Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and Governor Denny Tamaki confer over the Henoko relocation, in parallel lines going nowhere. (29se22)


Splendor of Okinawa: Sponge gourd (Ryukyuan: Na-bira), roadside Uruma, 28se22


On 28 September, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki met for about 30 minutes of discussions. Governor Tamaki is just after winning reelection in a landslide on 11 September, carrying his banner of opposition to the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago. Minister Hamada claims that the government plan still is “to drive forward the relocation to Henoko.” So, the discussions ended up going nowhere. 


Governor Tamaki stressed, “Right from the last 3 gubernatorial elections in a row, it has been made abundantly clear by the overwhelming number of ballots of our prefecture’s citizens that the popular will is opposed to the relocation.”


In addition to the abandonment of the Henoko relocation, the governor requested the establishment of “a site for the Prefecture and the National Government to exchange opinions.” Finally, the governor handed Minister Hamada a request list with 16 points, including the halt of activity at Futenma Airfield and the removal of US Military transport Ospreys.


However, Minister Hamada explained, “We have to consider the Henoko relocation as an integral part of our policy decisions when we consolidate our thinking on removing the dangers of Futenma Airfield and maintaining the deterrence of the Japan-US alliance.” He further added, “Of course, we will steadily advance the construction, but we will also realize the full reversion of the Futenma Airfield land to Japan without even a day’s delay.”  The minister made no reply to Governor Tamaki’s requests.


Original Japanese article: Asahi Shimbun Digital, published Wednesday 28 September 2022 at 19:09

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/c142c9df521a62d50341e39f3092e7a11162fa19


Denny in the News: news about 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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