Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Amelanchier, roadside Uruma, 27mr23 Soseisha Educational Corporation, operator of the Sangosha Skole High School Division, has requested permission to establish  private junior high night schools. In connection with that, on 28 March the Prefectural Retired Teachers Association (chaired by Katsuhiko Nakamura) and the Prefectural High School Handicapped Children's School Retired Teachers Association (chaired by Miyoko Ajimine ) visited General Affairs Manager Tsutomu Miyagi at the Prefectural Office to make a request that permission for the junior high night schools be soon granted. Manager Miyagi responded, “Again, we are confirming the point that there will be no alleged detriment to education in the business plan. Within the inspection panel there will be more discussions.” His answer showed that the plan was still under discussion in the Prefectural Private School Inspection Panel. The request documentation stressed,  “Junior high night schools are esse...

Splendor of Okinawa: Duranta, roadside Uruma, 23fe23 In connection with the landfill for new base construction at Henoko, coral in the sea at the site was to be replanted elsewhere. However, Okinawa Prefecture has refused the Okinawa Ministry of Defence Bureau’s  special request for permission to gather coral from the site. So, on 29 March, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries issued a ‘correction order’, based on regional self government law,  that the Prefecture must issue the permission. In response to the correction order, the Prefecture is considering whether to request an inspection by the General Affairs third party organ, the National Regional Dispute Processing Committee (Conflict Committee). This is the 2nd time the Nation has issued a correction order on the coral gathering. 　 The coral subject to the request for permission to be gathered from Oura Bay are about 84,000 colonies of a small breed of coral, 8 colonies of ginger coral, and 21 colonies of...

Splendor of Okinawa: Canna, roadside Uruma, 27mr23 (NANJO) On 27 March, Okinawa Prefecture and Nanjo City confirmed a disaster prevention pact to use a corner of a public parking lot ( adjacent to Nanjo City Hall (a location established for tourist promotion) as a forward base for helicopter refueling in times of disaster. On the same day, Governor Denny Tamaki and Nanjo City Mayor Keishun Koja signed the pact documents at Nanjo City Hall. The forward base location will be in the “Nanjo Tourist Promotion Facility D Block” on the south side of the parking lot. Except for airport facilities, this will be the first location in the prefecture where helicopters carrying out disaster work will be able to refuel. Governor Tamaki noted thankfully, “We can’t do without our rescue helicopters, ambulances, fire trucks, and other transport for activities to counter disasters. It’s truly heartening that we can confirm this pact with Nanjo City.” Mayor Koja responded, “For the sake of protecting the...

Splendor of Okinawa: Italian Clematis, roadside Uruma, 28mr23 On 27 March, the Okinawa Prefectural Exploratory Committee on the Preservation and Public Opening of the 32nd Army Headquarters Shelter  (Chair Tatsuhiko Tamaki) handed its recommendation on the need for taking up the task of preservation and public opening of the shelter (a cave with a maze of tunnels) with a message of peace, for the sake of relaying its heritage to future generations, so that the tragic experience of the Battle of Okinawa and its lessons will not be left to wither.  2026 is being targeted for pushing the shelter for designation as a cultural asset. The committee recommended getting to work on the preservation and public opening of the shelter in steps, with priority on maintenance of the 1st Tunnel Mouth with its path and the 5th Tunnel Mouth. Governor Tamaki stated, “This is our final chance. Through this underground shelter, we want to relay to our Nation and others our heritage of the reality ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Spathoglottis, roadside Uruma, 27mr23 The 74th Oki-ten art exhibition has opened at ANA Arena Urasoe in Urasoe City. On 26 March, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki was on hand to appreciate its offerings. For about 2 hours, he made the rounds of the exhibition hall’s 12 sections, including such works as calligraphy, painting, and graphic design. In the display room for calligraphy, the governor adjusted from near to far to view the great variety of works, such as Chinese and Japanese classical poems. The situation arose at times that, while face to face with the works, he lent his ear to the authors of the works. He tactfully noted, “Each work shows its own individuality. Quite frankly, I’m impressed. Every work overflows with a spirit of ambition and inquiry. They're wonderful.” His voice wavering, the governor said, “Though I’ve always loved books, when I see these various other categories, it’s like a treasure hunt, coming upon new works. These times ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Prestegia, 5mr23 The US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is to be relocated to Henoko in Nago, both cities in Okinawa Prefecture. But the Prefecture has refused permission for the design changes needed for the construction.   To counter the Prefecture’s refusal, the National Ministry of Land and Transport issued a “correction order” and judged the refusal null and void. Considering the ministry’s order illegal, in response the Prefecture filed 2 lawsuits. On 16 March, the Naha Branch of the Fukuoka High Court judged that the National Ministry of Land and Transport’s nullification of the Prefecture’s refusal was valid. It further judged that its corrective order was also legitimate. On the same day, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki expressed to the press corps his intention to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. So, since the Naha Court had dismissed both suits, the Prefecture reacted by appealing that court’s judgment to the Supreme Court on 23 ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Gazania Rigens, roadside Uruma, 5mr23. Vice Chair of the Prefectural Assembly Moriyuki Teruya (67) has a history in positions such as chair of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Okinawa Prefectural Federation and its secretary general. Nonetheless, on 22 March, he resigned from the LDP. The Prefectural LDP’s Chair Hiroki Nakada accepted the notice the same day. Representative Teruya explained his reasons for leaving the party, “By resigning, I can reconcile with myself.” On his political situation henceforth, he stated, “Even though I’ve resigned from the party, I’ll stick to my basic conservative philosophy.” On 20 March, Representative Teruya submitted his resignation notice to LDP Prefectural Federation Secretary General Dai Shimabukuro. It was passed on and received by the Party Secretariat President Seigi Matayoshi. For our reporting, Representative Teruya stressed, “In what way can we make our Prefectural Administration better? What can we do to get to a solu...

