“They're mocking the feelings of our prefecture’s people!”, complains Governor Denny Tamaki on Osprey take-off from Naha Military Port ignoring Okinawa Prefecture’s request for a halt. However, Naha Mayor Chinen valued getting prior notice. (23mr23)


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 of aircraft at Naha Military Port is a cause of unease for our prefecture’s people.” It requested that the Okinawa Defense Bureau work with the US Military to make sure that the off-loaded aircraft not be allowed to take-off.


Although Governor Denny Tamaki was in the midst of his repeated calls for a halt to take-offs and landings of aircraft at the Military Port, once again with no advance notice whatsoever, the Osprey took off from the Military Port. Thus, on 20 March, the governor commented, “It’s absolutely deplorable that they’re doing this to mock the feelings of our prefecture’s people!” 


On the other hand, Naha City Mayor Satoru Chinen offered his comment on take-offs and landings of aircraft at the Military Port. He had requested (1) prior notification to the City, (2) prior public announcement to the people of the city, and (3) a guarantee of safety.


In this case, the City received prior notice on 17 March. On the Osprey taking off to sea, The mayor noted, “As for the public notice to our city’s people, the US Military said, ‘We’d rather refrain from that’. But we got them to accept the other 2 terms. So, there was some progress.” He considered that of value.


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Tuesday 21 March 2023 at 07:11. Byline: Yu Takei, Yukinao Chinen, Naoki Isa

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/d0d1db2f4f846f4b03d658f8befa58a5466e1ac4


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.


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In the suit over exercise of proxy in the case of the weak seabed at the new Henoko base, judgment to be handed down on 20 December. (4de23)

Image
Splendor of Okinawa: Shrubby Bush Clover, roadside Uruma, 30no23 The seabed at the new base construction site at Henoko in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, is weak and needs reinforcement. So, the Okinawa Defense Bureau requested permission for the necessary design changes, but Governor Denny Tamaki refused. In response, the Government intends to exercise proxy to give itself permission in place of the governor. The Naha Branch of the Fukuoka High Court announced on 29 November that it will hand down its judgment in the lawsuit filed over the case at 2 pm on 20 December. At the trial on 30 October, Governor Denny Tamaki emphasized in the first oral arguments, “We can in no way accept this exercise of proxy, which violates the autonomy and independence of Okinawa.”  He further stressed the will of the prefecture’s people in opposition to the new base construction as the ‘Public will’. In addition, he requested to show that the  path to resolution lay in dialogue. The trial was conclud...
Read more

Governor Denny receives the report on JUNGLIA at the 4 month mark after its opening. (7de25)

Image
Splendor of Okinawa: Temple Tree, Mihama Beach, 1de25 CEO Takeshi Kato of Japan Entertainment (JE), which manages JUNGLIA Okinawa, visited Governor Denny Tamaki at the Prefectural Office on 28 November.  　 The CEO reported on the 4 months since the attraction’s opening. He repeatedly brought up dealing with operational improvements and such based on the voices of visitors to the park.  　 The CEO specifically mentioned the evening concerts in the park’s garden and, starting from December, the free entry of one child with each adult, targeting the prefecture’s people. CEO Kato stated, “We’d like to be contributing to Okinawa’s tourism as well.” Governor Tamaki, alluding to his speech the same day, entitled “Declaration on Sustainable Tourism”, stated, “For the people, employees, and tourists of our prefecture, this is an important win-win format. We’d like to have JE’s cooperation in many, many more initiatives.” Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Sunday 30 Nov...
Read more

In Okinawa, Candidate Takara takes hold of the Henoko opposition parties as their new face, urging,”Let’s earnestly come to grips with these issues together.” (21jy25).

Image
Splendor of Okinawa: Mexican Petunia, Gushikawa RC Church, 13jy25. In the House of Councilors Election for the Okinawa Election District, independent candidate Sachika Takara (46), endorsed by All Okinawa, which opposes the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture, scored a victory. She defeated the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Party’s new candidate Ryo Okuma (38) in the election campaign.  Candidate Takara pledged before her supporters, “The Henoko problem is something our prefecture’s people have taken into our hearts. We’re going to earnestly come to grips with it together.”  With their eyes on a victory in next year’s gubernatorial election, her victory was a bitter blow to the LDP. Governor Denny Tamaki, who held the job of Candidate Takara’s campaign headquarters chief, stressed, “The will of the people in opposition to the relocation remains unshaken.” In recent mayoral elections, All Okinawa’s fortunes ha...
Read more