Team

Edward Heinrich Sanchez

Chair, Chief Navigator

Leads the NPO法人 from Onna/Uruma. Resident-registration name: Edward Heinrich Sanchez (エドワードハインリックサンチェス). Long-standing organizer in marine conservation and international outreach.

Coordinates governance, legal paperwork with Okinawa Prefecture NPO Plaza and the Legal Affairs Bureau, and external partner meetings.

Focus includes transparent operations, Reiwa 8 relaunch planning, and legacy clean-beach and ocean-culture programs through local collaboration.

Projects

• Overall strategy
• I ♥ Okinawa Campaign
• Adopt-a-Beach/Reef
• Transition & Governance

Dr. Fabienne Ziadi-Künzli

OIST marine scientist

OIST marine scientist leading shark and ray conservation in Okinawa, including contributions to Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs).

Dr. Ziadi-Kunzli supports NPO法人 沖縄O.C.E.A.N.'s marine science direction with emphasis on resilience, fisheries interfaces, and shark-related education and conservation.

She is preparing shark-focused project proposals and scientific communication for board discussion and voting.

Projects

• Marine fauna research & monitoring
• ISRAs
• Shark conservation
• School outreach.

Kenji Ishikawa

Director, 2nd Vice Chair

Former JASDF Warrant Officer and long-time clean beach collaborator based in Uruma City.

Born in Niigata and now living in Ishikawa, Uruma, Kenji joined the Japan Air Self-Defense Force after high school, served until 2007, and finished as a Warrant Officer.

His service included radar operations in missile units and later staff leadership responsibilities. After retirement, he worked as a boiler technician at Onna Sub-Base until 2025.

He has completed 40 full marathons and has taught kendo to children at the police academy for around 30 years. He rejoined Edo Heinrich-Sanchez’s activities to support the current relaunch.

Projects

• Board operations
• Community engagement
• Clean beach support

Akiko Taminato

Director

Director supporting community-facing activities and governance continuity.
Akiko is active in the navigator lineup and contributes to stable board operations after the March 2026 General Assembly.
She is associated with youth and community support streams discussed in the assembly agenda, including Mermaid Mama related reporting.

Projects

• Community support
• Mermaid Mama coordination support
• Board transition

Rumi Shoji

Director

Director supporting project development and collaboration building.
Rumi signed oath and residency paperwork and has contributed to partner introductions, including marina-connected collaboration proposals.
She is linked to sea turtle-related programming and external project connection efforts in upcoming planning cycles.

Projects

• Sea turtle project introduction
• External partnerships
• Board transition.

Shin Shiroma

Director, Platero Shop

Director navigator associated with Platero Shop and current board relaunch activities.

Shin signed oath and residency paperwork and supports the relaunch as governance and program groups take shape.

Projects

• Board transition support
• Community collaboration

Kazuko Aoki

Director / Tokyo (remote)

Director based in Tokyo; participates remotely and on Okinawa visits.

Based in Tokyo, Kazuko stays connected between visits and meets colleagues in person when work brings her to Okinawa.

She helps keep governance steady and strengthen partnerships that link Tokyo and Okinawa.

Projects

• Remote governance support
• Network development

Miguel Da Luz

Secretary-General

Karate researcher, author, editor, and multilingual cultural bridge based in Okinawa since 1993.

Born in France and based in Naha, Miguel has spent over three decades promoting Okinawan karate research, documentation, and international exchange.

He founded the Okinawa Traditional Karate Liaison Bureau, co-managed the Okinawa Karate Information Center, and since 2017 contributes as columnist to the Okinawa Times newspaper. He also founded/edited Okinawa Karate News and the multilingual magazine THE OKINAWAN.

Fluent in French, English, Japanese, and Spanish, he supports international coordination, translation, and institutional communication as Secretary-General.

Projects

• Secretariat planning
• Intercultural communications
• Profile and documentation support

Steve Nakamura

Auditor

Auditor (remote participation). Born and raised in Okinawa; focused on accountability and practical support.

