Latest news with #ShuriCastle
NHK
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NHK
Stringed instrument made to support rebuilding of Shuri Castle, Noto Peninsula
A special version of a traditional stringed Japanese musical instrument has been created to support reconstruction efforts in two separate regions. The version of the three-stringed sanshin bears hopes for the reconstruction of the main hall of Shuri Castle in Okinawa Prefecture and municipalities in the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. A fire hit the castle in 2019, while the peninsula suffered a major earthquake and heavy rains and flooding in 2024. The special sanshin was unveiled during a ceremony in Okinawa's Naha City on Saturday. Work to create the instrument began last December. It was made from timber used to rebuild the castle's main hall. A craftsman in Okinawa applied lacquer to the instrument. Another in Ishikawa used a metal powder-sprinkling decoration technique to paint on its neck a mountain range, the sea and snowflakes, symbolizing the landscape of the Noto Peninsula. The body of the instrument is wrapped with decorative textiles, made from traditional fabrics woven in the two prefectures. An Okinawa-based sanshin maker, Nakamine Miki, helped produce the instrument. He said during the ceremony that it represents the integration of techniques from Okinawa and Ishikawa, adding that he hopes its sounds will reach many people. The instrument was used to perform a piece of music normally played in celebratory events in Okinawa. The chairperson of an Ishikawa-based group of Wajima-nuri lacquerware artisans, Sakaguchi Akio, said he is very happy because he felt support from many people when craft workers in both prefectures teamed up to complete the instrument.
NHK
22-06-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Japan marks 80th anniversary of Battle of Okinawa
Japan's southwestern prefecture of Okinawa will hold a memorial ceremony on Monday to remember those who perished during fierce ground fighting 80 years ago at the end of World War Two. More than 200,000 people lost their lives during the Battle of Okinawa, including roughly one in four of the prefecture's residents at that time. Okinawa Prefecture recognizes June 23, 1945, as the day when Japan's now-defunct Imperial military ended organized combat against US forces in the battle. The memorial ceremony is held annually on this day at Peace Memorial Park in the city of Itoman, the last intense battlefield. Accounts of what occurred during the Battle of Okinawa have been passed down from generation to generation based on stories shared by survivors. But people now have few opportunities to listen directly to them. Some are even disputing the veracity of parts of the history. Against this backdrop, efforts are underway to let people know more about what really happened. They include using physical remnants from the battle, such as the headquarters built by the Japanese military under Shuri Castle. Another initiative involves introducing digital materials in peace education. Okinawa still hosts about 70 percent of the US military facilities in Japan. Last year, the prefecture saw a record number of individuals linked to the US military who were suspected by investigative authorities of committing criminal offenses. The prefecture's role and burden in ensuring Japan's security are continuing to grow. The central government is trying to reinforce the defense of the southwestern islands, including Okinawa.
