Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki deepens understanding of base issues at his lecture in Nagasaki, “The Japan-US Security Alliance requires discussion among our Nation’s people!” (25jy23)


Splendor of Okinawa: Treasure Flower, roadside Uruma, 30jn23


On 19 July, Okinawa Prefecture held its Talk Caravan in Nagasaki City to foster the opportunity to link getting a deeper understanding of the base issue to a  discussion among the people of our Nation on its solution.


Governor Denny Tamaki urged, “The issue of the Japan-US Security Alliance is not a problem for Okinawa alone. We would like to have the people of our Nation, each and every one of us, consider the alliance as our own  matter and discuss it among ourselves.”


Governor Tamaki explained the present situation of Okinawa’s burden of bases. At this very moment, 70% of land in our Nation allocated to the US Military is centered in Okinawa. This creates an impact on the people of his prefecture in various ways, such as US Military related crimes, accidents, noise pollution, and pollution of water and land resources.


The governor strongly urged a solution to the base issues with a revision of the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the removal, as quickly as possible, of the dangerous US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan, and the cancellation of its relocation to Henoko in Nago.


The possession of retaliatory capability, contained in 3 documents of the US-Japan Security Treaty, is being justified by the tense environment in the US-Japan Security Alliance. In response to the National Government's hasty defense reinforcement, the governor stressed, “Quite to the contrary, tensions in the region have only been raised. We absolutely mustn’t let an unexpected accident occur.” 


On his independent regional diplomacy, the governor stated, “We’re aggressively using the soft power of the history and culture that Okinawa has always had. We would like to contribute to the development of Asia-Pacific regional peace and its endurance.”


The governor’s Talk Caravan started in 2019 and has covered 10 cities so far. Including his online audience, 350 people heard this lecture. Among others, Associate Professor Keiko Nakamura of the Nagasaki University Center for Research on Nuclear Weapons Abolition also presented a talk session.

　

This was Governor Tamaki’s first visit to Nagasaki since taking office in 2018. He also laid flowers at the Prayer for Peace Statue at Peace Park and toured the Atomic Bomb Museum.


At the Prefectural Office, the governor held discussions with Nagasaki Vice-Governor Maki Ura and at the City Hall with Mayor Shiro Suzuki. 


Original Japanese article: Nagasaki Shimbun, published Thursday 20 July 2023 at 11:30.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/1dfbfd71934a4b5efd3807a8df4efe2aa96366d7


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. 


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. 


Any suggestion on improving the translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.


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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