True responsibility or irresponsibility? The amount of the US Military Reorganization Grant for the city of Nago, wrapped into the budget for the relocation to Henoko, turns into a war of words over being applied to child-rearing assistance. (22ja22)

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 grants were halted. They were restarted as soon as the current mayor, Taketoyo Toguchi (60), took office in 1018.


Mayor Toguchi is unclear about whether he is for or against the relocation, affirming only, “I will keep watch over National and Prefectural judgements.” However, on restarting the grants, the National Government through the Okinawa Defense Bureau chief explained, “The last governor was against the relocation to Henoko. Since the current mayor is neither for nor against, issuing the grant contributes to the smooth execution of the reorganization.”

Using the Reorganization grants over the last 4 years, Mayor Toguchi has promoted free school meals, pre-school education, and child health-care. In 2020, out of about 1.5 billion yen in grants, he allocated about 710 million to such projects. As in the last election, Toguchi is receiving the backing of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito. He stresses that his budget request to the National Government is tied to regional promotion. Mayor Toguchi is making the center of his plea the claim, “The city of Nago cannot do the great work of child-rearing assistance, our 3 Freebies, on its own.”


On the other hand, former city assemblyman, Yohei Kishimoto (49), relishes his opposition to the relocation. As for his policy on child-rearing assistance, he publicly claims he will keep it free of charge, as is, without begging for the Reorganization Grant. With Governor Denny Tamaki backing him, Kishimoto is supported by the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Communist Party, Reiwa, the Social Democratic Party, and the Okinawa Socialist Masses Party.


If Kishimoto is elected, there is a good chance that the National Government will once again stop delivering the grants to Nago. Touching on that possibility, Kishimoto guarantees his budget with a reduction in utility costs by utilizing renewable energy and a doubling of the hometown tax. He claims the budget structure of his 3 Freebies, “Will not exceed the range of 1.5% of the city’s general budget.”


The war of words is the fever encompassing the endgame. On Kishimoto’s claim, the Toguchi camp shot back, “It’s not easy to shrug off the stability for government policy of a fund of about 700 million yen.” As for Mayor Toguchi getting the Reorganization Grant without clearly stating whether he is for or against the relocation to Henoko, the Kishimoto camp accuses him of “irresponsibility.”


The city mayoral election will be held on 23 January. As of 15 January, there were 50,561 registered voters.


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Saturday 22 January 2022 at 07:30. Byline: Shogo Mitsukuni and Mae (=万穂) Fukui.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/98dc7c6779ee7ea6bb5bfcfa67ad9b893586ebed


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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