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Fantastic Okinawa m Japan's Parliamentary Elections Twinkling lights create Okinawa holiday mood Okinawa voters defy national trend in election P rime Minister Shinzo Abe’s snap election ploy proved successful Sunday as his Liberal Democratic Party and junior partner New Komeito fouled the opposition’s plans to disrupt his ‘Abenomics’ plan. The only fly-in-the-ointment was Okinawa, where voters turned out to let Tokyo know there remains considerable opposition to the central government, the prime minister, and plans for relocating Futenma Marine Corps Air Station to northern Okinawa. All four Liberal Democratic Party candidates on the Okinawa ballot – all supporters of the Futenma shift — were soundly defeated by opponents of the base relocation plan. Seiken Akamine, a candidate of the Japanese Communist Party, drew support from conservatives opposed to the base move to win Okinawa No. 1 constituency. Akamine quickly pledged that “I am going to press the prime minister to withdraw” the Henoko relocation plan. Social Democratic Party candidate Kantoku Teruya won a fifth term in No. 2 constituency by besting LDP candidate Masahisa Miyazaki. People’s Life Party candidate Denny Tamaki won the 3rd con- stituency with a win over LDP candidate Natsumi Higa, and Toshinobu Nakazato, supported by both conservative and pro- gressive parties, won over the LDP candi- date in the 4th constituency. The principal opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, had opted not to field candidates for the Okinawa elections in the four constituencies. While the four LDP candidates lost their bids for single-seat constituencies in the Lower House elections, they still man- aged to slide into success, keeping their seats by virtue of wins under the propor- tional representation system. Voter ire centered on the four LDP candidates hav- ing promised during 2012 elections that they supported moving Futenma outside Okinawa Prefecture. Okinawa’s feelings not withstanding, voters across Japan saw the elections from Continues on page 5 Abe’s LDP scores big Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe strenghtened his hold on power in Sunday's parliamentary election, except in Okinawa. By Bill Charles T ’was the week before Christmas and all across the island, the creatures are stirring as they explore Okinawa’s festive illumina- tions at resorts, hotels, clubs, businesses and residences. It’s that very special time of year when millions of white lights, blue lights and multi-color light dis- plays create a special warm feeling in just about everyone (except those with a ‘bah humbug!’ atti- tude). From northern Okinawa to the far south, cities and businesses are showcasing their holiday extrav- aganza events. There’s something for everyone, and countless opportunities for shutterbugs to capture memorable photographs. In Itoman, the location where the year end illu- mination tradition on Okinawa originally started, there are actually two programs now, the Itoman Peaceful Illumination Festival at Itoman Tourist Farm, and the Peace Illumination, which runs through January 3rd from 6:30 p.m. -10 p.m. at Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, Mabuni. Admission to the latter is free. The 16th Itoman Peaceful Illumination Festival at the Tourist Farm is dedicated to prayers for peace where more than 1.3 million miniature lights have been lit. Organizers call the festival an event “send- ing to the world Okinawa’s prayers for peace.” The event takes place through January 3rd at the Itoman Tourist Farm, 1018 Mabuni, Itoman City, from 6 p.m. ~ 10 p.m. nightly. Admission is ¥250. Prayers take place each evening at 8 p.m. as the festival conducts a ‘starlight wink’ where all illumi- nation is turned off, then back on again. Laser shows are slated for the 24th and 25th starting at 8:30 p.m. No Christmas would be complete without fireworks, which are slated for 9 p.m. Christmas night. From the 23rd through New Year’s Eve, live music, dance and comedy shows, as well as a fla- menco show, are on stage. More than 120,000 visi- tors are expected during the illumination run. A New Year’s countdown will be broadcast live on Okinawa television. Even as the Itoman Peaceful Illumination is set Continues on page 2 Southeast Botanical Gardens "Night Decoration" runs through Feb. 15th. The event features live entertainment on week- ends and holidays. Dec. 18, 2014 - Dec. 24, 2014 www.japanupdate.com ¥150 Fantastic Okinawa Local News Classifieds Okinawan Culture Weather JU Weekly Raffle Events this week English Lesson Horoscope Recipe
Transcript
Fantastic Okinawa
m Japan's Parliamentary Elections
Twinkling lights create Okinawa holiday mood
Okinawa voters defy national trend in electionPrime Minister Shinzo Abe’s snap
election ploy proved successfulSunday as his Liberal DemocraticParty and junior partner New
Komeito fouled the opposition’s plans todisrupt his ‘Abenomics’ plan.
