Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Slender Dwarf Morning Glory, roadside Uruma, 30oc 23 In Shiga Prefecture, plans are proceeding for the deployment of Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF) Ospreys at the new GSDF base being constructed near Shiga Port in Shiga City,  On 29 November,  a secret Osprey flight exercise at Metabaru GSDF Base in Kamine, Yoshinogari-cho, Saga Prefecture and a briefing for municipal staff and assembly members were held. Another exercise was scheduled for 30 November as well.However, on news of the Osprey accident, the base canceled it. On 29 November, Governor Yoshinari Yamaguchi spoke to the press regarding the crash of the US Military aircraft. He stated “If the accident took place during normal activity, then, what happened? In that case, I have grave concerns. So, I’ll have a good talk with the Defense Ministry and the US Military. I want them to submit their reports to me immediately.” On 29 November as well, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki, whose prefect...

  Splendor of Okinawa: Purple Heart, roadside Uruma, 30oc23 The US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is to be relocated to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture. However, the Prefecture refused to give permission for alterations in its plans.  So, the National Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Ministry voided the Prefecture’s refusal. Considering the Ministry’s action illegal, the Prefecture appealed to a regional court for the Ministry’s ruling to be voided.  However, the Naha Regional Court simply dismissed the Prefecture’s appeal. Since the Prefecture found that court’s dismissal of its suit objectionable, on 28 November it appealed to the Naha Branch of the Fukuoka High Court.  On 15 November, the Naha Regional Court had simply dismissed the Prefecture’s suit without even recognizing its standing to sue.　Governor Denny Tamaki released his comment on the affair, “If the contents of the Court’s ruling is not in agreement with regional autonomy as prescrib...

Splendor of Okinawa: Crested Philippine Violet, roadside Uruma, 13no23 The governor ended his Taiwan trip, as one element of his regional diplomacy, on the morning of 27 November. After his return from the trip, which lasted from 23 to 25 November, on his first way back to work at the Prefectural Office, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki spoke to the press corps. He expressed his satisfaction with the visit, “Considering the timing, it was an especially good Taiwan trip.” He also emphasized the trip’s success, noting, “I was greeted enthusiastically by each and every group and we were able to exchange ideas.” The governor expressed his wishes for regional diplomacy with each East Asian nation, such as the Philippines and Singapore, joined in ASEAN, the association of  East Asian countries, noting, “As soon as possible, I’m considering making as many visits as I can.”  Among the governor’s visits in Taiwan were  the computer manufacturer TCA (Computex Taipei) and th...

Splendor of Okinawa: Madagascar periwinkle, roadside Uruma, 13no23 On 23 November, a rally was held at Onoyama Park Athletic Ground in Naha to protest the accelerated defensive build-up of the ‘Southwest (Ryukyu) Shift’. According to the event sponsor, ‘Prefectural People’s Committee to Never Again Let Okinawa Become a Battleground’, composed of 65 citizen groups, 10,000 people were in attendance. Peace groups from every locality announced their activities and adopted a declaration requesting peace through dialogue. In recent years, the Self Defense Force (SDF) has set up bases in Okinawa one after another, in Yonaguni, Miyako, and Ishigaki Islands. Consideration is even now underway with an eye to preparing airports, harbors, and bays in the defense posture reinforcement.  This has brought multiple civic groups together, wrapped in a feeling of impending crisis. Then the ‘3 Security Documents’ adopted by the Cabinet last year provided the impetus to prepare for this rally. Youth R...

The Dragon and the Centipede   One hot summer day a dragon came down from heaven to take a sound afternoon nap in the shade of a tree, since even heaven doesn’t have anything so relaxing as shady trees.  Along came a centipede, panting in the blaze of the sun, with his tiny multiply paired legs scurrying to escape the awful heat. “Ah, what luck! This looks like a nice cool hole,” said the centipede, not realizing that the hole before him was the dragon’s ear. So, in the blink of an eye, he was out of the sun and in exactly the kind of cool hole he’d been looking for.. (A centipede: http://gaygamer.net/2007/05/centipedes_millipedes_and_cata_1.html) The dragon suddenly raised his splendid beard in surprise and opened his eyes. “Hey, what the devil is that?” he cried and, feeling something crawling in his ear, began shaking his head around and whacking his ear with his giant foot..         Now it was the centipede in the dragon’s ear that was ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Rain lily, roadside Uruma, 19no23 On 24 November, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki is on a visit to Taiwan. He is holding discussions with groups involved in IT, trade, business and such, as well as with representatives of organizations opening windows to Japan. Governor Tamaki last visited Taiwan in May of 2019. This time, he will be staying in Taiwan from 23 to 25 November. On 25 November, the governor will hold discussions with representatives of groups tasked with promoting Taiwan trade cultural exchanges between Taiwan and Okinawa. Governor Tamaki is continuing his ‘regional diplomacy’ for a decrease in tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, as in his July visit to the Chinese city Beijing and the province of Fujian. On 11 November, however, the public relations officer of the Chinese Embassy in Japan objected to Governor Tamaki’s Taiwan visit, with announcements such as, “China can be resolutely opposed to the visit, since various formal exchange proced...

