Censure motion proposal against Governor Denny Tamaki for not approving the request for design changes at Henoko rejected at the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly. (25oc23)


Splendor of Okinawa: Egyptian star luster, roadside Uruma, 18oc23


The US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is slated for relocation to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa. The construction work for it came up as a topic at the final session of the Okinawa Assembly (48 members) on 23 October.


Assembly members of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and neutral factions proposed a motion of censure against Governor Denny Tamaki, but it lacked enough yes votes and was defeated.


In the proposed motion, the opposition criticized Governor Tamaki because he refused to approve the Government’s request for design changes needed to shore up Henoko’s weak seabed. Moreover, it was claimed that the governor did not even obey the Supreme Court’s ruling that rejected the Prefecture’s claims. 


The opposition asserted, “The governor has repeatedly acted more and more against our Constitutional Government!  He’s chipping away at the faculties and very nature that has let our regional autonomy endure.”


In their rebuttal, supporters of the ruling party claimed, “Time after time, our prefecture’s residents have expressed their popular will in opposition to the Henoko landfill. So, the Supreme Court decision was an unjust ruling!”


Original Japanese article: Yomiuri Shimbun, published Tuesday 24 October 2023 at 17:10

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4ae7c68f99fb7c027272460f3702da4f743b0166


Translator’s note:


Back in the seemingly prehistoric times of my youth, when an acquaintance asked, “May I smoke?”, the only polite answer was, “Of course!” If one were so incredibly uncouth as to respond, “Actually, please don’t. The smoke is bad for my health!”, the smoker would simply light up, and quip righteously, “Sorry, but I need a smoke.”


I’d thought the 21st century’s assurance that now “No means No!” had become a generally accepted social principle. But today’s story proves me deluded.


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

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