The only fly-in-the-ointment wasOkinawa, where voters turned out to letTokyo know there remains considerableopposition to the central government, theprime minister, and plans for relocatingFutenma Marine Corps Air Station tonorthern Okinawa. All four LiberalDemocratic Party candidates on theOkinawa ballot – all supporters of theFutenma shift — were soundly defeated byopponents of the base relocation plan.
Seiken Akamine, a candidate of theJapanese Communist Party, drew supportfrom conservatives opposed to the basemove to win Okinawa No. 1 constituency.
Akamine quickly pledged that “I am goingto press the prime minister to withdraw”the Henoko relocation plan.
Social Democratic Party candidateKantoku Teruya won a fifth term in No. 2constituency by besting LDP candidateMasahisa Miyazaki. People’s Life Partycandidate Denny Tamaki won the 3rd con-stituency with a win over LDP candidateNatsumi Higa, and Toshinobu Nakazato,supported by both conservative and pro-gressive parties, won over the LDP candi-date in the 4th constituency.
The principal opposition party, theDemocratic Party of Japan, had opted not tofield candidates for the Okinawa elections inthe four constituencies.
While the four LDP candidates losttheir bids for single-seat constituencies inthe Lower House elections, they still man-aged to slide into success, keeping their
seats by virtue of wins under the propor-tional representation system. Voter irecentered on the four LDP candidates hav-ing promised during 2012 elections thatthey supported moving Futenma outsideOkinawa Prefecture.
Okinawa’s feelings not withstanding,voters across Japan saw the elections from
Continues on page 5
Abe’s LDP scores big
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abestrenghtened his hold on power inSunday's parliamentary election, exceptin Okinawa.
By Bill Charles
T’was the week before Christmas and allacross the island, the creatures are stirring asthey explore Okinawa’s festive illumina-tions at resorts, hotels, clubs, businesses and
residences.It’s that very special time of year when millions
of white lights, blue lights and multi-color light dis-plays create a special warm feeling in just abouteveryone (except those with a ‘bah humbug!’ atti-tude). From northern Okinawa to the far south, citiesand businesses are showcasing their holiday extrav-aganza events. There’s something for everyone, andcountless opportunities for shutterbugs to capturememorable photographs.
In Itoman, the location where the year end illu-mination tradition on Okinawa originally started,there are actually two programs now, the ItomanPeaceful Illumination Festival at Itoman TouristFarm, and the Peace Illumination, which runsthrough January 3rd from 6:30 p.m. -10 p.m. atOkinawa Peace Memorial Park, Mabuni. Admissionto the latter is free.
The 16th Itoman Peaceful Illumination Festivalat the Tourist Farm is dedicated to prayers for peacewhere more than 1.3 million miniature lights havebeen lit. Organizers call the festival an event “send-ing to the world Okinawa’s prayers for peace.” Theevent takes place through January 3rd at the ItomanTourist Farm, 1018 Mabuni, Itoman City, from 6p.m. ~ 10 p.m. nightly. Admission is ¥250.
Prayers take place each evening at 8 p.m. as thefestival conducts a ‘starlight wink’ where all illumi-nation is turned off, then back on again. Lasershows are slated for the 24th and 25th starting at8:30 p.m. No Christmas would be complete withoutfireworks, which are slated for 9 p.m. Christmasnight. From the 23rd through New Year’s Eve, livemusic, dance and comedy shows, as well as a fla-menco show, are on stage. More than 120,000 visi-tors are expected during the illumination run. ANew Year’s countdown will be broadcast live onOkinawa television.
Even as the Itoman Peaceful Illumination is setContinues on page 2
Southeast Botanical Gardens "Night Decoration" runs through Feb. 15th. The event features live entertainment on week-ends and holidays.
Twinkling lightsContinued from page 1to begin, plans are being finalizedfor the Mabuni Fire & BellObservance New Year’s Eve intoNew Year’s Day. The ceremonialfestival takes place at OkinawaPeace Memorial Hall, which alsostands in Mabuni, with prayersbeing offered to the 230,000 whodied during the Battle of Okinawa.Just before the new year arrives,moments before the stroke of mid-night, the flame of prayer willdescend from the 45-meter-highbell tower to light participants’torches as they welcome in thenew year.
