Yet to respond to the recommendation on the relocation to Henoko, Governor Denny Tamaki asserts, “Approval is difficult within their time limit.” (29se23)


Splendor of Okinawa: Purslane, roadside Uruma, 31au23


The US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is to be relocated to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture. The National Land and Transport Ministry issued a recommendation that the Prefecture accept requested design changes for the work by 27 September. 


However, on 27 September, Governor Denny Tamaki responded, “Approval is difficult within their time limit.” In response to what seems to be his stalling, criticism against the governor within and outside the prefecture is rising.


Since the Prefecture has not responded to its recommendation,  the Ministry may soon turn it into a more strongly binding directive.


If the Prefecture fails to respond to that, the Ministry expects to file another lawsuit. If the Government wins the suit, it will be in a position to grant acceptance of the changes by proxy in place of the Prefecture.


On 27 September, in answer to queries from the press corps on the reason for his “Approval is difficult“, the governor gave responses such as, “It’s essential that, from now, I analyze opinions of my administration’s top management, in line with those of our prefecture’s residents and scholars.”


The background of this issue is that the Prefecture refused to give permission for design changes, requested by the Ministry of Defense, in work to shore up the weak seabed at Henoko.


In a lawsuit fought over the propriety of the Government’s disposition of the matter, the Supreme Court ruled the Prefecture’s claims void on 4 September. Thus, an obligation arose for the Prefecture to accept the changes.


But after 2 weeks had passed since the Court’s ruling without the Prefecture’s acceptance, the National Land and Transport Ministry issued a recommendation to accept the changes to the Prefecture, expecting to elicit a response from Governor Tamaki.


Meanwhile, Governor Tamaki was attending a session of the UN Human Rights Council being held in Geneva, Switzerland. There he gave speeches pleading his opposition to the relocation of the Futenma base to Henoko and criticized Government defense policies.


In response to the governor’s actions, the opposition Liberal Democratic Party Federation Headquarters strengthened their criticism and doubts even in the Prefectural Assembly, noting, “The governor isn’t responding to the recommendation, because he’s just stalling for time. He’s deviating from constitutionalism’s basics. We’ll strictly investigate the matter in the Prefectural Assembly.”


Original Japanese article: Sankei Shimbun, published Wednesday 27 September 2023 at 13:03.  https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/a816c6640fad8536cf25657e25acf1f20b3f29f3


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 my 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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