Entertainment

Fun festivities and customs to usher in New Year

Christmas trees are coming down, the gifts are being played with, and everyone’s ready to get out of the house and have some holiday fun. The timing’s perfect, because Okinawa, which celebrates both the traditional and Lunar New Year, has oodles and oodles of things happening. Read More!

Culture

Ryukyu Kingdom comes alive at Shuri Castle

A three-day reenactment of a traditional New Year Ceremony in the Ryukyu Kingdom era, when kings ruled and the royal family and court were filled with splendor, takes place January 1st through 3rd at Shuri Castle Park. Known as the ‘Morning Prayer Official King’s Ceremony’, the three-part ceremony offers a glimpse into royal life that commoners of the time never had a chance to see. Read More!

Localbeat

The season’s first whales have been spotted off Kerama Islands. Hotel owner Hitoshi Miyagi said that he spotted two whales, possible a couple, swimming in the ocean about noon on Dec. Read More!

Okinawa Shogaku High School captured its second National High School Baseball Invitational Championship, and Urasoe Sogyo nearly did the same in a summer tournament, propelling the teams and the sport into the Top Story of 2008. Okinawa Shogaku won the 80th annual Spring tournament with a 9-0 win over Seibo Gakuen. Read More!