Denny in the News

As a response to the huge surge in Covid-19, the US Military in Japan restricted its military related personnel to base until 31 January. On news of  the Military’s cancellation of the restrictions, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki announced in his statement on 30 January, “This just isn’t yet the situation for cancellation!” However, as of 30 January, without deciding whether or not to make a request for another extension of the restriction to base, the Prefecture requested in a statement to the US Military, “In order to protect the health and safety of the people of the prefecture, we expect you to take all encompassing countermeasures and we want to work tirelessly with you to eradicate this disease as quickly as possible.”　 Moreover, regarding the “Quarantine and Health Subcommittee”, newly established under the Japan-US Joint Committee, the governor noted, “In order for this group to be effective, it is essential that US Military bases coordinate with authorities in Ok...

Facing the end of Vice-Governor Kiichiro Jahana’s term in March of this year, Governor Denny Tamaki has solidified his plan to tap General Affairs Director Takeku Ikeda as Jahana’s successor. Director Ikeda’s resume includes Supervisor of Base Disaster Prevention and Director of the Governor’s Public Office. In addition to having been involved in the revocation of permission for the landfill at Henoko under former Governor Onaga’s administration, Ikeda has been charged with tasks such as the supervision of the prefectural budget in connection with his job as General Affairs Director for the past two years.  A new court battle is expected next year (ed. note: 2022) over the rejection of the  request for changes in the Henoko landfill along with Vice-Governor Jahana’s retirement in March. It appears Governor Tamaki is aiming to stabilize the prefectural administration by promoting Director Ikeda who has a wealth of administrative experience in areas such as base issues and publi...

Committee opened its online meeting on 28 January. The 2022 Propulsion Grant for Okinawa Promotion (software projects lump sum grant) has been set at 39.4 billion yen, 10.9 billion yen less than the previous year. The Prefecture and the municipalities have decided on how to share the money. The Prefecture will get 21. 6 billion yen, down 9.9 billion from its previous allotment and the municipalities 17.8 billion, down 1.1 billion from previously. The software grant share ratio between the Prefecture and the Municipalities had been basically 5 to 3 (Prefecture’s 62.5% to municipalities’ 37.5%). However, because of the huge cuts to Okinawa related budgets, for the first time since its establishment, the ratio was changed to 11 to 9 (Prefecture’s 55% to municipalities’ 45%). According to Okinawa Prefecture, on receiving the budget cuts, several municipalities requested that the rate be set at 1 to 1. However, with the Prefecture placing value on the broad range of business activities span...

Governor Denny Tamaki wants to deepen the understanding and the discussion of the US Military base issue across the nation. So, Okinawa Prefecture is renewing his national pilgrimage in a “Talk Caravan” symposium. The governor started online with the title “In Fukuoka” on 27 January. Governor Tamaki appealed, “To consider your own situation, it’s essential to feel it in your own skin. I want people to consider the incidents and accidents caused by the bases as if they were inflicted on their own loved ones.” The aim of the symposiums is to awaken opinions and widen understanding of base issues such as the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago. The governor had held the symposiums in 4 cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Sapporo) until November of 2019, when the Covid-19 problems forced their cancellation. This was a new start after about 2 years. The governor intended to begin the first symposium on the ground in Fukuoka City, but had to change to on...

This paper learned on 26 January that Governor Denny Tamaki has solidified his decision to appoint General Affairs Chief Takeku Ikeda (60) to succeed Vice-Governor Kiichiro Jahana who is slated to retire at the end of March. Governor Tamaki is expected to submit the proposal to the Ordinary February Prefectural Assembly Session meeting on 15 February. Ikeda has served as the governor’s chief of the public affairs office, which deals with US Military base issues. He has also gotten involved in issues surrounding the new base construction at Henoko in Nago, an important topic for the prefectural government. Moreover, having been involved in comparative research with 4 NATO European nations, he has a deep understanding of the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement. In November of last year, Governor Tamaki rejected a request submitted by the Okinawa Defense Bureau for permission to make changes in the landfill at Henoko. Among attempts to counter this, the Defense Bureau requested an investi...

Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki held a press conference on the afternoon of 24 January. Based on the Covid-19 Special Measures Law, which is being applied in the prefecture, the governor announced that he is asking the National Government for a 3 week extension of the “Spread Prevention Special Priority Measures” which are due to expire at the end of January. He transmitted the request the same day. The same morning, the Prefectural Countermeasures Headquarters meeting had made that decision. The Priority Measures has been applied in Okinawa Prefecture since 9 January. The daily toll of newly infected reached an all time high of 1829 on 15 January. It has tended slowly downward since then. Governor Tamaki noted at the press conference, “It’s conceivable that the infections have peaked. The Priority Measures have achieved some results.”   On the other hand, severe infections among the elderly and others are increasing. Even with the numbers of infected decreasing at the cur...

