Regardless of whether or not they are out at work, Tokyo’s lesbians and gays come out by the thousands to the Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival every summer. And they are not alone, with straight movie lovers joining as well. The awkwardly abbreviated TILGFF, celebrating its 18th year of bringing queer-themed films to Tokyo, is spread over two weekends: July 10-12 at Shinjuku’s Wald 9 cinema and July 16-20 at Aoyama’s Spiral Hall.
Having long ago eschewed the theme- driven film festival model because it’s “too limiting,” the film selection committee aims to bring films that…

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Compiled by Ainslee S. Wittig/Arizona Range News Richard Seidel of Willcox wrote “okinawa Remembered” and dedicated it to Clifford “Drano” Shanafelt, “the best foxhole buddy in the world,” who passed away two years ago.

Money, maintenance and infrastructure are issues confronting both the Guam and okinawa governors, as they discovered at meetings during Felix P. Camacho’s visit to okinawa.

Following are some readers’ responses to Nicholas Drapier’s June 2 Zeit Gist article “Something to sing about?”:
Mr. Drapier’s argument seems to be that the Meiji Era government introduced “Kimigayo” as the national anthem and that people never really had a say in the matter. After defeat in 1945, “Kimigayo” became controversial because for many Okinawan it represented militarism and war.

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HONOLULU — The next few months will be crucial for okinawa’s defense and security policies. The National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG), which outline the framework for national security policy, are due by yearend. This in turn provides the foundation for the Mid-Term Defense Program, which translates that outline into specific programs and purchases.
The NDPG is being prepared at a particularly sensitive time as okinawa (like the rest of the world) reels under the threat of North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests and tries to make sense of China’s military modernization effort. Hanging over…

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NAHA, okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) This year’s rainy season in the okinawa area appears to have ended, five days later than usual and 11 days later than last year, meteorological officials said Sunday. The season began in the area May 18 and lasted 41 days, the okinawa Meteorological Observatory said. Read the full story

1st Lt. Rob Gerdes strains to complete 12 handstand push-ups Tuesday as part of his workout at CrossFit Asia, a gym in okinawa City. The workout consisted of three sets of a 400-meter dash, 21 kettle-bell lifts and 12 handstand push-ups. Gerdes finished in 10 minutes, 9 seconds.

Guests will find all of the finest amenities in each of the 195 rooms in this popular 4-star hotelEach room includes telephone, air conditioning, television, private safe, tea/coffeemaker.City transfers, cocktail lounge, dry cleaning and laundry, room service, business center are some of the extra comforts you’ll find at this okinawa hotel.After a day of work or exploring, outdoor pool, water sports are some of the ways to unwind.With its commitment to service and focus on hospitality, you’ll enjoy your stay at Moonbeach Hotel.Making an booking at Moonbeach Hotel okinawa is easy with our secure online form; just enter your dates and click.

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okinawa is a sub-tropical island in southern Japan. James Knott explores the geography, history, people and culture of this unique place in a series of podcasts. Tune in, learn, and enjoy!!!

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