Okinawa News and Entertainment http://www.japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.japanupdate.com/i/logo.gif http://www.japanupdate.com Feed provided by JapanUpdate.com. Click to visit. http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9928 Okinawa City considers itself a cosmopolitan city, home to people from more than 30 countries. The city, also known as Koza, welcomes them all this weekend for the Gate 2 Street Festival and Okinawa City International Carnival. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9934 Service is fast, but Sunrise cannot be called fast food. Nothing’s stocked; everything is homemade, and served fresh. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9942 A 27-year-old soldier being held by military authorities at Torii Station as a suspect in a November 7th hit-and-run incident is refusing to talk to Japanese police about the case because of his concerns about adequate interpreters. Hirofumi Hirano, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, says the soldier has refused to submit to Japanese Police questioning. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9941 A father and son bicycling near Awase Fishing Port are alive but still in coma after the bicycle plunged into the water on Monday evening. Okinawa City Police say “It was dark around the fishing port as the father stopped his bicycle near the port. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9940 A 50-year-old former U.S. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9939 The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife at Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium Sunday as the Saitama Broncos pressed to stretch a win streak to six games, facing the Tokyo Apache, a team the Broncos had defeated 76-72 on Saturday. The trouble was, nobody told the Apache about Saitama’s plan, and Tokyo wanted to end its dismal losing streak. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9938 Work is now under way at the Prefecture level to classify budget requirements for various state-owned projects as well as municipalities. Officials say the administrative renovation meetings for next year will help get a handle on approximately how much is needed in the budget. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9937 A full year after discovering more than 170 contractors had been rigging their bids in order to get contracts with Okinawa Prefecture, and after months of negotiations and mediation to get the companies to voluntarily repay the prefecture, government officials are turning to the courts for legal action. Okinawa Prefecture has met with the Assembly at its November business meeting and explained plans for taking the bid-rigging companies to court to recoup Prefecture monies paid out. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9936 Choki Miyazato watched the Yui-rail monorail travel in front of his nursing home for years, envious of the trains traveling to and from the Shuri Station. Envy turned to a reality Sunday as Miyazato found himself riding the monorail, along with 80 other people helping celebrate his 105th birthday. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9935 A hatchet-wielding Uruma City man is under arrest, charged with attempted murder for turning the weapon onto his brother-in-law. Tsuneyoshi Shimabukuro walked into Uruma City’s police station Saturday night, apologizing to police “I’m sorry, I struck a man with a hatchet,” referring to the hatchet in his hand. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9933 Barack Obama made an historic visit to Japan, meeting with the Emperor and senior government and political leaders, but offering no solutions or answers to contentious issues. The U. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9932 Okinawa residents opposed to relocating Futenma Marine Corps Air Station from Ginowan City to Henoko in northern Okinawa are still holding out hope that Japan’s Prime Minister will stay true to last summer’s election campaign promises to rid Okinawa of American bases. Anti-base protesters, joined by Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers who made their way to power in last August’s ousting of Liberal Democratic Party politicians, say they still expect Yukio Hatoyama to ultimately step forward and make decisions in line with his promises to close American bases such as Futenma and move American troops out of Okinawa. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9931 Japan Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada spent two days visiting Okinawa, studying plans for building a new Marine airfield to replace the controversial Futenma Marine Corps Air Station in downtown Ginowan City. Japan’s Foreign Minister criss-crossed the island Monday and Tuesday on his first Okinawa visit, examining potential locations for a replacement airfield. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9930 All Nippon Airways has made its case to the government that it should receive equal financial support to the bailout being considered for its competitor, Japan Airlines Corp. The ANA President, Shinichiro Ito, says “we’ll ask the government to consider not only supporting and rescuing JAL as an individual company, but to focus strongly on revival of Japanese skies. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9929 Mark your calendar for June 29th 2010, and be listening to the familiar strains of ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ because professional baseball is coming to Naha City’s new Onoyama Baseball Stadium. It’s something that hasn’t happened in Okinawa since 1975, when the last regular season professional baseball game was played here. webmaster@japanupdate.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0100