Splendor of Okinawa: Handroanthus (Ryukyuan: Ipe), roadside Uruma, 5mr23. Okinawa Prefecture has refused the Defense Bureau’s request to make changes in the design of its  new base construction at Henoko in Nago for work to improve the weak seabed there. In its 2 suits, the Prefecture has requested the cessation of the National Government’s meddling in its suits. The Naha Branch of the Fukuoka High Court dismissed the Prefecture’s suits in its decision on 16 March, and so, on 23 March, the Prefecture went up to the Supreme Court for its final appeal, claiming the Naha Court’s decision was inappropriate. According to the Naha Court’s finding, “The suit was inapplicable to its subject, the National Government’s participation.” So, the suit was dismissed. Considering the court’s corrective instruction, since the binding force of the court’s decision against the suit’s claim was not recognized, one part of the Prefecture’s claim was acknowledged. But as for the deprival of the Prefectu...

Splendor of Okinawa: Dandelion, roadside Uruma, 5mr23 The MV22 Osprey vertical take-off and landing transport aircraft that was off-loaded from a ship at the US Military Naha Port and Bay Facility (Naha Military Port) on 18 March  took off from the same facility at 4 p.m. on 20 March. It landed at the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan. The take-off and landing of aircraft at Naha Military Port is contrary to Memorandum 5.15 of the Japan-US agreement at the time of Okinawa’s Reversion to Japan that set the primary purpose of the Military Port as being ‘a facility for the port and bay as well as oil storage’. So the Prefecture has requested a halt to aircraft use repeatedly. The aircraft that took off had been parked on the Naha Port lot after being off-loaded. But on the morning of 20 March, the cover of its engine intake mouths and such were removed and preparations were begun for flight. In the afternoon, it took to the sky. On 19 March, the Prefecture had stated, “The use o...

Splendor of Okinawa: Ixora, roadside Uruma, 5mr23 On 20 March, the Republic of Palau and Okinawa Prefecture agreed between them on a plan to set up a working team (WT) as early as April on the topics of fisheries and oceanology based on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the strengthening of friendly relations. Thus, on 20 March too, Palau Vice-President J. Uduch Sengebau Senior visited the Prefectural Office and held discussions with Governor Tamaki. Among her statements, she noted, “I would like to thank you for your support in every aspect of our MOU. She made obvious her consideration of the depth of cooperation in the system planning. From the next fiscal year on, the Prefecture will carry out such work as  a dispatch of experts in fisheries from its employees and cultural exchanges together with Palau. The planned aim is a strengthening of relations. From the outset, the discussion concerned the establishment of a working team between the Prefecture and relevant of...

Splendor of Okinawa: Cuban holly, roadside Uruma, 5mr23 A US Military vertical takeoff and landing transport MV 22 Osprey aircraft was offloaded at the Naha Military Port and Bay Facility (Naha Military Port). Regarding that news, Governor Denny Tamaki responded to media questions on his arrival for work at the Prefectural Office on the morning of 20 March. He stated, “Why was there no word to the Prefecture? Under what sort of rationale was it done? I’m checking into it!” On the subject of prior notice to the Prefecture, the governor stated, “We’ve requested it before, so giving notice should be a given.” Since November of 2021, US Military Ospreys have landed and taken off again and again at Naha Military Port. It seems that on 18 March this Osprey was offloaded from a US transport ship at the Military Port. The US Military noted it gave prior notice only to Naha City “Because, due to military security,  there should be no public notice to outsiders.”  Governor Tamaki explai...