Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno and Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki meet for 30 minutes: remain far apart on the Henoko relocation question (8no21)

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno and Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki met for 30 minutes on 6 November at the Prefectural Office in Naha. They were seeking an understanding on the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in the prefecture’s city of Ginowan to Henoko in Nago.

Governor Tamaki requested that the relocation be abandoned. The discussion went nowhere.


As a cabinet member, Matsuno’s portfolio includes lessening the burden of the bases on Okinawa. Matsuno is visiting Okinawa from 5 November for the first time since taking office. The discussion lasted about 30 minutes. 


On the subject of the relocation work at the Futenma Airfield site, Governor Tamaki stated from the start, “I’d like to have an immediate suspension. Then we can set up a site as soon as possible for discussions between the prefecture and the national government.”


Matsuno stressed, “When the maintenance of the deterrence of the Japan-US Treaty of Alliance and the elimination of the dangers of Futenma Airfield were mutually considered, the relocation to Henoko was the only solution.”


Original Japanese article: Yomiuri Shimbun Online, published Saturday 6 November at 20:21

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/9e60e6e3d1def858e63ee1aa8232decfc715f758


Translator’s note:

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 Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 

  1. This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 

  2. Any suggestion on improving the translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.

  3. Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

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