沖縄伝統空手総合案内ビューロー
what's new
Opening of the Okinawa Karate Information Center
2017.06.14
The Okinawa Karate Information Center was opened within the Okinawa Karate Kaikan in May 2017.
Supervised by the Karate promotion division of the Okinawa Prefecture Government, this center is managed by the Okinawa Dento Karatedo Shinkokai.
From now on, it should handle inquiries regarding Okinawa karate and requests for training in Okinawa.
Official website: okic.okinawa
Email: info@okic.okinawa
Temporary phone: +81-98-851-3707 (Shinkōkai).
Karate events in Okinawa for May 2017
2017.05.02
Here are the major karate related events planned in Okinawa for May 2017.
13th Youth Karate Tournament
Date: May 7
Venue: Okinawa Pref. Budokan
Organizer: Okinawa Prefecture Karatedo Federation
Naha JHS tournament
Date: May 13
Venue: Okinawa Pref. Budokan
Organizer: Okinawa Pref. JHS Federation
Sport Youth Exchange Tournament
Date: May 20
Venue: Okinawa Pref. Budokan
Organizer: Okinawa Prefecture Athletic Association
Japan Seminar 2017 Spring Seminar
Dates: May 28-29
Venue: Tomari Kaikan
Organizer: Okinawa Karatedo Musokai
Pref. SHS tournament
Dates: May 27-29
Venue: Yomei SHS, Urasoe City
Organizer: Okinawa Pref. SHS Federation
All Okinawa Karatedo Tounament
Date: May 28
Venue: Ginowan Municipal Gymnasium
Organizer: Ryukyu Byakuren
Note that the karate bureau doesn't endorse these events.
They are announced as a source of information only.
According to the event, there might be or not an entrance fee.
For more details, please contact directly the organizers.
If you wish to ad an event, please let us know.
(Source: Okinawa Karate News)
Karate events in Okinawa for April 2017
2017.04.05
Here are the major karate related events planned in Okinawa for April 2017.
Pref. JHS Spring tournament
Date: April 15
Venue: Gushikawa Gymnasium, Uruma City
Organizer: Okinawa Pref. JHS Federation
Kobudo seminar
Dates: April 15-17
Venue: Okinawa Prefectural Budokan
Organizer: Ryukyu Kobudo Tesshinkan Association
Exchange training
Date: April 17
Venue: Maehara Community Center, Ginowan City
Organizer: Okinawa Kenpo Karate Association
International Exchange Karate demonstration
Date: April 22
Venue: Okinawa Karate Kaikan
Organizer: Okinawa Deigo Unesco Association
Pref. SHS Spring tournament
Date: April 22
Venue: Kadena SHS, Kadena Town
Organizer: Okinawa Pref. SHS Federation
Okinawa university student tournament
Date: April 29
Venue: Okinawa Prefectural Budokan
Organizer: Okinawa Pref. University student Federation
Note that the karate bureau doesn't endorse these events.
They are announced as a source of information only.
According to the event, there might be or not an entrance fee.
For more details, please contact directly the organizers.
If you wish to ad an event, please let us know.
(Source: Okinawa Karate News)
Donation collection for the statue of Uechi Kanbun sensei
2017.03.15
A project of raising a statue of the founder of Uechi-ryu Uechi Kanbun sensei is under way. The executive committee led by 4th Sōke Uechi Sadanao sensei is collecting donations in order to support the project.
Outline of the projet
Construction site: Yaedake Sakura no Mori - Cherry Blossom Park, in Motobu Town. This is the birthplace of Uechi Kanbun sensei.
Cost: 9,000,000 yen (statue and pedestal)
Size of the statue: Approximately 1.8 meters (with the pedestal, almost 3 meters high)
Unveiling ceremony: October 29, 2017 (Sunday)
Supports: Motobu Town, etc.
If you are a member dojo of an Okinawan organization, contact your headquarters directly.
For individuals, donations are accepted from 100,000 yen. For this, an inscription will be inscribed on the monument.
Payment: The Bank of the Ryukyus – SWIFT code: RYUBJPJZ – Bank code: 0187 – Futenma branch – Account number: 655272 – Account holder: Uechi Sadanao
Deadline: April 30, 2017
Contact: uechiryu2017@gmail.com
(Motobu Park photo credit: Daniel López)
Website of the Okinawa Karate Kaikan
2017.02.27
The official website of the Okinawa Karate Kaikan has been launched.
Passing of Nakamura Yoshio sensei
2017.02.14
Hanshi 10th dan Nakamura Yoshio sensei passed away on February 10th. Born in 1916, he was one of the eldest karate masters on Okinawa who studied under masters Gusukuma (Shiroma) Shinpan and Higa Yūchoku. He opened his dojo Enbukan in 1975 and chaired the Zen Okinawa Karatedō Federation from 2003-2005. May he rest in peace.
