Although the end of the 20th century saw the movie industry dominated by Hollywood blockbusters, it also saw the arrival of a new directorial master. With the death of Kurosawa in 1999, Kitano Takeshi (right) became the leading Japanese director on the world stage. His works have continued the trend started by Kurosawa in the 1950's, picking up prizes at the European festivals. Among the other islands in the Nansei chain, the 20 or so largely uninhabited Kerama Islands are an excellent place for coral diving.