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Fantastic Okinawa Henoko plan POP Circus dazzles, thrills Okinawa crowds Governor challenging Tokyo over Henoko Plan By Bill Charles ‘U nder the Big Top’ has been the code words for exciting, breath- taking entertainment for the entire family for decades, and for the next six weeks, it is the time for dreams to come true at Okinawa’s Onoyama Park. The World Circus Festival, produced by the agency POP Circus –the POP standing for Pursuit of Pleasure—for nearly 20 years, is now performing at Onoyama Park in Naha City through April 6th. The POP Circus is not just entertainment for kids, but a spectacular two- hour show for adults and kids of all ages. More than 30 interna- tionally renowned performers are part of the show, which provides all the excitement of a traditional circus, with additional thrills coming from other acts. All-in- all, the spectacular lighting in the Big Top, mixed with the fresh sawdust on the ground, creates an atmosphere designed to turn everyone into kids for a short period. The program is in two parts, with the prologue leading to a Continues on page 2 P reliminary work on the new airfield intended to replace the controver- sial Futenma Marine Corps Air Station in densely populated Ginowan City in central Okinawa is under way, but Okinawa’s new governor is vow- ing to block it or stop it, and Tokyo’s not taking his moves lightly. Governor Takeshi Onaga was elected last fall, campaigning on a series of pledges to block construction of a replace- ment airfield facility at and adjacent to the Marines’ Camp Schwab in the Henoko dis- trict of Nago City, or crush the project out- right. “I will use every means to fulfill my campaign pledge,” Onaga tells the media and practically anyone who wants to talk and listen. His campaign pledge is in direct opposition to the agreement approved by Hirokazu Nakaima, his prede- cessor in the governor’s chair. Nakaima approved the landfill permits necessary to get the airfield project started in Oura Bay, adjacent to Camp Schwab. Once the land is reclaimed, a pair of 2,500- meter V-shape runways will be construct- ed, linking to the Marine Base. Nakaima’s decisions were shrouded in controversy, with longtime opponents to creating the new base screaming foul, insisting the new runways would cause environmental dam- age to both coral and marine life. Proponents praised the governor for mak- ing the tough decisions that would remove the dangerous Futenma Marine Corps Air Station from Ginowan, where citizens have long lived in fear of an accident that could decimate their city. Onaga is currently looking for errors in the mountain of environmental docu- ments that were filed with the prefecture, and which Nakaima approved. He hopes Continues on page 6 Men and women on flying trapeze is what a circus is all about to most people, and the POP Circus for the next six weeks at Onoyama Park in Naha does not disappoint. Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga is at loggerheads with Tokyo over Henoko. Feb. 19, 2015 - Feb. 25, 2015 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
Henoko plan
POP Circus dazzles, thrills Okinawa crowds
Governor challenging Tokyo over Henoko Plan
By Bill Charles
‘Under the Big Top’ hasbeen the code wordsfor exciting, breath-taking entertainment
for the entire family for decades,
and for the next six weeks, it isthe time for dreams to come trueat Okinawa’s Onoyama Park.
The World Circus Festival,produced by the agency POPCircus –the POP standing forPursuit of Pleasure—for nearly 20
years, is now performing atOnoyama Park in Naha Citythrough April 6th. The POPCircus is not just entertainmentfor kids, but a spectacular two-hour show for adults and kids ofall ages. More than 30 interna-
tionally renowned performers arepart of the show, which providesall the excitement of a traditionalcircus, with additional thrillscoming from other acts. All-in-all, the spectacular lighting in theBig Top, mixed with the fresh
sawdust on the ground, creates anatmosphere designed to turneveryone into kids for a shortperiod.
The program is in two parts,with the prologue leading to a
Continues on page 2
Preliminary work on the new airfieldintended to replace the controver-sial Futenma Marine Corps AirStation in densely populated
Ginowan City in central Okinawa is underway, but Okinawa’s new governor is vow-ing to block it or stop it, and Tokyo’s nottaking his moves lightly.
Governor Takeshi Onaga was electedlast fall, campaigning on a series ofpledges to block construction of a replace-ment airfield facility at and adjacent to theMarines’ Camp Schwab in the Henoko dis-trict of Nago City, or crush the project out-right. “I will use every means to fulfill mycampaign pledge,” Onaga tells the mediaand practically anyone who wants to talkand listen. His campaign pledge is in
direct opposition to the agreementapproved by Hirokazu Nakaima, his prede-cessor in the governor’s chair.
Nakaima approved the landfill permitsnecessary to get the airfield project startedin Oura Bay, adjacent to Camp Schwab.Once the land is reclaimed, a pair of 2,500-meter V-shape runways will be construct-ed, linking to the Marine Base. Nakaima’sdecisions were shrouded in controversy,with longtime opponents to creating thenew base screaming foul, insisting the newrunways would cause environmental dam-age to both coral and marine life.Proponents praised the governor for mak-ing the tough decisions that would removethe dangerous Futenma Marine Corps AirStation from Ginowan, where citizens have
long lived in fear of an accident that coulddecimate their city.