Ocean Expo Park, locatedwest of Nago City in Motobu, isholding Winter Fantasy 2014 thatfeatures fantastic illuminationsand many events like a specialprogram at the planetarium called‘Starry Tales’, Christmas nightstage and gel candle making. TheWinter Fantasy runs through Dec.28th from 6 p.m. ~ 9 p.m. aroundFountain Plaza. Visitors shouldnote that some Ocean Expo Parkvenues close early during the illu-mination period. Ocean CultureMuseum, including PlanetariumHall, closes at 8 p.m. with lastentry at 7:30 p.m. Central andNorth Gates close at 9 p.m., whileOkinawa Churaumi Aquariumoperates on its normal schedule.
The Planetarium special pro-gram ‘Starry Tales’ , a Greekmythology ‘Astraea’ story, will beplayed with introduction of stars.The dome will be filled with afantastic footage through the 28th.Screen times are 5:15 p.m., 6p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (inJapanese only) The fun takes
place at Ocean Culture MuseumPlanetarium Hall. Admission is¥170 for adults and ¥50 for kids.There’s a limit of 186 seats perperformance.
The Christmas Night Stage atOcean Expo Park Fountain Plaza isfree, and features local artists onstage. The plaza is decorated withillumination, and Yuichi Atta willbe Master of Ceremonies Dec. 20thand 21st from 6:30 p.m. ~ 8 p.m.Saturday’s artists are MotoshiUesato, asano, and Akira Ikuma,while Sunday features MiwaUehara, Sala-saji and Glean Piece.
A fun activity at the park isgel candle making using star-shaped sand and Ryukyu glass.The event takes place Saturday andSunday at Ocean Museum 10 a.m.~ 5 p.m., with last admission at 4p.m. There’s a ¥200 workshop fee,and a limit of 250 participants aday is set.
Moving south, there’s a wayto see free illumination and shop-ping together. The Illuminationat Outlet Mall Ashibinaa has
already started and it is free! Inaddition to the lights, there aresnow fall times by snow machine.Winter Elegance Illumination runsthrough February 15th from 5p.m. ~ 8:30 p.m. Admission isfree, with snow falling at 5 p.m., 6p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Other than the illumination, afree music concert will be heldevery day from December 12th to25th. Enjoy soprano singers’ per-formance. On 18th and 23rd, highschool singer ‘Natchy’ will per-form. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 15th Brigade Bandand some local artists are sched-uled to perform.
Ashibinaa is also celebratingthe holidays with classicalcrossover concerts now throughChristmas at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30p.m. at Illumination Street.Admission is free. Natchy per-forms the 18th at 5:30 p.m. and at4 p.m. on the 23rd, while theJapanese Ground Self DefenseForce Band performs Saturdayfrom 3:30 p.m. ~ 4:30 p.m. at the
Ashibinaa open space. Saturdayand Sunday at the 1st floor specialstage, free performances areoffered at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.by Eve 3 Rollin.
Southeast Botanical Gardensis in the holiday spirit, and its illu-mination season is under way.Southeast Botanical Garden has avariety of events in six beautifulillumination areas. The event of‘Love Love Key Lock’ is good forcouples. You buy a heart-shapedpadlock and put you and yourlover’s name on, then lock on aheart-shaped lattice at Love area.For kids, you can put a wishingcard for Santa Claus at a symboltree runs through Christmas Day.
Weekends and holidays thereare music events by local artists atthe Water Garden. Warau-tsukiperforms at 6 p.m. Saturday, andCivilian Skunk is on stageSaturday at 8 p.m. People can par-ticipate in tree planting experienceat Southeast Botanical Garden,something designed to create thatspecial memory. Visitors can buy
a nursery plant for ¥1,910 andplant it at the park’s Partner Ship.The tree-planting runs throughFebruary 15th.
Southeast Botanical Gardensspecial activities take placethrough February 15th, 5 p.m. ~10 p.m. daily. Admission is¥1,800 for adults, ¥1,000 for highschool students, ¥500 for juniorhigh and elementary school stu-dents. Entry is free for childrenunder six years of age. Admissionticket + dinner package is avail-able except for December 23rd ~25th. Adults pay ¥4,500, highschool students ¥4,000, juniorhigh school students ¥3,800, ele-mentary school students ¥2,400and 4~6 years old ¥1,000. Entryis free for 3 year olds andyounger. Advance reservationsare requested for the 23rd through25th, when a ¥300 surcharge isadded to the fee. Santa will give aChristmas present to elementaryschool students and younger.Tickets are on sale at FamilyMarte-plus and Lawson tickets.
Ocean Expo Park offers illuminations and live events through Dec. 28.
Itoman Peaceful Illumination at Itoman Tourist Farm in Mabuni.
