Okinawa Prefecture’s governor proclaims, “Our prefecture, too, will cooperate in humanitarian assistance,” as he sets up an aid reception headquarters to provide 20 residences for Ukrainian refugees. (19mr22)

At a scheduled press conference on 18 March, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki took up the reception of refugees from Russia’s continuing war in Ukraine. He announced that he is establishing an aid headquarters within the Prefectural Office. The governor will take charge as headquarters director. The first meeting is to be held soon. The Prefecture has secured about 20 prefectural administered housing units for refugee use.


Hereafter, through Ukrainian born residents within the prefecture, he plans to proceed  with collecting information on such matters as whether or not they have relatives who may want to evacuate to Okinawa. In addition to providing prefecturally administered housing, the governor intends to (1) provide coupons for the purchase of daily necessities, (2) request shops in the prefecture to offer such goods as food and clothing, (3) consider consultation on daily life in multiple languages. Prefectural administered housing has been secured in the north, center, and south of Okinawa Island.


According to the Prefecture, the Ministry of Justice listed a total of 18 residents with Ukrainian nationality in the prefecture as of December of last year. However, since there  is no community of those born in the prefecture, getting precise details will be problematic. The governor explained, “Although our power is limited, this prefecture also wants to cooperate in halting this war quickly, if even by a day, and in humanitarian aid.” He also expressed his ideas on speeding up the collection of information for aid.


On the manner and timetable for the reception of refugees, the governor mentioned that the Japanese Government had set up a Ukrainian Refugee Strategy Liaison Coordination Committee. He noted, “While gathering information on the Japanese Government’s posture, we’ll work together on preparing for a smooth reception.”




The governor first announced the reception of Ukrainian refugees on 14 March. He further announced, on the topic of Ukrainian aid, that, in addition to the Ukrainian Capital Kiev’s sister-city Kyoto, other cities, even from the disaster areas hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake, such as Rikuzen Takata in Iwate Prefecture, will accept refugees.

 

Original Japanese article: Okinawa Times, published Friday 19 March 2022 at 08:51

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/93b383f9589aed4b830d2c743907ba4bbd55b85e


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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