Urasoe City English Newsletter
March - April 2007

As always, interesting things are happening in Urasoe. February saw the annual Tedako Walk, in which over 8,000 participants walked a variety of courses through the city and its surrounding areas. Many walkers from other parts of Okinawa and Japan came to enter the two day event, making it a great opportunity to promote the City.

Another annual event that put Urasoe in the national public eye was the Tokyo Yakult Swallows Baseball Team's spring training camp. In addition to preparing for a rigorous season, the baseball players took the time to interact with the Urasoe community, holding a workshop for 15 youth league teams.

Late January and early February are also the time of year for elementary school gakugeikai (学芸会), in which the students in each class put on a play, musical performance, dance or other attraction. On January 28th, I saw my first gakugeikai at Uchima Elementary School. The children, under the excellent direction of their teachers, provided a wonderful morning of songs, instrumental music, and lively dances. The event closed with the sixth graders' theatrical production of an Okinawan folktale, which proved to be quite moving.

I hope you are enjoying the cool weather while it lasts! As always, I'm here on the 4th floor of Urasoe City Hall if you need me.

-Matt

Announcements from Urasoe City Hall

National Health Insurance Renewal

Each year, citizens registered for National Health Insurance (国民健康保険 kokumin kenkō hoken) receive a new National Health Insurance card in April. This is mailed automatically to those who have paid their taxes on time. Those who have not paid on time will receive a card in the mail, instructing them when to visit the National Health Insurance Section (Urasoe City Hall 1F) for the renewal procedure.
Note: this announcement does not apply to all those who subscribe to Social Health Insurance (社会保険 shakai hoken) and other forms of health insurance.

Child Welfare Assistance

Urasoe City offers financial support to households where death or divorce has left children without a father. Households where the father suffers from a serious disability are also eligible.
Special Child Welfare Assistance
Parents or legal guardians of children under 20 years of age with physical or mental disabilities are eligible for financial assistance.
**Households without an address in Japan, income exceeding the upper limit for financial aid eligibility, or already receiving money from the public pension fund are not eligible.

Urasoe City Art Museum Exhibits

Asian Fiber Art Exhibit March 9 (Fri) to 25 (Sun)
This exhibit will feature the dyed and woven arts and crafts of Asia. There will also be a workshop TBA. Visit the Museum for more information.
Admission is FREE
Permanent Exhibition
As always, the Urasoe City Art Museum offers its permanent exhibition of lacquer art from the Ryukyu Kingdom. Admission is ¥150 for the general public, ¥120 for college students, and free for high school students and younger.

Event Information

Okinawa Craft Festival (Okinawa Kōgei Fair 沖縄工芸フェアー)
March 8 (Thurs) to 11 (Sat) at Plaza House Shopping Center in Okinawa City
Take advantage of this opportunity to admire and purchase hand-made Okinawan crafts by Okinawa's finest artisans. Contact Okinawa City Hall 098-939-1212

Harmony Center Matsuri
March 10 (Sat) and 11 (Sun)
Come to the Harmony Center (near Urasoe City Library) on Saturday and Sunday and enjoy music, tea, exhibits of art and flower arrangements and more!
Saturday - Exhibits 10AM-5PM, Youth Concert (rock and hip-hop) 1PM-5PM
Sunday - Exhibits 10AM-4PM, Tea Ceremony 10AM-4PM, Chorus, Guitar Club, Eisa and others 10AM-4PM

Old Meets New: The Urasoe Culture Association Presents Okinawan Performing Arts
March 18 (Sun) 1PM at the National Theater Okinawa in Urasoe
Enjoy Okinawan Dance, Ryukyu Classical Music, and Kumiodori! The event will be held at the National Theater, so it will be a high-caliber production.
Adults ¥2,000 (same day ¥2,500), high school and younger ¥800 (same day ¥1,000)

Okiten - Okinawan Arts and Crafts Exhibition
March 18 (Sun) through April 1 (Sun) at the Urasoe City Municipal Athletic Park Gymnasium
Don't miss this display of original artwork and crafts by Okinawan artists and craftspeople.
Adults ¥1,000, high school and younger ¥500 Contact: Okinawa Times 098-680-3688

Urasoe International Relations Association "Music and Healing Arts"
(In Japanese: Iyashi no Salon 癒しのサロン)
March 24 (Sat) 6pm to 8pm at the Community Center Annex
This will be the first in what we hope will be a series of events exploring healing arts from around the world, such as massage, Chinese medicine, yoga and more. We also hope to demonstrate the healing effect of traditional music through live acoustic performances. Healthy snacks and tea will also be provided each time.
Session 1: Yoga and Healing Music - Relax to the sounds of the gundel, the xylophone-like instrument used in gamelan, as well as stringed instruments: the Okinawan sanshin and the North Indian sarod. There will also be a talk and demonstration on yoga by a professional yoga instructor, as well as refreshments!
Participation is free for Association Members (membership is ¥1,000), high school and older

Whale and Flower Music Festival (Kujira to Hana no Ongakusai 鯨と花の音楽祭)
March 24 (Sat) 5PM on Zamami Island
This is a free outdoor concert featuring performances by musicians from Okinawa and elsewhere. The concert is held every year to bid farewell to the whales as they migrate north for the summer.
Zamami Village Hall Planning Section 098-987-3009

Ryukyu Fireworks Festival in Ginowan (Ryūkyū Kaiensai 琉球海炎祭)
April 14 (Sat) 1PM to 9PM at Ginowan Seaside Park
Starting at 1:00 there will be an event called "Champuru Festa," at the Multipurpose Open Space by the Convention Center (next to the Seaside Park). This event will feature local artists, bands, and performers of traditional Okinawan music. The fireworks display itself will take place from 8PM to 9PM. 9,000 fireworks will be launched over the course of 60 minutes (that's 2.5 per second)!