Center for Okinawan Studies now has a Facebook page.  Our Facebook page is at: www.facebook.com/UHCenterforOkinawanStudies

We also have a Twitter account at:  twitter.com/UHCOS

Please join us on Sunday, April 28 at 1pm for the COS Lecture Series talk “Okinawan Identity Formation and ‘Traditions’ in a Diaspora: Views of Hawai‘i’s Okinawan Performing Artists.” It will be held in the Center for Korean Studies Auditorium. Guest panelists (Grant Murata, Keith Nakaganeku, Kenton Odo, and Allison Yanagi), who are all accomplished Okinawan performing artists in Hawaii, discuss their thoughts/views on Okinawan identity and tradition. Dr. Christine Yano will be the moderator.  Please see this flyer for details.

Parking is free on Sundays and is available in the Center for Korean Studies parking lot, Kennedy Theater parking lot, or streetside (along East-West Road or Maile Way). Visitor parking map:  http://www.hawaii.edu/parking/resources/MapFiles/visitorparkingmap.pdf

We hope you will join us for the engaging discussion!

Please join us on Tuesday, April 23 @ 3pm in Moore Hall 319 for the COS Lecture Series talk which features guest speaker Dr. Lonny Carlile.  Dr. Carlile is an associate professor with the Center for Japanese Studies/Asian Studies Program at UH-Manoa.  He will speak about Okinawa’s recovery process from the Battle of Okinawa.  Please see this flyer for more details.

MATSURO AND TSURUKO NAKASONE ENDOWMENT FUND

The purpose of the Fund is to provide students, preferably graduate students, with the opportunity to travel outside of Hawai’i to engage in study or research in Okinawa-related subjects.  These students should have an academic focus or interest in Okinawan studies and have demonstrated a commitment to learning about or acquiring a deeper understanding of Okinawa, its people, culture and history.  First priority use of the Fund shall be for travel with educational purposes that are directly related to Okinawan studies, and may be used for, but not limited to:  attending conferences, presenting papers, conducting research, and participating in educational activities such as student competitions, training or special or joint projects. Second priority use of the Fund shall provide general support and aid to students, which include, but are not limited to:  scholarships (tuition, books and fees), awards, conference fees, project materials and supplies, or training directly related to Okinawan studies.

Matsuro Nakasone was born in 1903 in Okinawa and immigrated to Hawai’i in 1920.  Tsuruko Tamanaha, born on Maui in 1910 and sent to Okinawa to spend most of her childhood there, returned to Hawai’i in 1925 and, in 1932, married Matsuro Nakasone. They had five sons and one daughter.  Matsuro started out as a plantation field worker and later became the cook at the Lana’i Plantation.  Because of limited educational opportunities in Lana’i, the family moved to Honolulu and started a small “hot dog stand” on Hotel Street.  They worked hard to support families in Hawai’i and Okinawa.  As with many poor immigrant families, life in the beginning was difficult, but with a tremendous amount of hard work and determination, they were able to develop a successful small business.

Since both Matsuro and Tsuruko had limited education, they were determined to send all their children to college.  Today, their family includes an accountant, two engineers, a businessman, a computer programmer, and a banker.  Matsuro died in 1995.  Tsuruko celebrated her 100th birthday in 2010, but passed away at the age of 101 in 2011.

Education and Okinawa were important to them in their lives.  On the occasion of Tsuruko Nakasone’s 100th birthday, the Matsuro and Tsuruko Nakasone Endowment Fund was established in their honor at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Center for Okinawan Studies.  This endowment fund will allow students to further thelr Okinawan studies while continuing the legacy of Matsuro and Tsuruko Nakasone’s interest in education and Okinawa.

CRITERIA
(1) Recipients must be full-time or part-time, undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in any area of study at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, who have an academic focus or interest in Okinawan studies and have demonstrated a commitment to learning about or acquiring a deeper understanding of Okinawa, its people, culture and history.  Preference shall be given to graduate students.

(2) Financial need shall be a criterion in making this award, although not necessarily as defined by federal guidelines.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Grants of approximately $500.00 will be awarded twice a year.
Deadlines to apply are: September 15 (Fall Semester) and January 15 (Spring Semester)

Students should submit the following via email to cos[at]hawaii.edu:
Cover letter AND

For research projects:
- Brief research proposal
- Letter of recommendation from advisor
- Budget for the project

For conferences/events:
- Proof of acceptance/invitation to conference/event
- Flyer for conference/event
- Letter of recommendation from advisor
- Abstract
- Budget

SELECTION
After reviewing all of the applications, a selection committee will make its recommendation to the center director and the director will make the final decision. All applicants will be notified once the decisions have been made.  Once awarded, the award must be used within two semesters of its being issued.

