Promotion and anti-poverty policies contended as the Okinawa City mayoral election ballots are opened today. (24ap22)


Splendor of Okinawa: Indian shot, roadside Uruma


(OKINAWA) Ballots are being opened on 24 April for the Okinawa City mayoral election as the current term ends. It is man-to-man combat as the contender, former City Assembly Member Masakazu Moriyama (73), backed by  Constitutional Democratic Party, Communist Party, Social Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, New Wind / Ninufabushi, (North Star), faces off against the incumbent, Mayor Sachio Kuwae (66), seeking a third term and backed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito.

 

The points of contention have become whether to continue the current city administration’s policies or reform them, with measures to promote the economy and combat poverty. The counting of ballots begins at 9 a.m. on 24 April and the judgment of the majority is expected to be clear by around 11 p.m.


The Prefectural ruling party and Governor Denny Tamaki, along with the opposition party of the City Assembly, support the contender Moriyama. The National ruling  party, the Prefectural opposition party, and the city assembly ruling party combined support Mayor Kuwae. Okinawa City is weak ground for Governor Tamaki. So, he is giving it special attention for the gubernatorial election in the fall.


On 23 April, both candidates held various rallies to call for support. Moriyama pleaded for a reform of the city administration, “It’s assured that when I become mayor, the income of the city will rise by 10% so we can completely subsidize children’s school lunches. I’m going to build a city, prosperous and good for us to live in.


Kuwae pleaded for a continuation of his city administration policies, “Don’t put a halt to the rising incomes of our people. I’m going to push forward economic policies to make Okinawa City dynamic, a place where we can live in security.”


As of 16 April, the number of registered voters in the city stood at 112,739 (53,787 male and 58,952 female).


Masakazu Moriyama was born on 2 December 1948. He is from Sokei in Ginoza Village and graduated from Musashino Music University. From 1975 until 2010, he was engaged in teaching music at junior high schools, serving as principal at Goeku, Ageda, and Mito Junior High Schools. In 2010, he was elected to the Okinawa City Assembly, where he served as chair of the opposition. In order to run for mayor, he gave up his seat in the Assembly while in his third term.


Sachio Kuwae was born on 11 January 1956. He is from Sumiyoshi in Okinawa City and is the second son of the former Okinawa City Mayor Choko Kuwae.  He graduated from Nihon University. After serving in jobs such as secretary to a member of the House of Representatives, he was elected to the Okinawa City Assembly in 1994 and served three terms. Then, from 2008 he was in the Prefectural Assembly, but resigned in his second term to run for mayor of Okinawa City in 2014, where he has served 2 terms.


Original Japanese article: Okinawa Times, published Sunday 24 April 2022 at 08:32. Byline:Nanako Yagi and Tokiura (=時宇ラ?) Nakamura 

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/31ee2113b3320b0e1687a9b1dd5a79eb7b1db8be


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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