Prefecture to unify notation of the languages (Shima Kutuba) of its various islands with a syllabary easy enough even for children to understand. (31my22)


Splendor of Okinawa: Hibiscus Schizopetalus, along the Tengan River, 30my22


Okinawa Prefecture decided on its policy for orthography to unify its syllabic notation (kana) for the prefecture’s five regional variants of the Ryukyu language (Shima Kutuba), for the sake of its propagation and continuation.


The Shima Kutuba Orthography Research Group, chaired by Eikichi Hateruma and made up of educational and other experts, collated the syllabic notation of the five regional variants of the Ryukyu language (Shima Kutuba) and passed a summary of their efforts to Governor Denny Tamaki on 30 May.


In 2009, UNESCO designated the five regional variants of the Ryukyu language as being in danger of extinction: Kunigami, Okinawa, Miyako, Yaeyama, and Yonaguni. However, since the Ryukyu language has sounds that are not used in Japanese, until now, researchers and others have been reduced to using various orthographic notations such as Japanese characters or their own orthographic symbols.


The Ryukyu language is still used at various traditional local events, such as Ryukyu Dance and  Court Dance (Kumi-udui). But, chances to speak the language in everyday life are diminishing. So, for about the past 4 years, the research group has been involved in discussions on standardizing the orthography with a unified notation that can easily be understood even by children.


At the ceremonial handing-over of the summary, Governor Tamaki noted, “Creating a notation for the vocabulary is connected to understanding the diversity and sense of the regional variations in the language.”


Original Japanese article: Okinawa Times, published Tuesday 31 May 2022 at 12:32. Byline: Ayaka Agarie (=東江郁香?) 

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b5ffcd56c476463123cfd5221db0d22e6bf6c5b9/images/000


Denny in the News: news about Okinawan Governor Denny Tamaki.

Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 

  1. This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 

  2. Any suggestion on improving the translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.

  3. Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

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