“Okinawa reinvigorated!”, is the team’s ideal, on the Ryukyu Kings championship victory in the Emperor’s Cup. (11ap25)

Splendor of Okinawa: Pink Wood Sorrel, roadside Futenma, 7ap25


On 15 March, the 100th All Japan National Basketball Emperor’s Cup Championship Series began. On 10 April, Ryukyu Golden Kings Director Susumu Shiraki visited the Prefectural Office on behalf of the Okinawa Basketball Corporation to announce to Governor Denny Tamaki this first victory achieved in the series by the prefectural powerhouse, the Ryukyu Golden Kings.


Director Shiraki joyously stated, “We’re delighted that our team could take home to Okinawa its first Emperor‘s Cup. Hereafter as well, we’d especially like to continue our ideal:  ‘Okinawa reinvigorated’.”


The Kings had contested in the B League of the Emperor’s Cup twice since 2017. Unfortunately, in the previous 2 tournaments, the team had lost in the finals.  So this was their eighth attempt at a win.


But at this critical point of the tournament’s 100th anniversary, the team achieved its first cherished championship in the series.


Player Shogo Taira , who also attended the visit, spoke of his future aspirations, “This was the result of the cheering and support of our prefecture’s people. Hereafter as well, we’d like to have Okinawa flourish through the fame of the Kings.”


Governor Tamaki expressed his gratitude, noting, “A great many of our prefecture’s residents have been encouraged by the strength and exuberance  of the Kings. Hereafter as well, I wish that they will continue to be a hope and  beam of light for our prefecture’s people and bestow reality to our slogan “Okinawa, the Sports Island!”


Chair of the Okinawa Prefectural Basketball Association Nobutoshi Hikoshi lauded the achievement, noting, “this championship in the Emperor’s Cup, which surpasses every category the (Nissan Foods) U18 series, is truly the best in Japan. All of us in this prefecture involved in basketball, including those in our outlying islands, are rejoicing from the bottom of our hearts over this championship.”


Original Japanese article: Yaeyama Daily News, published Friday 11 April 2025 at 04:00.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/1ad17b2dc1b9e4ac79bfe0ea16f4edb8676d9880


Denny in the News:

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. 


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. 


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


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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