Ryukyu Islands

More than 50 US and Japanese warplanes flew over waters off Japan this week amid rising tensions with China and Russia

The Shuri Palace, which is part of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, has burned almost completely in a big fire that broke out that night, world agencies have reported.

20 firefighting teams are involved in the extinguishing of the fire. The castle is not inhabited and there have been no reports of any injuries. Police officers are investigating the cause of the fire.

The Japanese Embassy in Athens presents Tokyo's Izena Folk Theater, a professional dance company dedicated to introducing the culture and traditions of the Amami and Ryukyu islands to the world. The ensemble performs two shows at the Athens Concert Hall on Monday and Tuesday that illustrate the regions' cultural wealth. Shows start at 8 p.m. and tickets cost 10 and 15 euros.

Fallen window from a US military helicopter injured a child in a Japanese school, Associated Press reported.

BELGRADE - The Japanese dance company "Izena no kai" will perform at the National Theater in Belgrade, the Japanese Embassy in Belgrade announced Tuesday.

"Izena no kai" was founded in 1988.

Since then, they have performed many times in Japan and around the world, always bringing the atmosphere of Okinawa and the Amami Islands onto the stage.

A tribute of BBC travel to underwater cities refers to the 5,000-year-old Pavlopetri submerged city located in southern Greece’s Peloponnese region.

The governor of Okinawa said on Sept.14 he will revoke approval for work on a US air base in southern Japan, in the latest setback to the controversial plan.

A U.S. military helicopter crashed in waters off the Japanese southern island of Okinawa during a training mission on Aug. 12, injuring six people and prompting Japan?s government to demand a probe and steps to prevent a recurrence. 

Japan said on August 4 it was suspending construction of a contentious U.S. air base on the island of Okinawa for a month to give time for talks between the central government and island authorities opposed to the facility. 

Oscar-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki on May 13 threw his weight behind a fund aimed at blocking a controversial plan to move a U.S. military base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.