Woman of the year announcement

Congratulations Nosho Sensei!

I would like to announce that Master sensei of 

the Miyagi Ryu Nosho-kai Ryukyu Dance and Music School received 

the woman of the year award 2012.

Here is related article of Rafu Shimpo. 

ウーマン・オブ・ザ・イヤー：日系女性功労者５人表彰

受賞を糧に一層の社会貢献

• Share
• Email
• Print

Tue, May 22 2012 | 0 Comments

ウーマン・オブ・ザ・イヤー賞に輝いた（前列左から）野口さん、上村さん、宮城さん、菊池さん、景山さん。後列左が生田博子・南加日系婦人会会長とジョージ・キタＪＡＣＬロサンゼルス支部支部長

 Master Nosho Miyagi

Miyagi

Grand Master Nosho Miyagi has been studying, performing, and teaching Okinawan dance and music for over 58 years. Through her many accomplishments, she has brought Okinawan culture to life in California and communities throughout the U.S. Although she possesses an impressive collection of awards, certifications, and résumé of achievements that has earned her the title of grand master, she is popularly known in the community as Nosho Sensei.
Miyagi was born Yoko Uyezu in Naha, Okinawa. She was raised in Okinawa and was introduced to Okinawan dance and music at the tender age of 8. Her mother, Kame Uyezu, was a member of a dance school. Miyagi followed her mother regularly to practices and performances, which spawned her interest and enthusiasm to learn. By the time Miyagi was 14, she became a member of Miyagi Nozo Ryuku Dance School, where she received her formal training in Okinawan dance and sanshin under the direction of the late iemoto Grand Master Nozo Miyagi.
Throughout the following years, she devoted her time to regular practices and stage performances while also mastering the skills of Okinawan classical and folk dance and music. By 1978, Miyagi received her first teaching certificate in Ryukyu minyo. In 1982, she received the designation of natori and was given her professional title of Miyagi Nosho.
In 1969, Miyagi immigrated to the U.S. and became a naturalized citizen.  In the same year, she married her husband, Billy Wilkison, a major in the U.S. Marine Corps. Together they raised their son, Riley Wilkison, while Billy served as a military officer in San Diego.
While Miyagi cared for their son at home, she also nurtured her interests in gardening and flower arranging. She trained at Sogetsu Ryu and received four certifications. She used her talents to personalize her house into a home with beautiful flower arrangements. It did not take long before a friend and military officer took notice of her special talent and encouraged her to offer classes to military wives. Shortly thereafter, Miyagi held informal classes teaching military wives the art of ikebana.
In 1978, Miyagi offered informal Okinawan dance and sanshin lessons at her home in Tustin. In 1982, she was awarded her instructor’s certificated by the late Grand Master Nozo Miyagi and formally opened her school, Miyagi Nosho Ryukyu Dance and Music School, in Orange County. In 1984, Miyagi Nosho Ryubu and Minyo School held a special recital celebrating her natori and shihan certificates, awarding her the title Grand Master Miyagi Ryu in the U.S.
Over the years, her school thrived under her mentorship and training and has expanded to several locations throughout the continental U.S.: Tustin, Torrance, West Covina, and Oxnard; Austin, Dallas and Houston, Texas; Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, and New York.
In her spare time, Miyagi enjoys her garden, which includes a beautiful variety of vegetables, orchids, and flowering plants. She also volunteers at the Okinawa Association of America, educating seniors about the health benefits of using organic vegetables in their regular diet.