryukyu Shimpo)

 

(English translation by T&CT, Mark Ealey)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 6 Sunday October 2013 The Roman)