Onaga is currently looking for errorsin the mountain of environmental docu-ments that were filed with the prefecture,and which Nakaima approved. He hopes
Continues on page 6
Men and women on flying trapeze is what a circus is all about to most people, and the POP Circus for the next six weeks at Onoyama Park in Naha does not disappoint.
Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga is atloggerheads with Tokyo over Henoko.
Unique art created from PET bottles astonishesAPET bottles art exhibition is under way
at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum,with an artist demonstrating how throw-away plastic cans be transformed into
very special art.Pet bottle reborn makes for a very unique art,
says the artist, Masumi Homma, who started PETbottles Sophisticated Art in 2006. She expressesthe fantasy world by PET bottles because they’reusually tossed away as trash. The exhibition themethrough April 5th at the Okinawa PrefecturalMuseum & Art Museum through April 5th depictscultural assets and nature of Okinawa.
The museum is open daily except Mondays, 9a.m. ~ 6 p.m., with last entry at 5:30 p.m. Adulttickets are ¥500, high school and college studenttickets are ¥400, and elementary and junior highschool students enter for ¥300. Tickets are avail-able at Familymart e-plus, Lawson (L code:82660), the service counter at Ryubo DepartmentStore, and at the Okinawa Times.
The exhibition consists of three parts,Yanbaru Forest, Okinawan Ocean and GusukuHill. In her works, a lot of animals and sea crea-
tures of Okinawa will appear. She does not useany glue and coloring materials in her works.Homma says people might not be able to imaginehow to make these detailed and sensitive works.Homma was accepted for eco art of the culturesection of ‘eco japan cup 2014’, and has shownmany large scale works at hotels, stations, aquari-ums and big commercial facilities across thenation.
Yambaru Forest is inspired by the jungles of northern Okinawa. Fish, corals and all else is made of PET bottles.
POP CircusContinued from page 1bungee act, juggling, a dog show, Handto Hand performers, the ever-popularclowns, an aerial hoop exhibition andbicycle daredevils. The second part ofthe program, after the intermission, findsRussians on Swings, more clowns, atime of Illusions and Tissue, moreclowns, Hooop Diving, thrills of an AirCannon, heart-stopping excitement onthe Flying Trapeze, and a super specialfinale.
Tickets for adults and high schoolstudents are ¥2,800, for kids age threethrough junior high school are ¥1,500,available at FamilyMart ePlus or the-gate. Group rates for 20 or more personsare also available. Special Royal Boxesaccommodating four people are an addi-tional ¥5,000, and Pleasure Boxes forfour persons are an additional ¥4,000.Reserved seats with center view are anadditional ¥800. Special prices for sen-iors are also available, and wheelchairusers and those physically challengedhave special options, too.
Japan Update is giving away twopair of tickets for readers. Simply regis-ter for the weekly raffle from the JapanUpdate website. http://www.japanup-date.com/raffle-entry/ The official web-site for POP Circus is http://www.pop-circus.co.jp/. There is some informationin English also.
The World Circus Festival is run-ning daily except Wednesdays untilApril 6th. Weekday shows are at 1:20p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday shows are at10:30 a.m., 1:20 p.m. and 7 p.m.Sunday shows are 10:30 a.m., 1:20 p.m.and 4 p.m.
The Circus tent is located at theeastern corner of Onoyama park in Nahaby Hwy 221. The google map ishttp://goo.gl/maps/3ix3M. The easiestway is to take Yui-rail and getting off atOnoyama Park Station. For those driv-ing, there is a big paid parking lot nearthe venue http://goo.gl/maps/qhahgParking cars inside the park is very lim-ited. Circus Festival organizers remindspectators that food is available insidethe tent. No outside food or beveragesare permitted.
Aunique food event that debuted onOkinawa six months ago was so muchfun it came back in November, andnow public demand is such that it’s
happening again this Sunday.The Okinawa Food Flea runs noon to 6
p.m. at Chatan Fisherina Uminchu Wharf,located next to the Hilton Okinawa ChatanResort. For those not familiar with the area, it’slocated just north of American Village Mihama.Admission is free to the afternoon culinaryadventures, although there are charges for thefoods consumed.
More than 50 shops that are popular amongpeople who have a curious palate will gatherthroughout the afternoon. For instance, thereare French restaurant Kato Shokudo, Pizza
restaurant Bacar, and bakery Kaito from Nago,to name a few. Other than that, popular cafés,izakaya, and hamburger shops will welcomevisitors.
Last November, at many shops populardishes were sold out quickly or sometimes visi-tors had to stand in lines to get them. In addi-tion to food stalls, a lot of craft shops will beopen at the Sunday venue.
The location is pure Okinawa delight, rightby the ocean. Organizers say Okinawa FoodFlea is just perfect for visitors to enjoy deli-cious foods while enjoying the refreshing oceanbreeze. Live music performances will warm upthe afternoon. Look for a variety of other con-cessions spotted around the venue, offeringeverything from resort wear to Asian furniture.
Dogs are natural performers.
A circus wouldn't be a circus without a col-lection of bungling clowns.
Russians on Swings stage a very special andexciting spectacle.
Okinawa Food Flea tickles tastebuds for third time
Food Flea is a bonanza for lovers of something tasting different. Okinawa's organic food growers are well presented at the Food Flea.
