Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Tithonia, roadside Uruma, 27no22 The Air Self-Defense Force (SDF) aerobatic flight team Blue Angels are scheduled for an exhibition flight at Miyakojima City on 11 December. However, the scheduled Shimojishima Airport will not be used. Instead, as was learned through reporting from informed sources on 29 November, the Prefecture and the SDF are pushing arrangements for the use of Miyakojima Airport. A source connected to Miyakojima Airport  stated, “As long as there is no disruption to civilian flights, there’s no choice but to accept the use as reported.” The use of Miyakojima Airport is being considered as the axis for the event. Citizens groups and others have raised their voices in the concern that this will only lead to even further use of civilian airports by the SDF. Moreover, they claim that a great many airlines fly into Miyakojima Airport, and its narrow parking facilities are problematic.　 It seems those dealing with the pros and cons of the route ad...

Splendor of Okinawa: Dragon fruit, roadside Uruma, 20no22. Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), which are harmful to humans, have been found at high levels in the vicinity of US Military bases. Okinawa Prefecture plans to address this problem by carrying out a prefecture-wide inspection of water quality and soil in 2023, it was learned on 28 November. But, this inspection is to confirm pollution, not just in the vicinity of bases, but across the prefecture. A prefecture-wide inspection of water quality was carried out in 2016. However, In 2020, the Japanese Government, for the first time, established measuring methods with the temporary target value of a total of 50 nano grams of PFOS and PFOA per liter of water. The Prefecture is considering strengthening its ongoing work in order first to establish measurement methods and standards on soil,  considering soil as the basis of results for the Nation. It has been reported that Governor Denny Tamaki met for discussions, on the ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Wishbone flower, roadside Uruma, 22no22　 On 26 November, Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki and important actors in his power base All Okinawa held a meeting in Naha. They reviewed the 23 October Naha Mayoral Election, in which their supported candidate, former Prefectural Assembly Member Takeharu Onaga, was beaten. This was called Okinawa’s year of elections, because of its string of elections across the prefecture. All Okinawa candidates won consecutively in the elections for the House of Councilors and Governor. However, it lost 7 mayoral races in a row. So, it was pointed out that a new strategy and format were essential to beat candidates from the Liberal Democratic (LDP) and Komeito parties in elections for the heads of district governments. The meeting was closed to the public. 　 Governor Tamaki alluded to the creation of a new scheme for victory. He emphasized, “I really want us to do our best to link our reflections to the opinions of all in regions and poli...

Splendor of Okinawa: Cuban Holly, roadside Uruma, 26no22 At his regular press conference on 25 November, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki announced the result of the vote for the “Shuri Castle license plate design,” after a popular vote was held among the prefecture’s people.  The total of ballots cast was 12,625. The highest number of votes (4888) went to a design submitted by Seina Ito (34) of Naha, depicting Shuri Castle along with shisa (lion-dog statues) and bougainvillea, Naha’s city flower. After her design was selected, she stated ecstatically, “I’m full of feelings of delight, when I think that these license plates will play a role, however slight, in the rebuilding of Shuri Castle!”  Issuance of the Shuri Number Plates is scheduled to begin in October of 2023. The Prefecture is putting together resources for the Shuri reconstruction. As part of that, the Prefecture announced it would put a Shuri Castle design on “region designated plates”, which show individu...

Splendor of Okinawa: Holmskioldia, roadside Uruma, 22no22 Mageshima, an island in the city of Nishi-no-omote in Kagoshima Prefecture is planned as the construction site for a  Self-Defense Force (SDF) base and the relocation of US Military aircraft training. In October, several remains of what seem to be stone implements from around 30-33 thousand years ago were discovered there. Our reporting became aware of this on 25 November through the City Board of Education.  The discovery was made within an area being cleared for the base construction. A runway is planned for construction nearby. On 11 October, the City Board of Education carried out a cultural remains survey across the island with the permission of the Defense Ministry. The stone artifacts, several of them exposed, were discovered in the island’s center. The age of the artifacts was estimated from their geological condition and such. Another survey was conducted from 21-22 November. The City Board of Education feels t...

Splendor of Okinawa: Hibiscus Schizopetalus, roadside Uruma, 22no22 On 22 November, head of the Chyoryu School of Ryukyu Dance Fusako Shida, who has been designated as a Living National Treasure, an important intangible asset,  as a “Performer of Ryukyu Dance”,  visited Governor Denny Tamaki at the Prefectural Office for the public announcement of her designation.  Fusako Shida promised, “I want to go on dancing with its importance in my heart, knowing that our dance is a treasure of the people of Okinawa Prefecture.” She added, with a smile, “I have been nurtured on the applause of all of you. I want to offer my thanks to each and every one of you, our prefecture’s people.” Governor Tamaki congratulated her, noting, “I am truly delighted that such a woman has been designated as an important intangible cultural asset for her Ryukyu Dance. Just as Shida Sensei has said, I think a wide path toward continuing directions has opened future possibilities from now on.” The Natio...

