Long a fan of HIFF (Hawaii International Film Festival), I’m happy to see a Spotlight on Okinawa for this year’s festival. Three films shot on location in Okinawa will be shown: “Gunjou (Cobalt Blue),” “Manatsu no Yo no Yume (A Midsummer’s Okinawan Dream)” and “Nada Sou Sou (Tears for You).” While the three films featured … Continue reading »
Filed under Okinawa …
Chimugukuru: A Celebration of the Heart, Soul and Spirit of Hawaii’s Okinawan Community
WHAT IS IT? Come join us for Chimugukuru: A Celebration of the Heart, Soul and Spirit of Hawaii’s Okinawan Community (featuring storyteller Alton Chung) on Saturday, October 24th at the Hawaii Okinawa Center. 100% of proceeds from this celebration support the Hawaii United Okinawan Association and Ikuyu Madin (HUOA Capital Campaign). The event runs from … Continue reading »
Video: 10,000 Person Eisa Parade from akanamr
I’ve much admired the photos taken by Myron (Internet-Okinawa.com on Flickr) who happens to also be a fan of eisa like I am. I hope the video taken by him of Naha’s 10,000 Person Eisa Parade is one of many to come. Be sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel to get the latest updates … Continue reading »
Order spider pizza in Okinawa – TOKYOMANGO
Spider pizza was featured on a Japanese TV show recently — it’s a real dish that you can order at a pizzeria in Okinawa, owned by the guy who runs an association that promotes insect-eating. I bet if you can get over your arachnophobia it’s crunchy and delicious. He makes beetle pizza, too. Um, yeah! … Continue reading »
Ryukyu Cowboy Films
Billed as the first film (or in this case, collection of short films) with directors who are all from Okinawa, “Ryukyu Cowboy, Yoroshiku Gozaimasu.” looks interesting indeed. Although the film itself was released in 2007, it’s currently playing in select theaters around Okinawa and mainland Japan. The film is comprised of three parts, each with … Continue reading »
BEGIN’s Uta no Hi Carnival 2009
BEGIN’s annual free outdoor concert, the Uta no Hi Carnival, will be taking place at the Nishihara Marine Park on June 27, 2009. It looks like the lineup is set and will feature: All Japan Goith (Okinawa) – Ska Syakari (Okinawa) – Pop Emi Tawata (Okinawa) – R&B THE BOOM (Japan) – Pop Rock Shuken … Continue reading »
Want to join Okinawan Studies? Read on for more.
A new social network (started by Shari Tamashiro) is up on the web and I’m hoping many of Karakui’s readers will join in. The community’s focus will be on Okinawan studies all things Okinawan and is a great way to post blog entries, upload photos and videos, start forum threads, learn about new events, and … Continue reading »
Web: Ryukyu Minyo Ongaku Kyokai
Many of you may know about Okinawa minyo, but you may not know that there are many different organizations of the music in Okinawa and one of them is the Ryukyu Minyo Ongaku Kyokai, or RMOK. I’m actually pretty excited about this entry because having a large, traditional, organization like the RMOK build a website … Continue reading »
Simple Sanshin Source shares video of Sanshin playing robot
Simple Sanshin Source shares a video of University of the Ryukyus‘s (Ryudai) sanshin-playing robot. Has to be seen to be believed. The clip above shows the robot playing “Toushin Doi.” Not perfect, but pretty amazing.
Rimi Natsukawa becomes an actress – Tokyograph
Newlywed singer Rimi Natsukawa is ready to make her acting debut. She has been cast in ‘Minami no Shima no Furimun,’ a movie starring and directed by comedian Gori of Garage Sale. The movie is Gori’s first full-length directorial effort. The story is a comedy set in Okinawa, where both he and Natsukawa are originally … Continue reading »
