Okinawa info.

Okinawa info.: May 2005

Monday, May 09, 2005

Okinawa shipwreck


USS Emmons
The only known shipwreck off Okinawa that exisits to this day.

On picket duty off Iheya Jima in April 1945 as part of Operation Iceberg. It was a survivor of Operation Overlord and Operation dragoon in France prior to Its duties in Okinawa as a minesweeper. At 1630 On April 6th 1945 while assisting its sister ship, the burning USS Rodman, the Emmons was hit by five Kamikaze planes from the Japanese strike force in less than two minutes With the stern smashed and most of the superstructure gone, it drifted towards Kouri Jima where it was purposely sunk with ninety-six 5 inch rounds from the USS Ellyson. Of the 254 members of the crew, fifty were killed or missing in action and sixty-five were wounded.

The ship had three diffferent armament configurations, two as destroyer and her final configuration as high speed minesweeper in 1944. with 7 x 20mm. Six side-throwing "K" guns had replaced the "Y" gun. 3 x 5"/38. 5 x 21" torpedoes, 2 x twin 40mm mounts.

You can view more pictures of the USS Emmons at Fathoms diving.

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Typhoon condition's explained

TCCOR 4: Destructive winds of 50 knots or greater are possible within 72 hours. TCCOR 4 will be continuously in effect as a minimum condition of readiness from 1 June to 30 November annually. Now is the time to stock-up on food and Typhoon Supplies.

TCCOR 3: Destructive winds of 50 knots or greater are possible within 48 hours. Initiate a general cleanup around homes and office.

TCCOR 2: Destructive winds of 50 knots or greater are anticipated within 24 hours. Remove or secure all outside items.

TCCOR 1: Destructive winds of 50 knots or greater are anticipated within 12 hours. No school for DoDDS students. Staff and teachers will work normal hours, unless changed by DoDDS superintendent. Fill any containers you can use for water storage. If you live in low lying quarters, make arrangements to stay with a friend. Make final check of food and other supplies.

TCCOR 1 Caution: Destructive winds of 50 knots or greater are anticipated within 12 hours. Actual winds are 34-49 knots. All nonessential personnel will be released to their quarters at this time. DoDDS schools will close at this time. Staff and teachers return home or remain home. Base exchange, shops, Commissary, Shoppettes, Gas Station, Services facilities, Clubs, Restaurants, Recreational Facilities and Post Office will close. Movement about the base should be kept to a minimum. SFS will enforce "essential vehicles only"policy.(Reference Base O-Plan 32-1 "Base Disaster Operations Plan)

TCCOR 1 Emergency: Actual winds of 50 knots or greater. All outside activity is prohibited.

TCCOR 1 Recovery: Destructive winds of 50 knots are no longer occurring. Actual winds are 34-49 knots. Nonessential functions remain closed unless directed by the commander. All but emergency essential personnel remain in their quarters.

Storm Watch: The typhoon is moving away but the base is still feeling some effects. Hazardous conditions may exist due to storm damage. In some cases the storm could return to Okinawa, so stay alert. All military and civilian personnel will return to work within 2 hours or at normal duty hours unless otherwise instructed by their commander. The Commissary and BX will resume operations, unless directed otherwise by the installation commander.

All Clear: Hazardous conditions and winds are no longer present. Return to normal duties. All Clear is announced when all hazards have been cleared. DoDDS teachers, staff and students will return to school during normal hours. From June 1st to November 30th Okinawa will return to TCCOR 4.

NOTE: The wind speeds shown above for each TCCOR serve as a guide for decision making. The final decision on TCCOR declaration rests with the Commander, 18th Wing based on wind speed, weather forecast, safety and operational and mission concerns.

Source: Okinawa Area Coordinator Joint Standing Operating Procedure (JSOP) for Natural Disasters

Tuesday, May 03, 2005


The names of everyone who died in the Battle of Okinawa, regardless of nationality, are engraved on tablets in Itoman City. One hundred and sixteen tablets stand at Peace Prayer Park to commemorate the lives lost in the battle. More than 220,000 people lost their lives in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, more than 100,000 were civilians.

The Zakimi Castle overlooks the western coast of Okinawa and was erected in the 15th century by Gosamaru, the lord of Zakimi.

The 2nd Okinawa International Conference of Longevity - Home

The 2nd Okinawa International Conference of Longevity - Home: "'Okinawa
Longevity/Ageing is uniquely a celebration of life'!"

Okinawa is known throughout
Japan as Longevity Islands

Okinawa Official Statistical
Data in Japan

Has the highest rate of living centenarians per 100,000 population.

Has the lowest death rates from top 3 killer diseases: cancer, heart disease and CVA.

Has the highest life expectancy for both male and female 65 years old and older.

Okinawan female has the highest life expectancy in all age categories: 0,20,40,65 years old and older, ranked # 1 in all of Japan.

May 8 was day for goya - JapanUpdate.com

May 8 was day for goya - JapanUpdate.com

May 8 is known in Okinawa as a day honoring goya (go - five, ya - eight), a well-known and essential ingredient in Okinawan diet, especially during summer time. Goya is a vegetable that has been attributed with many advantages to human health. It has been a part of Okinawan culture for a long time.

The vegetable is called 'goya' in Okinawan dialect. In Japanese it is 'nigauri,' and it's English name is bittermelon, and that about sums up its taste. It is bitter to the extent that some people find it impossible to eat, and definitely can be called an acquired taste. With its gaudy green appearance and wart-like skin that resembles Gozilla's back, goya might not sit well for many non-Okinawans, including Japanese.

According to Okinawa Fruits and Vegetable Growers' Union, Goya accounts for the biggest cash crop in the prefecture. No less than 89.5 tons of this bitter vegetable was sold in the prefecture last year. And although the value of the crop was down from a year before due to a lower price, the goya still tops the statistics in value.

A mature-size goya, contains approximately 120mg of Vitamin C, equal to almost three times in a lemon and 260mg of potassium, four times the amount found in green tea. As apples keep the doctor away in the western world, goya keeps the cold away from Okinawans during summer. Even more remarkable about this green veggie, which usually measures up to 20-30 centimeters in length and 4-6 centimeters in diameter, is that its content is believed to not only lower blood pressure but blood sugar levels as well.

Goya is one of the staples in Okinawan diet. Most people eat this vegetable as a stir-fried dish mixed with egg, tofu, other vegetables, slices of pork meat, and almost anything else. The dish is called 'champuru.' Okinawan people say that they cannot stop eating this vegetable just because of its bitter taste. It may take several times before one learns to like the taste, but it is unforgettable. Mixing it with eggs can soften some of the bitterness.