Japan's new 'girl band', average age 84 They joke about knocking on heaven’s door, but a Japanese ‘girl band’ with an average age of 84 have struck a blow for grannies everywhere by becoming pop idols. Hailing from the remote, coral-fringed island of Kohama in Okinawa, KBG84 – a play on the name of saccharine teeny boppers AKB48 – admit to being slightly bemused by their success after cutting their first disc and completing a sellout Japan tour. “When I first heard someone call us ‘idols’ I thought an idol meant someone who had lived a long life and was at the gates of heaven,” pint-sized diva Tomi Menaka, 92, told AFP in a herb garden overlooking Kohama’s turquoise sea. “But in Tokyo they told me it was an entertainer – which was a relief because I thought it meant I was on my way to heaven,” she added, picking up steam as her fellow group members collapsed in fits of giggles. “Going to Tokyo for the first time, I thought I was so lucky to be born. “I look after my health by cleaning my home, wiping the floors, steaming rice.
Amazing Secret Islands Around the World (PHOTOS) | The Weather Channel Upgrade now! Don't miss out on a better weather.com. We no longer support this version of the browser. Please upgrade to ensure you get the best weather.com experience possible. Have questions? Travel Amazing Secret Islands Around the World (PHOTOS) By Simone M. Aug 21 2015 12:00 AM EDT weather.com Koh Lipe, Thailand 1 of 37 Advertisement Koh Lipe is one of Thailand's tiniest islands. Memory of the Camps (1985) Sixty years ago, in the spring of 1945, Allied forces liberating Europe found evidence of atrocities which have tortured the world's conscience ever since. As the troops entered the German concentration camps, they made a systematic film record of what they saw. Work began in the summer of 1945 on the documentary, but the film was left unfinished. FRONTLINE found it stored in a vault of London's Imperial War Museum and, in 1985, broadcast it for the first time using the title the Imperial War Museum gave it, 'Memory of the Camps. You may have heard the news that the world will soon see "Alfred Hitchcock's unseen Holocaust documentary." That intriguing sounding announcement belies a more complicated reality.
expresses solidarity with Japan as fire rips through World Heritage site in Okinawa UNESCO offers its sincere solidarity with the people of Japan, and in particular the residents of Okinawa, who have lost a cultural and historical symbol of the Ryukyu islands. UNESCO stands ready to assist the authorities as needed. In the early morning hours of 31 October, a number of buildings, including Shuri Castle of the World Heritage site of “Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu” (Japan) were damaged by a large fire. Damaged buildings, including three main halls, were reconstructed after World War II, as they were previously destroyed during the war. This UNESCO World Heritage site represents 500 years of Ryukyuan history (12th-17th century) in a group of sites and monuments.
Artist Crafts Incredible Japanese Dragon Sculpture out of Palm Tree In Uruma, a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, there’s an annual arts festival called The Shimadakara (meaning “island treasure”) that celebrates the artists and crafters of Japan’s southern islands. Each year, people showcase their talents by creating works that are often made from natural materials found in their local environment. One creation in particular stood out during this year’s festivities—a huge dragon sculpture crafted by Japanese artist and designer Ayako. Titled Ryu Miyagi, the giant sculpture is made from wood and straw sourced from Chinese fan palm. An Okinawa local known as Shiromadara (@oogomadara) recently posted images of the striking sculpture on Twitter, revealing how incredibly detailed it really is. You can find out much more about The Shimadakara arts festival on their website. This incredible Japanese dragon sculpture was created by artist Ayako for The Shimadakara arts festival in Okinawa. h/t: [Design You Trust] All images via shiromadara.
The women saving Japan's vanishing cuisine "This was the food of our ancestors," Miyaguni says, slicing into a pimply green bitter gourd called goya and tossing it into a small mixing bowl along with tofu, eggs and pork to make a traditional style of stir fry called champaru. Meaning "to mix together", champaru dishes are often considered the spirit of Okinawa because they reflect the islands' diverse influences. "By cooking this way," Miyaguni continued, "we honour their [memories] and keep this ancient culture alive." As with traditional Japanese cuisine on the mainland, Ryukyuan food is rooted in locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. "Ryukyuan cuisine is not colourful, so using these plates and lacquerware helped make the food look more vivid," Miyaguni explained, pointing to the fire engine-red tundabuncontaining each dish on the table.