http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/ Specializing in News, Events, and Reference on Okinawa en-us http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/?id=346 The Tourist Information Center, located in Naha City’s Makishi district, has recently been registered as one of the Visit Japan Information Network offices, set up to assist travelers visiting Japan from abroad, offering multi-language services and information on local tourist sites. In association with three other registered offices in the prefecture – the Naha Airport Tourist Information Center, earthtrip and TISCO OKINAWA, it aims to improve foreign visitor-related services in Okinawa. http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/?id=345 Applications are now being accepted for the 24th Naha Marathon, scheduled to be held on Dec. 7. The course extends a full 42.195 kilometers, running through Naha and four other municipalities in southern Okinawa. With 260,000 finishers since it was launched in 1985, the Naha Marathon is considered one of the best in Japan. Last year saw the largest-ever number of applicants for the race, with 26,286 signing up to compete. http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/?id=344 An international school is slated to open in 2011 in Enobi, Uruma City, announced Governor of Okinawa Hirokazu Nakaima, Uruma City Mayor Hisao Chinen and president of Tokyo-based publisher Obunsha Co., Ltd. Fumio Akao at a press conference on July 25. http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/?id=343 Yomitan Village is launching a project that will allow local businesses and other organizations to advertise on household trash bags, starting in October. 　Intended as a means of generating revenue for the village, the project is limited to　combustibles garbage bags, with 2.3 million produced between Aug. 31, 2008 and Sept. 30, 2009 available for advertisements. ã€€â€śThe village’s trash advertising campaign is the first of its kind in Okinawa,” said the municipal official overseeing the project, commenting on the novelty of the approach. “It’s a way to reach a wide audience, with garbage bags used by all households throughout the village, and we strongly recommend advertisers to take advantage of this opportunity,” he added. 　The village will be accepting applications for advertisements until July 28. http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/?id=342 The Vietnam War, U.S. military bases, a local economy that depended on the bases and the bands playing for U.S. servicemen particularly around Koza city… it was against this historic backdrop in the Okinawa of the 1970s that the distinctive style of rock music, eventually to be known as “Okinawan rock”, was developed. Murasaki emerged as the leading figure in that Koza music scene and soon their name became known nationwide with the two monster albums each of which sold over 40,000 copies. The band was comprised of the keyboardist George Murasaki and Shiroma brothers, joined later by the drummer Eiich Miyanaga. Although it broke up only two years after the dramatic debut in mainland Japan, the band definitely left its mark on the Japanese rock scene. Now after more than three decades since they were first formed, the much-anticipated regrouping of this brilliant band became a reality last year with George Murasaki, three other original members, and two newcomers. The newly formed Murasaki will play a gig on their home turf before an appearance at Japan Rock Band Festival 2008, to be held in Tokyo later this month. Come and experience Murasaki’s one-night-only live gig on Monday, May 11 at 9 p.m. at 7th Heaven KOZA. ¥1,500 entry. For more information, call 7thHeaven KOZA at 098-982-1987. http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/?id=341 The local ice cream chain Foremost Blue Seal, based in Orasoe city, will extend their business into Kanto area, in collaboration with a national Okonomiyaki chain Dotonbori, based in Tokyo. They are going to start an eatery of a new form named ‘Blue Seal Café ‘ where in addition to the regular ice cream menu, coffee and choices of snack will be served, opening on the 20th this month in Shibuya. Under franchise formula, Foremost Blue Seal has set out prospect of establishing 137 café style locations with the sales target of 800 billion yen in 5 years. Added to the food menu will be about 15 varieties of dishes including pasta and tacos, all pricing around 600 yen. As for the ice cream, the more Okinawa oriented such as goya (bitter melon) ice cream will also be served along with the standard flavors like chocolate and vanilla. The two companies have come together on common ground for their business where Foremost Blue Seal holds a prospect for the Kanto market as their new primary revenue area, and Dotonbori seeks the solution for the seasonal decline in Okonomiyaki sales during summer. http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/?id=340 Measles Zero Project Committee, with Masao Chinen as the chairperson, addressed in the press conference on April 8 that the prefecture will create an advertisement campaign with Kiroro, a popular singer-song-writer duo from Okinawa, hired as its promotion leader. Ayano Kinjo and Chihiro Tamashiro, the members of Kiroro, together take part in Measles Prevention Promotion Conference, representing mothers in the society. They paid a visit to governor Nakaima at prefectural office previous to the press conference. ”We as mothers of children would like to disseminate the significance of measles vaccination to the society,” they greeted. The committee pointed out the increasing cases of the in-prefecture measles contagion and has issued an urgent appeal for Measles Vaccination Promotion toward the medical service workers and school personnel aged under 40 and the vaccination receivers covered by public expense. Referring to the low vaccination rate in the prefecture, flagging at around 70-80%, the chair person Chinen insisted, “ For the eradication of measles, it is necessary to pull the rate up to 95%.” http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/?id=339 Okinawa Shogaku, the winner of the annual spring tournament (Koshien) in ‘99, will now face Seibo Gakuen from Saitama on the final today at Koshien Stadium. http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/?id=338 Yukiko Goto (18), just graduated from Chinen High School last month, has compiled her study on stag beetles into a book titled ‘Stag Beetles in Okinawa – Wonders of Their Ecologic Forms’. Yukiko says ‘I hope many people will pick up this book and learn the wonders of nature’. http://www.okinawaindex.com/news/?id=337 Love Junx, a performance group made up of dancers and artists with Down’s syndrome, is going to be on stage at the ‘One + Love World’ event on March 30th in Ginowan city. The members from mainland Japan have met their peers in Okinawa for the first time at the rehearsal on March 29th.