On 24 January, Governor Denny Tamaki held a press conference at the Prefectural Offices. He announced that the 3 venues scheduled to be established within the prefecture as large-scale Covid-19 vaccination centers would go into operation as early as 5 February. The Tainan Prefectural Northern Joint Office in Nago and the Naha Cruise Terminal at Wakasa in Naha will go into operation on 5 February and the Joint Bridal (NBC) Ceremonial Hall at Goya in Naha on 6 February. Appointments are scheduled to begin after 29 January. How appointments will be made has yet to be announced.The Prefectural Northern Joint Office can handle 250 applicants per day. NBC and the Naha Cruise Terminal are expected to handle 500. The Moderna vaccine will be administered. On 24 February also, the Prefecture announced its proposed schedule for the 3rd Covid-19 inoculations. Currently, vaccination is promoted in cooperation with the municipalities for health care workers, workers at senior citizen establishments ...

Even though Yohei Kishimoto, who joined the governor’s position of opposition to the new base construction, lost in the Nago mayoral election, Governor Denny Tamaki told the press corps, keeping the strength of his spirit uncrushed, “With it mired in the soft seabed, completing the construction is impossible.”  The governor entered the campaign office just after 9:30 p.m. A few minutes after he sat down, the TV announced the opposing candidate as the projected winner. The governor gazed at the screen, his hands still folded, his face grim. Later, Kishimoto came into the campaign office out of the pouring rain and sat beside the governor. The governor mopped the rain off Kishimoto’s wet shoulders with his own handkerchief and thanked him for his efforts in the election. During the short conversation between the two, just after 10 p.m., the election was called. As Kishimoto began his concession speech, the governor listened attentively with arms folded. The first battle of the electi...

With the mayoral term at an end, ballots will be opened on 23 January in the Nago city election in Okinawa Prefecture. The focal point of the election has certainly become the relocation to Henoko in Nago of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan, Okinawa. The newcomer, Yohei Kishimoto (49), supported by relocation opponent Governor Denny Tamaki, and current Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi (60), backed by the ruling government party that nominated him, have made this a one on one joust. On 22 January, both candidates took to the streets with their final appeals. 　 A string of notable elections are scheduled in the prefecture this year. This mayoral election has become the first battle in this “election year.” Its result will extend its impact not only to the relocation issue, but also to the election this summer for the House of Councilors and for the governor in the fall. Kishimoto was giving his stump speech everywhere in the city. He claimed, “This city administration hasn’t even mentio...

With the 23 January election day for the city mayoral election in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture closing in, the budget entwined with the bases, which the National Government disperses to the city, has swelled up as pivotal for the current mayor and his newcomer opponent. The US Military Reorganization Grant is paid to each municipality across the nation bearing the burden of US bases, such as in the relocation to Henoko of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan, Okinawa. The Japanese Government disperses the grant funds to municipalities which accept new facilities or training in accordance with the US military reorganization plans in response to progress in starting construction and so on. The special appeal of the grants is that the municipalities can use them for broad activities such as regional promotion. The grants to  Nago started in 2007 during the era of a mayor compliant with the premise of the relocation to Henoko. With the advent of mayors who opposed it in 2010, the gr...

On 20 January, the Covid-19 Spread Prevention Headquarters held its meeting. The infection has spread widely across households affecting everyone from children to seniors. With the health care provision system under strain, the Headquarters decided to raise the disease spread level from the present level 2 (epidemic level) to level 3A. As for the application of Covid-19 Spread Prevention Special Measure about to expire on 31 January, the Prefecture will soon hold a conference of medical experts and business leaders and have solidified a plan for discussions on extending the measures. Taking into consideration  the state of the contagion and opinions of concerned groups, an extension of the time limit of the measures will be requested from the National Government even as early as 24 January. At a press conference held the same evening (20 January), Governor Denny Tamaki elaborated, “The spread of the disease exploded widely at the start of January. So, it had a huge effect on our he...

On 19 January, Okinawa Prefectural Promotion Chairman and President of the University of the Ryukyus Mutsumi Nishida reported the Council’s results to Governor Denny Tamaki on the draft proposal for the prefecture’s New Okinawa Promotion Plan (dubbed: the Next Promotion Plan). The plan envisions a policy aimed at forming “an island where happiness can truly be felt in safety and peace of mind,” in environmental, social, and economic harmony. It also puts together a “systematically related design” that determines the success indicators for each measure. At the Prefectural Building, Chairman Nishida discussed the results face to face with Governor Denny Tamaki. The chairman noted, “Although the achievements of the Okinawa Development plans across 50 years are acknowledged, a lot of challenges still remain. Touching on verification of policy results, we have to powerfully drive Okinawa’s promotion under a stable legal system.”  Governor Tamaki replied, “With your report, we’ll work ha...

Within Okinawa Prefecture on 18 January, 1443 cases of Covid-19 infection were confirmed. As the strength of the infection refuses to decline, Okinawa Prefecture is beset by a rising sense of crisis. With 1443 people newly confirmed with the virus, the rate of infections is nearly double that of the same day last week after the string of holidays. The number of critically infected rose from 3 on the same day last week to 4  this week. In both groups, the critical victims consisted of elderly and patients with underlying medical problems.   At priority health care facilities, faced with 511 doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers unable to report for work, 16 hospitals limited emergency medical services and 8 limited general outpatient care. The Prefectural Epidemiological Statistics and Analysis Committee sees the spread of the disease, which started with the 3 day string of holidays including Coming of Age Day, continuing for another week until 23 January. The number of...