Please join us Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 3:30pm in the Tokioka Room to hear UH History Professor Mark McNally discuss the significance of the bankoku shinryō no kane 万国津梁の鐘 (“the bell of the bridge to the world”) as an early example of Ryūkyūan/Okinawan exceptionalism. This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Okinawan Studies. Light refreshments will be served.

Download flyer here

Please join us for an exciting series of events centering around parades and processions during the Edo era.

The exhibit runs February 7-22, 2013 at the UHM Art Gallery. Public lecture is on Sunday, February 10 at 1pm at the Center for Korean Studies Auditorium and is FREE, open to the public with FREE parking. Symposium is on Monday, February 11, 9:00-4:30 at the Center for Korean Studies Auditorium. Please see schedules for: public lecture and symposium.

These events are sponsored by UHM Outreach College, Center for Okinawan Studies, Center for Japanese Studies, Department of Art & Art History, Department of History, National Museum of Japanese History (Japan), The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Japan), UHM Library, and Consulate General of Japan at Honolulu.

More information about these events can be found at:
http://www.hawaii.edu/asiaref/japan/event2013/Index.htm

Dear Professor Chinen,

The East-West Center offers scholarships for Okinawan students from Okinawa, and the application deadline has been extended to January 31, 2013 for MA and PhD students who are currently enrolled at UHM.

We would appreciate any assistance you might be able to offer by posting the attached announcement, or posting a link to the Obuchi Student Scholarship on the Center for Okinawan Studies website.

We have reached out to current and recent recipients of the Obuchi Student Scholarship to help get the word out in the student community.

Thank you for your assistance in helping us reach out to potential applicants.

Best,
Mary

Mary Hammond | Dean, Education Program | East-West Center | 808.944.7766

—————————————————-
Application Deadline Extended for the 2013 Obuchi Scholarship

The Obuchi Student Scholarship Overview
Obuchi Student Scholarships support Okinawan students for the Asia Pacific Leadership Program (APLP) or for graduate degree study at the University of Hawai‘i in fields deemed beneficial to Okinawan development needs.  These scholarships are offered through the East-West Center’s partnership with the Obuchi Okinawa Education and Research Program, a joint venture of the United States and Japanese governments. The program’s mission is to help Okinawa develop and strengthen its human resources in order to take a more proactive role in Asia Pacific intellectual, research, and business activities.

Obuchi Student Scholarship for Graduate Degree Study
Obuchi Student Scholarship recipients participate in educational and research programs at the East-West Center while pursuing master’s or doctoral degree study at the University of Hawai‘i. The East-West Center and the University of Hawai‘i, located in a unique island setting with a distinctive multicultural heritage, offer premier resources for studies on Asia, the Pacific, and the United States.  Through East-West Center affiliation, awardees become part of a growing network of students and alumni forging the shape and substance of the world’s most vibrant region.

Master’s and doctoral degree fellows have opportunities to enhance their degree studies by participating in graduate certificate programs offered in leadership studies, international cultural studies, global health and population studies, conflict resolution, or disaster management and humanitarian assistance.

Extended Deadline:  January 31, 2013 for Obuchi applicants already enrolled in a Master’s or doctoral degree program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
(Note:  The deadline for new student applications has passed.)

Application Materials Available Online:
www.EastWestCenter.org/obuchi
Email: scholarships@EastWestCenter.org
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Click here for flyer.

Join us for an exciting series of events centering around parades and processions during the Edo era.

There will be an art exhibition, public lecture and symposium in February. The exhibit runs February 7-22, 2013 at the UHM Art Department Commons Gallery. Public lecture is on Sunday, February 10 at 1pm at the Center for Korean Studies Auditorium and is FREE, open to the public with FREE parking. More information about these events can be found at:
http://www.hawaii.edu/asiaref/japan/event2013/Index.htm

Also, you can view this flyer for all the details about these exciting events, including the registration information for the symposium on Monday, February 11.

These events are sponsored by UHM Outreach College, Center for Okinawan Studies, Center for Japanese Studies, Department of Art & Art History, Department of History, National Museum of Japanese History (Japan), The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Japan) and UHM Library.

