50 years after Reversion, Okinawa’s governor refers back to the Yara Proposal in his declaration “Gathering the opinions of the prefecture’s people” to greet the start of the new year. (4ja22)

On 4 January, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki offered his New Year’s Greeting to employees at the Prefectural Office. He declared, in reference to the 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s Reversion to Japan, “While taking in the various opinions of the people of our prefecture, I’m going to consider how proposals and declarations will be done hereafter. 


The governor also referred to former Okinawa Governor Chobyo Yara, who led the Ryukyu government before and after Reversion. Yara had compared his image of Okinawa with its reality when he penned his “Proposal on Reversion Policy”, also called the “Yara Proposal” to the National Government. Moreover, his plan formulated a proposal or declaration pointing out a renewed image for a future Okinawa.


Governor Tamaki explained the Yara Proposal, “Governor Yara was writing about an Okinawa reborn, gathering together its shattered bones, considering the priority of the prefectural people’s welfare, establishing regional autonomy, anti-war, pro-peace, establishing basic human rights, and promoting an economy oriented to the prefecture’s people.” 


(trans. note: PDF of Japanese original Yara Proposal 18 November 1971: https://www3.archives.pref.okinawa.jp/GRI/histories/1971/?vpage=6)


As for the continuing crimes, traffic accidents, and environmental pollution still arising from the US Military bases and going the back 50 years since Reversion, the governor  proclaimed with full fervor, “We’ll gather all our force to work together to petition the National Government to review still more reductions in base organization and the Status of Forces Agreement,  and to lessen the onerous burden of the bases.” 


When pursued on last year’s problems of the spread of Covid-19 and the large swathes  of floating pumice that washed onto Okinawa’s shores, he pointed out his ideas on working cooperatively  toward a solution hereafter.


On another note, touching on the Prefecture’s active role in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the governor gave thanks, “Those events gave our prefecture’s people both courage and strength.


Governor Denny Tamaki finally declared, “I’m facing the 4th year of my term in this new year. That the expectations of each and every person in our prefecture be answered, I must vigorously push the prefectural administration forward, and I’m putting my heart anew into getting it done!”


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Tuesday 4 January 2022 at 11:15

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/d077344224c743b8e8ac6f9fcb34ad912f0a4f90


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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