Karate events in Okinawa for February 2017
2017.02.03
Here are the major karate related events planned in Okinawa for February 2017.
6th School Karatedo Demonstration
Dates: February 3
Venue: Tomigusuku City Gymnasium
Organizer: Okinawa Shogaku
Senior High School Spring Tournament
Date: Feb. 4-5
Venue: Urasoe City
Organizer: Okinawa Pref. SHS Federation
8th Tomigusuku City Tournament
Date: Feb. 5
Venue: Tomigusuku City Gymnasium, Tomigusuku City
Organizer: Tomigusuku City Athletics Association
All Okinawa Karate Kobudo Tournament
Date: February 12
Venue: Okinawa International University, Ginowan City
Organizer: Okinawa Karate Kobudo Federation
Okinawa City Cultural Festival and Karate Kobudo Demonstration
Date: February 12
Venue: Municipal Small Theater Ashibina, Okinawa City
Organizer: Okinawa City Cultural Association
1st Senior High School Karatedo Demonstration
Dates: February 17
Venue: Okinawa Pref. Budokan, Naha City
Organizer: Okinawa Shogaku
4th Okinawa Pref. Uechi-ryu Youth Tournament
Date: Feb. 25
Venue: Kadena Junior High School, Kadena Town
Organizer: Executive committee
Note that the karate bureau doesn’t endorse these events.
They are announced as a source of information only.
According to the event, there might be or not an entrance fee.
For more details, please contact directly the organizers.
If you wish to add an event, please let us know.
(Source: Okinawa Karate News)
1st Okinawa karate international tournament in 2018
2017.01.18
On January 16th, 2017, a general meeting between the Okinawa Prefecture Government and karate authorities on Okinawa was held in Naha City. It was announced that the "1st Okinawa karate international tournament" will be held August 1-8, 2018 in Okinawa. Competitions will be Okinawa traditional karate kata and kobudo kata. Other related events will be planned.
An official website should be launched soon.
At the moment, our karate bureau is not directly involved with the organization of this event. For more info, please contact directly the Okinawa Prefecture through this page mentioning the word karate in the subject line. Doing so, your mail will be transfer to the Karate promotion division.
We hope to see you in Okinawa in the summer of 2018!
New year greetings for 2017, year of the rooster
2017.01.11
The year of the rooster - Tori-doshi in Japanese - promises to be a great one for Okinawa with especially the Okinawa Karate Kaikan opening March 4th.
In the past, this zodiac year brought some auspicious and less lucky events… In this way, the unification of Ryukyu by King Sho Hashi and the relative peace that followed, and the invasion of the kingdom by the Satsuma clan occurred respectively in 1429 and 1609, two years of the rooster.
While the years of the cock 1897 and 1917 gave respectively birth to kobudo master Taira Shinken 120 years ago and Goju-ryu master Toguchi Seikichi 100 years ago, 1945, another year of the rooster, took away many legendary figures of karate like Kyan Chotoku, Hanashiro Chomo, Shinzato Jinan, etc.
Looking at past Tori-doshi, it also seems that some Okinawan masters are more “cock” than others...
Uechi Kanbun sensei was born in Motobu in the north of Okinawa 140 years ago in 1877, not a year of the cock. However, 1897 when he traveled to China learning what would later become Uechi-ryu and 1909, the year he came back to Okinawa are both years of the cock! A monument in memory of the master is in preparation and should be raised this year in Motobu Town.
Chibana Choshin sensei was born in 1885 and passed away in 1969, two years of the cock! He named his style “Shorin-ryu” in 1933, also a year of the rooster.
Nagamine Shoshin sensei wasn’t born under the rooster sign, however 2017 will definitely be a year during which the master should be remembered and commemorated. Indeed, he was born 110 years ago in 1907, named his style “Matsubayashi-ryu” 70 years in 1947 and passed away 20 years ago in 1997. Hopefully, we can expect a commemorative event in 2017 gathering his followers from around the globe.
As for the bureau last year, we helped and supported 220 people in regards to Okinawa karate and kobudo. With the numbers for previous years being 21 (2012), 78 (2013), 134 (2014), and 168 (2015), that’s a total of 621 people in 5 years of activities.
Looking closely at the Kaikan’s development, we will act accordingly to furthermore support Okinawa karate and its many worldwide enthusiasts.
World Tournament in the summer of 2018
2016.12.31
After the 1995, 1997, 2003, and 2009 editions, the World Tournament for Okinawa traditional karate and kobudo will be held in the summer of 2018. An executive committee will be established mid-January 2017 and the official dates of the event should be announced. An official website should also be launched by the end of Japanese fiscal year, that is to say March 2017. One of the new features of this event is the “per style” karate kata tournament.
More details will come soon but you can plan your trip to Okinawa for either July or August 2018!
Source: Article published in issue 127 of Okinawa Karate News