Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Jatropha podagrica, roadside Uruma, 24my23 In response to North Korea’s missile launch on 31 May, the National Instant Alert System (J-alert) and the Emergency Network E-net) were activated by the National Government across all municipalities in Okinawa Prefecture. Residents were called on to take shelter inside buildings or in basements by emergency cell-phone terminal messaging (Area Mail). Every region in the prefecture was aroused by Disaster Prevention Administration Radio alerts as well. At 8:15 A.M., the Prefecture held its Crisis Management Countermeasures Headquarters Committee meeting, chaired by Governor Denny Tamaki. The committee jointly considered the timeline of the situation, damage, and such. The Prefectural Police Headquarters reported it had confirmed that there were no calls on its 110 emergency number about or damage from the missile. Governor Tamaki reported to the people of the prefecture, “In a violation of UN resolutions, with a situation w...

Splendor of Okinawa: Rain lily. Roadside Uruma, 25my23 North Korea has given advance warning that it will launch a ‘man-made satellite’ sometime between midnight in the morning of 31 May and midnight on the morning of 11 June in the direction of the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and Borneo Island. In response to all media coverage of the subject, Governor Denny Tamaki stated on the morning of 29 May, “We’re working in tandem with the Nation. Considering past actions, we want to come up with appropriate countermeasures.” The forewarning was made on 29 May. It seems that the 15th Brigade of the Ground Self Defense Force informed Okinawa Prefecture at 7:02 A.M. that day. At 8:45 A.M., the Okinawa Prefectural Crisis Management Countermeasures Headquarters was set up. That very afternoon, the Crisis Management Countermeasures Headquarters Committee was scheduled to hold its meeting. Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Monday 29 May 2023 at 10:19. Byline: Yugo Okita  https...

Splendor of Okinawa: Damask rose, roadside Uruma, 25my23 Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki held his scheduled press conference on the morning of 26 May. He referred to the 1.8% rise in new Covid-19 cases compared to the set weekly tally point for the previous week of 15-21 May,  with a rate of 10.8 victims. The governor noted, “The prevalence is tending toward a wide spread of contagion. I have requested a continuation of basic contagion countermeasures.” The governor further requested the avoidance of going outside home if feeling ill. The governor also claimed that, under  the move to the 5 grades assigned by the infectious disease law, the whole of society has become open to contagion. So, he urged an emphasis on caution, “Disinfection of hands and management of health has gone from being normal to absolutely essential!” Moreover, Public Health Department Director Itokazu explained that the hospital beds in use rate had risen from 16.4% on the set tally date of 15 May to 29.3% ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Costus,  roadside Uruma, 25my23 The Okinawa Prefectural Civil Engineering and Construction Bureau, the Southern Municipalities Committee, and the Southern Regional Municipalities Assembly Chairs Administrative Committee held an informal meeting on 25 May at the Prefectural Municipalities Hall in Naha. The participants exchanged views on the development of roads, harbors and bays. The Southern Municipalities asked that 37 requests, such as the Nanbu East Road and the Mukue River projects, be put quickly into development. The Mukue River is prone to high waters overflowing its banks during heavy rains.  The Prefecture responded that Governor Denny Tamaki has expressed his intention to convey their requests to the National Administration, when he visits Tokyo in July. Prefectural Civil Engineering and Construction Bureau Chief Masahito Aragaki suggested, “I’d like the mayor of Yaesu District to accompany the governor to Tokyo to assist him in making the reque...

Splendor of Okinawa: Sweet pea, roadside Uruma, 25my23. Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki held his scheduled press conference on the morning of 26 May. In it, he called out for caution against the tendency for Covid-19 to become again widespread. On the weekly fixed tally point of 21 May, the rate of newly infected victims reached 10.8, an increase of 1.8 over the previous weekly tally. The standard for issuing a caution for the spread of seasonal influenza is if the rate passes 10. On 29 May, the Prefecture held its Covid-19 Countermeasures Committee meeting where pertinent prefectural directors discussed countermeasures. At the meeting, Governor Tamaki again called for contagion spread countermeasures such as the wearing of approved masks, hand disinfection, proper ventilation, as well as the avoidance of leaving home when in poor health with fever, coughing, and such. For the sake of preventing infection among those at high risk, such as the elderly, the governor requested th...

Splendor of Okinawa: Shrimp plant, roadside Uruma, 25my23 On 25 May, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki visited the Sports Department and the Japan Sports Association in Tokyo. There, he submitted various documents requesting Okinawa’s hosting of the 2034 National Sports Competition (renamed after the 2024 National Physical Education Competition). Hereafter, an informal decision will be made in the application process. If Okinawa is chosen as host, it will be its first time since 1987. The formal decision on the host is expected to be in 2031. Governor Tamaki noted, “This is a perfect opportunity to promulgate the splendor of Okinawa to the entire Nation, while giving drams and hopes to our children who will carry them on to future generations. I will speak with each relevant department on how we’ll concretely develop the plan.” Original Japanese article : Kyodo Communications, published Thursday 25 May 2023 at 17:34 https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/3411674e38f50e878b5552704cba4...

