The Emperor and Empress attend formal opening of the Chura Shima (Ryukyuan: Beautiful Island) Okinawa Cultural Festival, “An assembly to further deepen our understanding of Okinawa.” (25oc22)


Splendor of Okinawa: Milky Way, roadside Uruma, 16oc22


On 23 October, the Emperor and Empress attended the formal opening of the Chura Shima Okinawa Cultural Festival 2022 held at the Okinawan Convention Center in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture.

　

After the opening ceremonies, the Royal Couple visited the Ginowan City Sports Center and the Tomigusuku Okinawa Craft Industry Promotion Center, where they mingled with children learning to play the sanshin (Okinawan 3-stringed banjo), artists and others. This second day was for multiple contacts with people.



During his speech at the opening ceremonies of the festival, the Emperor stated, “Okinawa has come to cultivate a bountiful culture of various hues touching multiple cultures. We expect this festival to bring an ever deeper understanding of Okinawa to the breadth of our Nation’s people.”

　

Governor Denny Tamaki pleaded, “We first of all beg that valor and hope be given through the wide diversity of our culture and arts  to those of us in the difficult situation of the Covid menace.”

 

After the closing of the ceremonies, Megumi Tomita (49), who was the producer of the festival’s opening ceremonies, had a chat with the Royal Couple.


The Emperor expressed his gratitude to her, “It was truly wonderful!” The Empress added, “The costumes were beautiful!” Producer Tomita replied, “We presented the eras and words so that, within this short time-frame, you could feel the joy of Okinawa’s long history.”


Later, the Royal Couple moved to the Ginawan City Sports Center where they mingled with primary and middle school students who performed a sanshin recital for them.


They exchanged words and smiles with 15 seniors from Yomitan Junior High School who showed them the intricacies of Kunkunshi (6-6-4), the Ryukyuan music notation system. 


The students gushed, “The Royal Couple were warm and easy to talk to. We now feel like putting even more effort into learning the sanshin!” After chats at the Okinawa Craft Center with x, who is involved in art activities for the handicapped and artist Kumiko Yagi, the Royal Couple returned to Tokyo.


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Monday 24 October 2022 at 12:40. Byline: Masakazu Umeda

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4895a7638ccad0c99c8d82adc161fed6e2ff9145


Denny in the News: news about 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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