Splendor of Okinawa: Mexican Petunia, roadside Uruma, 17no23 Before going off on his Taiwan visit, Governor Denny Tamaki hustled to the rally site decked out in his Yonaguni  woven flower-patterned kariyushi (Okinawa designed) shirt of yellow, the color shared by those sensing the crisis of war.  As the governor mounted the stage to applause and finger-whistling, he gazed across the participants assembled under the blue sky, and then greeted them in Ryukyuan, “ Achisaibinya-! Chu-ganabira sai! (It’s hot! It’s great to see you all today).” Referring to the art event that he had attended in the rally site before mounting the stage, the governor applauded the participants, “This rally has concentrated the thoughts and feelings of young people and multitudes of others.” During his speech of about 5 minutes, the word ‘absurdity’ was repeated 3 times. The governor brought up Okinawa’s history during the Battle of Okinawa and its US Military rule. He noted that, although 51 years h...

Splendor of Okinawa: Tree Marigold, roadside Uruma, 19no23 According to the sponsors’ announcement, over 10 thousand participated in the ‘23 November Prefectural People’s Mass Rally’, held on 23 November at Onoyama Park’s Athletic Ground in Naha to promulgate the creation of peace through dialogue to the world, in opposition to the military build up in Okinawa by the Japanese and US Governments. The participants assembled to request that Okinawa never again have to deal with either the victims of war or their assailants. They adopted their resolution, “In unity with our whole Nation and the whole world, we proclaim, outside and inside Japan our commitment to end war!” In the wake of the Cabinet decision on the 3 Security Documents in 2022, the Government acted to reinforce the Self Defense Force in the Ryukyu Islands. Suddenly engulfed in a sense of peril,  prefectural residents countered by organizing the ‘Prefectural People’s Committee to Never Again Allow Okinawa to Become a Bat...

Splendor of Okinawa: Ruellia Elagabalus, roadside Uruma, 19no23 On 22 November, a military man-made intelligence satellite was launched by North Korea using ballistic missile technology. On the news of it, the Crisis Management Response Headquarters Committee met at the Prefectural Office. At the meeting, Governor Denny Tamaki stressed, “The launch was pushed up prior to the notification period. We must complain about how regrettable it was that the people of the prefecture were subjected to such a scare.” He also confirmed that there was no damage from fallen debris. Due to the J-alert orders, since all staff were evacuated to within the buildings at Naha Airport , aircraft were left standing on the runway apron. As a result of the launch also, the Yui-Rail (the monorail in Okinawa’s capital) had all its lines shut down for about 30 minutes. At Ishigaki City on the morning of 22 November, in response to our coverage, Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama opined, “The whole thing is just a pain! A...

  Splendor of Okinawa: Fairy lantern, roadside Uruma, 13no23 “If we flee, where should we go?” A missile launched from North Korea was passing somewhere overhead. The J-Alert all-Japan instant alert system was blaring out orders in the middle of Okinawa’s night on 21 November. Along with the screeching sirens, calls to seek refuge were broadcast again and again from the disaster loudspeakers. Staff at the municipalities rushed about confirming whether or not there had been any damage. Downtown in Makishi, a company employee from Fukuoka Prefecture on business in Naha, Shingo Ono (49), stated, “While I was having a drink, suddenly I was startled by sirens, just like air-raid alerts, blaring away. I panicked, since, even if I were to flee for safety, I had no idea where to go.”  Also in Makishi, a male taxi driver (49) stated,”Since this is a small island, if a missile were to strike here, really, there’s no place to flee. What are we supposed to do? No matter how much we protes...