Okinawa’s middle and high school students will exhibit their martial arts skills in August at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, with karate enthusiast Governor Denny making an appearance. (25jy25)

Splendor of Okinawa: Lantana, roadside Uruma, 12jy24


On 9 August, 8 of the middle and high school students who won the top slots in the 2024 2nd World Youth Okinawan Karate Championship will demonstrate their martial arts skills at the Osaka-Kansai Expo to promote the attraction of traditional karate, the pride of Okinawa.


Governor Denny Tamaki, who holds  rank in the Uechi School of karate,  also plans to show his skills on the floor, noting, "The tradition, which karate and the arts play out for the world, is a glory to Okinawan karate with its warriors of peace!”


On 21 July, at the Okinawa Karate Stadium in Tomigusuku City, Governor Tamaki participated in a full rehearsal training session with all the schools of traditional karate.


The training included traditional schools of karate, such as Shuri-Tomari, Naha, and Uechi, as well as ancient martial arts such as boyasai (Ryukyuan : pole vs. 3-pronged fork) and performances of Ryukyu dances such as eisa (a dynamic drum dance) and the shisa (Ryukyuan : lion-dog) dance.


Including the 8 students, 38 from Okinawa, plus the Osaka Eisa Club, and about 200 students of the Osaka Karate School Branch will participate, for a grand total of about 250, in portraying the traditions of Okinawa.


Governor Tamaki, who participated in the full rehearsal, checked the procedures and form in the displays of martial arts and board-splitting, called se-ryu- (Ryukyuan:16). He encouraged the participants, urging, “You’re going to appear at Expo! This is a big step in advertising our tradition of never giving up. Take the stage for this with every bit of your strength!” Then, he deepened his exchanges with the middle and high school students by responding to the taking of commemorative photos and such.


Naha City Kinjo Middle School 2nd year student Aoi Kinjo, who had displayed the art of pole fighting, stated, “With my seniors in it, I feel I can do my best even in front of an audience.”


Oroku Senior High freshman Sowa Tamaki, who performed the Go-Ju- School’s martial art Shiso-chin form, showed the sport’s zeal, noting, “I want Okinawa Karate to spread widely when people see the cool beauty of our crew of 8.”


On the same day, business was thriving at the karate tile breaking corner and the tourist booth.

　

Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Thursday 24 July 2025 at 17:31

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/47795a4644697f4957fe75807f8391d47d93bb85





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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