He became better known outside of his country in 2002 when he recorded a Japanese song, Shima Uta, entirely in Japanese.
Uta Hagen | UTA Flight 772 | Metcha! Taiko no Tatsujin DS: Nanatsu no Shima no Daibouken | UTA | Minna no Uta | Uta Frith | Kōhaku Uta Gassen | George Shima | Uta Pippig | Shima Uta | Shima Sakon | Presentational acting and Representational acting#Uta's confusion | Masatoshi Shima | Eien no Uta | Arena (UTA station) | Uta Ranke-Heinemann | UTA MPD | UTA MED | Uta-garuta | Uta Erickson | Uta Barth | Shima Iwashita | Shima | Saya no Uta | Osaka Koi no Uta | Kōzu-shima | Kiyohide Shima | Edo no Temari Uta II |
The Japanese rock band The Boom's 1992 hit song called Shima Uta, which incorporated some Okinawan styles and thus causes confusion as to the precision of the term.