Denny in the News

  Large-scale vaccination age lowered to 12 and above, twenties and thirties prioritized On 30 August, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki held a press  conference at the Prefectural Office. He announced he was lowering the current age for vaccinations from 18 to 12, to target ages for the American Moderna vaccine used at the large-scale Covid-19 vaccination centers. This response was to be in accord with the national lowering of the target age. Governor Tamaki noted, “I want to get everybody vaccinated as soon as possible and this vaccine  will be  key in the fight against the virus.” In order to increase the speed of vaccinations, he will begin priority vaccinations for those in their twenties and thirties with a vaccination ticket, even without reservations. Vaccinations of the newly targeted young people will be done at the large scale vaccination centers at the Prefectural Budokan (martial arts center) in Naha, the Okinawa Convention Center in Ginowan, and Naha Cruise...

Governor Tamaki calls on Okinawa Prefectural employees to reduce procedures that are neither urgent nor necessary to counter Covid-19 On the 23 August Prefectural broadcast Morning Smile, Governor Denny Tamaki called for prolonging policies to counter Covid-19 like reducing or ceasing normal procedures that are neither urgent nor necessary. Even staff from outside the responsible department can be put in to help as added or temporary assignments with the goal of lightening every staff member’s load. On the Prefecture’s internal broadcast on 23 August, Governor Tamaki urged, “As this situation wears on, I’m worried about the health of our staff. I’d like to have some kind of meeting with every section and department to decide and confirm a reevaluation of office procedures.” According to the Prefecture, among its 4,000 employees, 184 are either directly or indirectly involved in Covid-19 duties.  Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Monday 30 August at 11:39 https://...

  Vaccinations halted at Okinawa’s huge center because of foreign substances found in additional lots of Moderna vaccine Okinawa Prefecture announced on 28 August that vaccinations were suddenly halted at a huge vaccination center located in Naha’s Prefectural Budokan (martial arts center) after finding foreign substances in American Moderna Covid-19 vials and filled syringes before vaccinations. Vaccinations at the Budokan site on 29 August have been cancelled. 4 instances of foreign substances have been found. According to the Prefecture, it had received notification from the Health Ministry on vaccine lot numbers whose use should be put on hold, but the lot numbers do not match those in question. Also, according to the Prefecture, at about 3 in the afternoon on 28 August as the vaccinations were starting, a  one milligram speck of foreign matter was discovered in a vaccine-filled syringe. After disposing of that syringe, the vaccinations continued. But, around 4:30 or 5 in ...

  With still more left in storage, US Military dumps 64,000 liters of its PFOS sewage、ignoring the Prefecture’s protests. We now know that on 27 August the Marine Command in Okinawa dumped the planned total of about 64,000 liters of processed sewage, containing chemicals like organic compounds of PFOS,  from the US Futenma Airfield, releasing it problematically into the sewer system. This newspaper confirmed the dumping. The Japanese Government, the Prefecture, and the city of Ginowan pleaded for a halt to the dumping, but the Marines did not respond.  Because the Marines ignored the Prefecture’s protests, in a so-called “exchange of opinions,” Vice-Governor Kiichiro Jahana outlined the Prefecture’s stance with a de facto protest. According to the Defense Ministry, there is still sewage containing chemicals such as PFOS stored at Futenma Airfield. The Marines are unclear about how much remains. Vice-Governor Jahana visited US Military Camp Zukeran for a discussion with Co...

  “I’ll remember this with intense fury!” says Governor Denny Tamaki of the US Military willy-nilly dumping of PFOS sewage The US Marine Command in Okinawa cleaned up sewage from the US Military Futenma Airfield and dumped it into the underground sewer system.  However, the sewage contained materials like the organic fluoride compound PFOS (EPA registered and no longer US produced contaminant). At a press conference held on the afternoon of 26 August, Governor Denny Tamaki protested, “I will remember this willy-nilly dumping with intense fury. I strongly request that the dumping be halted immediately!” In the morning on the same day, Vice-Governor Kiichiro Jahana submitted a protest to the Foreign Ministry Okinawa Office, the Okinawa Defense Bureau, and the American Consul General for Okinawa. There were also protests made at the Prefectural Office level to the US Military to halt the dumping. In July, the Japanese Government and the Prefecture carried out a sampling check wit...

  With infections at 809 people, the governor pleads for thorough contagion prevention At a press conference on 25 August, Okinawa Prefecture’s Governor Denny Tamaki announced that 809 people were newly infected with Covid-19. It was the highest toll ever in the daily announcements and crossed the 800 threshold for the first time. The governor indicated his sense of alarm, “We haven’t yet seen the contagion peak and the stress on the medical supply system is already in an extremely serious situation.”   As  for the Prefecture’s plan for dealing with the continuation of the State of Emergency from September first to the twelfth, the governor indicated his thinking that after summer vacation, the students would not return to school all at once but in separate groups. Moreover, in response to the contagious situation, closing grade levels or the school year, or temporarily closing schools are also considered possible. Each municipal board of education will decide on its...