The auditor role does not carry board voting rights. Steve offers local perspective and oversight as operations restabilize.

Projects

• Audit
• Oversight

Rina Ishikawa

Vice Chair

Coordinates bento logistics and youth-food implementation; serves as 1st Vice Chair.

Rina supports meal ordering and practical event logistics across meetings and assemblies, including bento coordination for shared lunch blocks.

She is a key operator in Mermaid Mama and ZERO HUNGER linked workstreams that bridge food-loss reduction and support for children.る。

Projects

• Mermaid Mama operations
• Event logistics
• Youth meal coordination

Kanna Sueyoshi

Director

Freelance Announcer, MC, Stage Reader, and Organizer of Voice of Yoga
Event Planning and Production

Projects

• Mermaid Mama operations
• Youth meal coordination

Andrew Bruhacs

AI Navigator · Advisor

AI advisor supporting website architecture, digital flow, and content systems.

Andrew is leading web and AI-related implementation for the organization, including website structure, profile integration, and project communication.

He also participates in OIST-linked AI discussions around Uchinaguchi data applications and bridge-building between research and local initiatives.

Projects

• Website relaunch
• Digital & content

Kenneth Edward “Kenny” Ehman

Co-founder · Special Advisor

Co-founder and special advisor; co-operator of AkaChichi Guest House in Maeda, Onna.

Kenny joined the special advisor lineup alongside Eibo. He contributes strategic support and community partnership potential through hospitality and local network ties.

Projects

• Strategic advising
• Hospitality partnerships
• Community collaboration

Shinako Oyakawa

Special Advisor · Ryukyuan Language & Culture

Special Advisor for Ryukyuan Language and Culture; educator, researcher, and public commentator.

Shinako Oyakawa (born 1981, Okinawa City) is a part-time lecturer at Okinawa University, Representative Director of Mattaraa, founder of Office Weegaa, and co-chair within ACSILs.

Her work focuses on Indigenous language revitalization, decolonization, and demilitarization, helping ground NPO法人 沖縄O.C.E.A.N. activities in local cultural and linguistic context.

Projects

• Ryukyuan language and culture advisory
• Education content.

Shingo Miyake

Advisor (remote)

Remote advisor in Trinidad & Tobago; contributes translation and governance-document support (including by-laws), with a UN/ILO labour-policy background.

Shingo currently lives in Trinidad and Tobago and works with the United Nations system through the International Labour Organization (ILO), supporting Caribbean countries in improving labour and employment legislation.

He has previously lived in Switzerland (Geneva), the Philippines, and Indonesia.

His contributions include translation support and review of governance documents such as by-laws and related constitutional text. He plans to continue assisting in ways that are useful from overseas.

Projects

• Remote advisory
• Translation
• By-law and governance-document support

Eisaku “Eibo” Tawata

Co-founder · Special Advisor

Long-term co-founder and special advisor supporting continuity and institutional memory.

Eisaku "Eibo" Tawata remains a key continuity figure in the organization, advising the current relaunch team and preserving the historical thread from earlier NPO法人 沖縄O.C.E.A.N. phases.

Projects

• Founding advisory
• Strategic continuity.

Tomokazu Gushikami

Transition Coordinator · President, Naha Clean Beach Club

Transition Coordinator and President of Naha Clean Beach Club, active in coastal cleanups since 1999.

Gushikami became involved through Okinawa International Clean Beach Club in the 1990s and established NCBC for volunteers in Naha and southern Okinawa.

He has served as a key transition liaison—working with municipalities and the prefecture, coordinating careful handover of legal records, and keeping continuity clear through the relaunch.

Projects

• Transition
• Naha cleanups
• OCCN coordination

Katsumi Yamashiro

Transition Arbiter · CEO Iejima-Kanko.com

Transition arbiter who supported organizational continuity and governance stabilization.
Katsumi helped steady the organization through a difficult leadership transition and remains a trusted advisor for orderly change and sound governance.

Projects

• Governance
• Transition arbitration.