Splendor of Okinawa: Syringa, roadside Uruma, 22no22 Pink Dot Okinawa (sponsored by a committee of the same name), an event aimed at mutual recognition of sexual diversity in a society where anyone at all can live at ease, was held at Palette Terrace facing Kumoji Intersection in Naha on 20 November. On its pivotal 10th anniversary, the event was held this year for the first time on Kokusai Dori (International Street), with around 350 visitors from Japan and abroad participating. Pink Dot Okinawa was first held in 2012 and has emerged as the prefecture’s most prestigious among LGBTQ sexual minority awareness events. On the terrace, around 5,000 people gathered wearing pink clothing, accessories, and such in cultural exchange. At the outdoor event, for the first time in 3 years, enterprises and groups supporting the event’s goals set up booths and there were free consultation booths as well. There were even live performances by artists. High school health and physical education teacher ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Wishbone flower, roadside Uruma, 22no22 In offering his thoughts as he folded a paper crane, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki quipped, “Let’s hold this in memory as the G7 Hiroshima Summit Paper-Crane Folding Campaign!” Governor Tamaki was born to an American father and an Okinawan mother. After stints as a radio personality, House of Representatives member, and other posts, he was elected Okinawa Prefecture Governor in 2018 and is now serving his second term. Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki spoke about his experience seeing paper-crane folding in Okinawa, “Was it at the Peace Cornerstone or at the Peace Memorial Park? But it’s the same at Himeyuri (trans. Note: monument to the forced suicide of Himeyuri Girl’s High and Teachers School). Lots of people fold paper cranes and leave them. It’s a way for visitors to leave their thoughts of peace, and a great many people come to do it.  What’s important is that, one by one, the cranes are lovingly f...

Splendor of Okinawa: Alyogyne huegelii, roadside Uruma, 16no22 Kohei Saito, known as the author of “Capital in the Anthropocene,” held a discussion on 20 November at the Naha Branch of Junkudo Book Shop. Saito pointed out that Okinawa’s high rate of poverty and the issue of military bases are the structural problems of capitalism. The society which gave birth to Okinawa’s culture and spirit will give rise to the future direction of its economy, without recourse to economic growth supremacism. Saito also spoke of capitalism, pointing out, “We accumulate value and resources. It’s a system where we push what we don’t need outside. Even if we continue economic growth, the structural problems remain unsolved. Our natural environment has been shattered. This has resulted in the exploitation of other regions.” Saito went on to discuss the tendencies in Okinawa’s society and economics. He noted, “Okinawa has latent capabilities based in its regional qualities, such as its bountiful nature and ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Hylocereus Undata, on wall in Uruma, 12au22 As part of Keen Sword 23, combined Japan US coordinated maneuvers, Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) Model 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicles (MCVs) traveled for the first time on our prefectural roads in Okinawa Prefecture’s Yonaguni District. On 17 November, Governor Denny Tamaki announced, among his comments, “Having these vehicles driving around on public roads is truly lamentable!” The governor explained, “Time and time again, the Prefecture has voiced its concerns about exercises involving military vehicles driving on our public roads. We’ve further requested that they not go with these exercises.” He added, “The Prefecture has gone to the Defense Ministry  to beg that they at least explain this politely to our prefecture’s citizens, along with their consideration, so that, with the GSDF maneuvers ongoing, there’d be the least effect on our prefecture’s citizens.” On concerns that the same situation will arise in the fu...

Splendor of Okinawa: Evening primrose, roadside Uruma, 12 au22 Governor Denny Tamaki participated through a video conferencing system in the 40th Emergency Covid-19 Prevention Headquarters of the National Governors Conference on 17  November. The number of Covid-19 victims is gradually rising again in Okinawa Prefecture and Governor Tamaki explained, “If cases continue to rise like this, the number of victims hospitalized will also increase. We fear that this will result in an increased strain on medical services.” Moreover, he requested a continuation of assistance for the work of dispatching Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT), Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPAT) and such. In addition to the credit the governor gave to the government for the Cabinet decision to realize  combined economic policies in the 2nd 2022 supplementary budget proposal, he requested, “We would like to ask for government guarantees on the regional independent portion of the temporary subsi...

Splendor of Okinawa: Celosia: roadside Uruma, 18au22 Japan and the US are currently conducting joint combined manœuvres. Linked to the exercises, on 17 November, 16 MCVs were airlifted to the Yonaguni District of Okinawa by the GSDF. They carried out exercises as they drove along public roads from Yonaguni Airport to GSDF Base Yonaguni. It was the first time ever that MCVs had traveled on public roads in the prefecture.  The Prefecture had requested that MCVs not travel on public roads. However the GSDF used its power to do it anyway. Citizens groups and others, mindful of the dangers, lifted their voices in protest in front of the airport against carrying out such activities on civilian land.  Governor Denny Tamaki spoke about the issue to the press on the afternoon of the same day. He stated, “We had requested that we wished that such travel be avoided. It’s a pity the manœuvres even started.” An Air Self-Defense Force C2 transport aircraft carrying the MCVs had taken off fr...