Splendor of Okinawa: Moth orchid, roadside Uruma, 24my23 (TOKYO) On 25 May, Governor Denny Tamaki visited Sports Director Koji Murofushi at the Ministry of Education, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT). The governor requested that the 2034 National Sports Competition be hosted by Okinawa, stating, “Besides being an opportunity for the people of the entire prefecture to become familiar with sports, it will also offer goals for our children to carry into the next generation.” Director Murofushi replied,  “The inspection committee and board of directors will carry out that division primarily through the Japan Sports Association.” However, he then added, expressing his forward looking attitude, “I’d like to work hard to keep you in step with the Sports Association.” A cheerful ambiance pervaded the meeting. With his eye on the National Sports Competition as a tourist attraction, Governor Tamaki noted, “We can expect a ripple effect in tourism and economic activity from the competit...

Splendor of Okinawa: Dahlia, roadside Uruma, 24my23 In January of this year, the foreign cargo ship Shinkai Zu 2, registered in Panama as 8,000 tons and 140 meters in length, ran aground in the offing of Hama Island in Taketomi District. On 23 May, the Yaeyama Joint Prefectural Office requested that the shipping company remove the hull and it cargo as soon as possible. Senior staff Maritime Incident Inspector Ryu Sengen and Environmental Consultant Richard Schull, commissioned by the shipping company’s maritime insurance company, were on hand. The Prefecture requested an explanation from the relevant parties on the contents of work underway and measures to speedily complete the work to assure that there be no effects on the natural environment. The request document carried Governor Denny Tamaki‘s signature. The document, addressed to the ship’s and the cargo’s owners, requested the speedy removal of the cargo ship. According to the shipping company, procedures were progressing with the...

Splendor of Okinawa: Ramgoat dashalong, roadside Uruma, 13ap23 The US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is scheduled to be relocated within Okinawa Prefecture at Henoko in Nago. On that topic, on 19 May, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki held talks with the district mayors of Henoko in Nago where landfill work for it is in progress. They exchanged viewpoints on the impact of the relocation work, the issue of the noise from training exercises at neighboring US Military Camp Schwab, and local development.  Since he took office as governor in October of 2018, this was the first time for Governor Tamaki, who is opposed to the relocation to Henoko, to discuss the matter with the local district mayors.The district mayors represent the local neighborhood associations in the so-called Kube 3  Districts   of Henoko, Toyohara and Kushi. Governor Tamaki met the mayors at the Henoko Community Center. Their exchange of views lasted about an hour and a quarter. Only the openi...

Splendor of Okinawa: Duranta, roadside Uruma, 17ap23 15 May marked 51 years since Okinawa’s Reversion to Japan. So, on 14 May, the 51 Years Post Reversion: 15 May Prefectural People’s Rally to Preserve Peace and Livelihood, sponsored by the rally’s executive committee, was held at the Okinawa Convention Center Theater Building in Ginowan. According to the sponsor’s announcement, 1,400 gathered including participants from the 13 May Peace March and other prefectural residents to disapprove of the increase US-Japan governmental military deployment enhancements to counter the ‘Taiwan issue’ and to appeal for the realization of their island of peace where the livelihood of their prefecture’s residents will be protected. As representative of the sponsor, executive committee joint representative Keiko Higa called on the participants, gathered from across the country, urging, “Our prefecture’s people are said to have faith  that nothing is as foolish as war, nothing is as valuable as peac...

Splendor of Okinawa: Pink ladies, roadside Uruma, 17ap23 15 May marked 51 years since Okinawa’s Reversion to Japan. An article on the home page of “Mail Order Life”, published by Catalog House Co. in Shibuya, Tokyo, begins with the title, “So that Okinawa will not again become a battlefield. 15 voices from Okinawa. The article explains that for 5 days running it will present the thoughts of people born in or with intimate knowledge of Okinawa Prefecture on the topic of ‘possession of enemy base attack capability’. On 15 May, 3 people offered their opinions, Governor Denny Tamaki, Okinawa International University Professor Hironori Maedomari, and certified survivor of the 1484 victims of the Tsushima Maru Incident Keiko Taira. Faced with armed attacks in WWll, the Prefecture planned to evacuate civilians and others from the Ryukyu Islands to Kyushu. Referring to the refugee ship sunk by attack while she was on board the Tsushima Maru in 1944, Keiko Taira commented, “They were aiming for...

Splendor of Okinawa: Cape leadwort, roadside Uruma, 17ap23 Kube District 3 of Kushi in Toyama is adjacent to the new base construction site at Henoko in Nago, Okinawa. On the afternoon of 19 May, Governor Denny Tamaki began his meeting with its mayor and others at the Henoko District Community Center in Nago to exchange views. It was Governor Tamaki’s first meeting with the Kube District 3 mayor and his staff since taking office. Except for the opening of the meeting, the rest was held in private. In his opening statement, the representative for District 3, Henoko District Mayor Shigeru Shimabukuro pointed out that this visit was after 4 years and 8 months had passed since Governor Tamaki’s first election.  Then the mayor greeted the governor stating, “We have requests for you on the outcome of the trial over the progress on the replacement base facility and Camp Schwab’s unlawful revocation. On cooperation related to promotion measures for establishing an alliance between the Nati...