Festival marks starting of bathing season on Okinawa island

Festival marks starting of bathing season on Okinawa island

NAHA, Japan - Children and adults frolic on the Miyasato beach of Kuroshima, an island in the Yaeyama chain in Okinawa Prefecture, during a festival on March 23 to mark the start the bathing season. The day's high temperature was around 22 C as islanders waded into the water with offerings of fruit and vegetables to pray for protection from accidents. Kuroshima has a population 200 and a thriving cattle breeding industry.

Restoration completed at Nagasaki church

Restoration completed at Nagasaki church

A mass is held on Feb. 23, 2021, at Kuroshima Church on a remote island in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. The church standing in the World Heritage-listed "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region" held the mass to mark the completion of its restoration.

Restoration completed at Nagasaki church

Restoration completed at Nagasaki church

Photo taken Feb. 23, 2021, shows Kuroshima Church on a remote island in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The church standing in the World Heritage-listed "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region" held a mass the same day to mark the completion of its restoration.

Woman co-authors book to help save Japan's small soy sauce brewers

Woman co-authors book to help save Japan's small soy sauce brewers

Keiko Kuroshima, a designer who also describes herself as a "soy sauce sommelier," poses in front of wooden brewing barrels with her co-authored book, which introduces small soy sauce breweries across Japan, in her hometown of Shodoshima, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, on May 20, 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Festival marks starting of bathing season on Okinawa island

Festival marks starting of bathing season on Okinawa island

NAHA, Japan - Children and adults frolic on the Miyasato beach of Kuroshima, an island in the Yaeyama chain in Okinawa Prefecture, during a festival on March 23 to mark the start the bathing season. The day's high temperature was around 22 C as islanders waded into the water with offerings of fruit and vegetables to pray for protection from accidents. Kuroshima has a population 200 and a thriving cattle breeding industry. (Kyodo)