  The Okinawa Promotion Plan will extend the reduced liquor tax on beer and awamori (Okinawa’s traditional liquor) but abolish it in stages within 5 to 10 years. (Tokyo) The Cabinet Office indicated the basic direction regarding the new Okinawa Promotion starting from 2022 at the expiration of the Okinawa Promotion Special Measures Law. The Government specified that the reduced liquor tax measures  for beer and awamori would be eliminated in stages within 5 to 10 years from now. It also announced the de facto extension of the Okinawa Promotion Law noting, “It’s essential just this one time now to take legal steps to advance promotion measures”  with so many issues remaining for the reality of Okinawa’s independent development and the flourishing lifestyle of its people. In line with the basic plan, the Government will proceed with preparations, hoping to present a proposal next year at the regular meeting of the Diet, but was unclear about the interval for legal measures ...

  Okinawa’s governor evaluates the Investigative Committee’s announcement of its text of the New Okinawa Promotion Law as, “It expresses our feelings.” On 23 August, Governor Denny Tamaki participated online in the Okinawa Promotion Committee meeting. In response to the  Ryukyu Shimpo on the subject, he elaborated, “I think that it expresses our feeling that Okinawa is going to do its utmost to link itself with zeal to the country’s prosperity.” He valued the intention stated in the newly established law to replace the Okinawa Promotion Special Measures Law and Site Usage Promotion Law. Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo Tuesday 24 August at 13:29 https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/c1f99df5243b4b97f3ec07db56a1fd25ed991a44 Translator’s Notes Denny in the News: news about Okinawan Governor Denny Tamaki. Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Milita...

  Comedian Gori says of his experience of a coughing spell over an hour long  in the middle of the night, “I couldn’t breathe!” Gori, a native of Naha with the experience of having Covid-19 and a member of the comedy group Garage Sale, engaged in a video conference with Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki to call for countermeasures against the Covid-19 contagion on 20 August.  Gori caught Covid-19 in April of this year. He said that with a fever around 40 degrees continuing for several days, he was told by a doctor at the hospital, “There’s no especially effective medicine for Covid-19”, and so his unease continued day after day. He repeated events like, when after two weeks in the hospital, the fever went up and he had a coughing spell in the middle of the night lasting over an hour, “I couldn’t breathe. I wondered if I’d die then and there. I came to live with the guilt that, since I was contagious, the time and lives of others had become entangled with mine.” He pleaded for...

This newspaper truly tried to hear the voices of young people on their low vaccination rate, “What’s behind views on vaccines?” As of 20 August, when the Ryukyu Shimpo asked opinions targeting people in the low vaccination group of twenties and thirties about whether the vaccine was the trump card against Covid-19 contagion, the positive opinions toward the vaccine were at 52%, only half. On whether to get vaccinated, opinions like “I’m confused” were 32% and negative opinions were 16%. As background to the low vaccination rates, there were also voices pointing out administrative problems such as local governments not yet meeting vaccination targets or vaccine appointment lists being filled up.The Prefecture announced the prefectural Covid-19 vaccination rates as of 14 August, excluding children between 10 and 19 who were tallied as a separate target, those in their twenties who had completed both vaccinations were lowest at 6.79%, those in their thirties next at 10.09%. At a press con...

In dialog with Governor Tamaki, Gori relates his Covid-19 experience, “I felt death,” and pleads for countermeasures. Gori, from the group Garage Sale, related his experience of hospitalizing himself for Covid-19 in an online dialog with Governor Denny Tamaki on 20 August. “The personal responsibility of getting infected didn’t stop with just me. The time and humanity of others got wrapped up in it, too,” he noted, calling for countermeasures against the contagion.  He was hospitalized in April. Gori said, “I thought to myself, it probably won’t hit me and it won’t be a major illness.” When he understood he was diagnosed positive he admitted trembling with fear and thinking, “The guilt is upon me, What if I seriously infected those I’ve met and it becomes a matter of their lives.” At first he was under home care, but when he was hospitalized as his health worsened, he revealed he was told by his doctor, “I’ve got medicine for the cough and fever, but no medicine to cure Covid-19. Y...

  7 parties join forces in a research survey with Prefecture and Ryukyu University on human resource development for heritage conservation. Governor Denny Tamaki, Ryukyu University President Mutsumi Nishida, Okinawa Science and Technology University Graduate School Campus Chairman Peter Cruz along with others attended an online ceremony to conclude an agreement for cooperation on the managed conservation of the designated World Natural Heritage sites.   The cooperation agreement was concluded on 19 August among 7 partners including the Prefecture and Ryukyu University on conservation management for World Natural Heritage sites in the north of Okinawa Island and Iriomote Island. The agreement plans long term survey research and human resource development of those who will carry out the conservation management. The conclusion ceremony was done online.  Governor Denny Tamaki noted, “We’re going to put together a budget to advance our agenda.” Others involved in concludi...

  As the duration passes 3 months, to the bars and restaurants increasingly unresponsive to his request for  shutdowns, the governor asks, “Let’s cooperate!” As a measure to prevent the widespread contagion of Covid-19, continuation of shutdowns and shortened hours have been requested again of shops like bars and restaurants until the end of this month. Since Tokyo is extending the State of Emergency Declaration until 12 September, Okinawa Prefecture is considering a cooperation stipend and other financial measures from now for a continuation of its request until mid-September. The Prefecture is requesting a shutdown of  bars, restaurants, and amusement establishments offering alcohol or karaoke facilities as well as places like wedding halls. Shortened business hours until 8 P.M. are being asked of businesses not offering alcohol or karaoke.   At a special meeting of the Prefectural Assembly on 18 August, the Prefecture proposed a supplementary budget that includes ...