The Fall 2012 semester has whizzed by.  Here are some of the things that the Center for Okinawan Studies has done this semester:

The Center for Okinawan Studies again participated in the Hawaii United Okinawa Association’s Okinawan Festival.  The festival took place on September 1 & 2 at Kapiolani Park.  With the kokua of our wonderful volunteers for COS, we were able to promote the center and sell some UH Press books related to Okinawan Studies.  The book sales were quite brisk and successful, as thousands of people passed by our table in the Cultural Tent over the course of the two days.

COS continued its lecture series this semester beginning with a talk by UHM Professor Emeritus Kyoko Hijirida and Mr. Grant “Sandaa” Murata about the Okinawan language.  On September 18, the presentation titled “Shimakutuba nu Hi” was given to coincide with “Shimakutuba no Hi” (Ryukyuan Language(s) Day) in Okinawa, which celebrates the native languages of Okinawa Prefecture.   Professor Hijirida and Sandaa Sensei told stories in the Okinawan language (Uchinaaguchi) and gave people a chance to hear what the Okinawan language sounds like.  Sandaa Sensei also treated the audience to the sounds of the sanshin.

Then, on October 23, “Okinawa as Your Classroom: University of the Ryukyus Exchange Programs” focused on the exchange programs between UH and the University of the Ryukyus (also known as Ryūdai).  This session gave attendees information about the exchange programs in hope of encouraging more students to take advantage of the programs.  Two representatives (Professors Kyoko Ashihara and Yoshino Yamamoto) who teach the Japanese classes for foreign students at Ryūdai, along with Ms. Sara Balder of the UH Mānoa International Exchange (MIX) Office, gave presentations about the programs with regards to their respective universities.  Also, students who went through these programs shared their valuable experiences with the audience.

In November, there were two talks sponsored by COS.  On November 14, Dr. Jayson Chun of UH West O‘ahu gave a talk titled “Introduction to Okinawan Pop.”  He discussed the role of Okinawa in Japan’s popular culture and the audience was introduced to videos of prominent Okinawan singers in the world of J-Pop.  On November 16, COS was one of the co-sponsors for the talk by Ryūdai Professor Katsunori Yamazato titled “The Resurgence of Okinawan Language Through Contemporary Okinawan Literature.” This presentation was part of the UHM Colleges of Arts & Sciences and the Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Lecturer Series.  Professor Yamazato talked about some of the ways in which contemporary Okinawan literature has played a role in the revitalization of the Okinawan language and the current situation regarding the language.

The Spring 2013 is looking exciting as well, with a symposium/exhibition about processions during the Edo period being held in February, of which COS is one of the co-sponsors.  Other events are being finalized and will be announced shortly.

An exciting joint international events will be on UHM campus.

Speaker profiles, paper abstracts, schedule, & related events, please see
Symposium web site: http://www.hawaii.edu/asiaref/japan/event2013/Index.htm#symposium
Related link: http://guides.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/symposium

A public lecture “Discovering Historical Parades and Processions from China, Korea, and the Ryukyus during Edo Period.” February 10 (Sunday), 2013, Open to all, Free Parking. At the Center for Korean Studies Auditorium.

The Exhibit “Picturing the Ryukyus: Images of Okinawa in Japanese Artworks from the UH Sakamaki/Hawley Collection.” February 7-22, 2013. UHM Commons Gallery.

The symposium “Interpreting Parades and Processions of Edo Japan: History, Culture, and Foreign Relations,” will be held on February 11, 2013. Open to all, at the Center for Korean Studies Auditorium. Please register below.

The online symposium registration is now open. Please fill out before your winter vacation.
https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=vx3kdWpP9qXdl9CAhGDYYA

Speakers:

Dr. Hiroshi Kurushima, Professor, National Museum of Japanese History
“Interpreting Early Modern Japanese Society as ‘the Age of Parade’ Yields a New Image of Early Modern Society”

Dr. Gregory Smits, Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University
“Making a Good Impression: Cultural Drama in the Ryukyu-China Relationship”

Dr. Manabu Yokoyama, Professor, Notre Dame Seishin University
“Two Kinds of Ryukyuan Embassy Procession Scrolls from the Sakamaki/Hawley Collection”

Mr. Travis Seifman, PhD student, University of California Santa Barbara
“Ryukyuan Embassy Processions: A 1710 Edo Nobori Scroll from the Sakamaki/Hawley Collection”

Dr. John Szostak, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Dept of Art and Art History
“Picturing the Ryukyus: Ideas Behind the Exhibition”

Dr. Mark McNally, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Dept of History & the Symposium Discussant
“Edo on the Move: Parades and Processions in Early Modern Japan