Author Archives: oceanpears

Sketches of Myahk

Directed by Koichi Onishi, “Sketches of Myahk” is a documentary film about traditionally inherited chants in praise of God and sacred songs of Miyakojima vanishing in the time. The film received Special Mention by Semaine de la Critique of Locarno … Continue reading

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World CM Festival

World CM (Commercial) Festival will take place in Okinawa from January 28th to February 3rd in Okinawa. French producer J.C. Bouvier first started this event in 1999, and it is considered to be the Japanese version of La Nuit des … Continue reading

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Unfinished magatama discovered in ruins of Goeku Castle

On January 16th, the Okinawa Municipal Museum announced its discovey of magatama (a comma-shaped bead) in the ruins of Goeku Castle, where King Sho Taikyu of the Ryukyu Kingdom ruled during the 15th century. This 5cm stone-made magatama is considered … Continue reading

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Night rainbow

http://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/article_photo/44998/ Night rainbow, Lunar rainbow, Moonbow, space rainbow. There are many names you can call it. Gekkou (月虹)is a rainbow produced by moonlight, usually faint and appears white to the human eye. This incredible natural phenomenon which is believed to … Continue reading

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Okinawa Oden

Winter is here, and tis the season to crave for oden in Japan. Boiled eggs, daikon radish, potatoes, devil’s tongue, and fish cakes soaked with soy-based dashi broth bring smiles to people’s faces across the country. Regional variations exist, but … Continue reading

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Okinawa International Anime Contents Summit

As an anime fan, I cannot believe I missed out on Okinawa International Animation & Contents Summit which was held on December 19th. The purpose of this summit was to establish Okinawa as the world’s contents hub for East Asia … Continue reading

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Toumaiahkah (泊阿嘉)

Toumaiahkah is an Okinawan version of Romeo and Juliet created by actor Ganeko Yaei in 1911. The Romeo of this story, Tarukani from Akajima (阿喜島), falls in love with Umichiru. Sprung, he writes poetry for Umichiru, but she burns them… … Continue reading

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Okuyama no Botan (奥山の牡丹)

Okuyama no Botan (English title: The Peony of the Deep Mountains) is one of the famous, tragic Okinawan Plays along with Iejima Handuguwa and Toumaiahkah. Due to his father’s dissipated life, the son from a loyal family lived in the … Continue reading

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Iejima Handuguwa (伊江島ハンドー小)

Written by Yukou Majikina (真境名由康),Iejima Handuguwa (伊江島ハンドー小)is an Okinawan play considered as one of the three tragic love stories of Okinawa along with Okuyama no Botan (奥山の牡丹) and Toumaiahkah (泊阿嘉). The story takes place 180 years ago in Iejima. A … Continue reading

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International Comic Festival recognizes Susumu Higa from Okinawa

The Article about this news on Okinawa Times in Japanese: http://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/article/2011-12-08_27054/ Susumu Higa’s “Soldats de Sable (砂の剣)”was nominated in the Prix du meilleur album section of the 39th Angoulême International Comics Festival held in France next year. Although Higa shows … Continue reading

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