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.

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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.

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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.

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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."
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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."
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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.”

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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.
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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.

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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.
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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.

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