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Kazuta of K-Pop Group n.SSign
(via Twitter) You may or may not be surprised to find out there are a growing number of J-pop and K-pop boy idols who are from Okinawa and Kazuta is one of them. Chinen Kazuta is in the 7-member K-pop boy band n.SSign which was formed in 2022. They’ve only released a couple of songs…
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Cesar Farro Yamaguchi & His Grandfather’s Sanshin
(via Twitter) Here’s a heart-warming story about a 3rd generation Peruvian-Okinawa, Cesar Farro Yamaguchi, who brought his grandfather’s sanshin to Okinawa. Currently studying sanshin craftsmanship in Okinawa at Naha’s Shoukoubou (尚工房) under sanshin maker Kishimoto Naoto, Cesar had his grandfather’s sanshin appraised by the Ryukyu Sanshin Musical Instrument Preservation and Development Association and it was…
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Yu-ka’s New Single “Gold”
(via Twitter) It wasn’t that long ago that Yu-ka released a new single yet here we are with a new new single called “Gold” and it’s amazing. Her last two new 😏 singles were produced by Toru of One OK Rock and as awesome as those songs are, this one is going back to her…
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Awich, Brand Director of Habush
(via Twitter) We’ve already declared 2022 as the Year of Awich™ and now she goes and becomes the Brand Director of an awamori drink? Yup, we kid you not. Awich is now tied to Habush, an alcoholic drink that’s made of awamori, habu extract, and 13 kinds of herbs according to the label on the…
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Anly Sings “Kara no Kokoro” on the Popular YouTube Channel The First Take
(via Twitter) It just premiered a few days ago and already amassed over a million views! The song is “Kara no Kokoro” featuring Matt Cab & MATZ and this version was originally released on her 2022 “Voltage” EP. The original version of the song (the theme song for the anime Naruto Shippuden) was released in…
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Okinawa’s First Female Rakugo Storyteller Kingentei Anju (Kawamitsu Ai)
(via Twitter) Active as a model and actress (“Jun to Ai”, “Chimudondon”), Kawamitsu Ai has made the jump to the art of Rakugo and by doing so became the first female from Okinawa to become a storyteller. She discovered the art of Rakugo after moving to Tokyo Japan to expand her activities and her stage…
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i-Dushi Goes on Hiatus (Again)
Just when it looked like they were back to touring and recording new material i-Dushi will be going on hiatus and this time it’s Naminami’s turn. Their last hiatus (not counting the several starts and stops due to the Covid-19 pandemic), was for Cana’s pregnancy and maternity leave. Naminami’s announcement mentions that they’ve been working…
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New Karakui Merch
We have 👕. Now we have 📱 cases! Yay! 🎉 Get them at Cotton Bureau (high quality stuff).
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4-Piece Rock Band Girls Or Boys
(via Twitter) From Okinawa ✔️. Cool band name ✔️. Music widely available ✔️. We’ve seen our share of cool indie rock bands come out of Okinawa (one of our favorites was/is cat bears — but where have you gone⁉️) and one of them (green note coaster had their big break winning the theme song contest…
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Popular Fashion Magazine Mens Non-No’s Latest Model is Nakatsuka Riku
The latest model for popular fashion magazine Mens Non-No (many famous actors started out as models for the magazine) is nineteen year old Nakatsuka Riku of Itoman. The young model/actor also made an appearance on the Okinawa-based (kinda-sorta) TV drama “Chimudodon” and commented that its star Kuroshima Yuina was his inspiration (she’s also from Itoman).…
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