Final maneuvering for Okinawa governor’s “No approval!” for design changes in Henoko construction. (25de23)

Splendor of Okinawa: Carnation, roadside Futenma, 22de23


The Defense Ministry requested design changes in construction to shore up the weak seabed at Henoko in Nago, the site of its planned relocation, within Okinawa Prefecture, of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan. The Naha Branch of the Fukuoka High Court, in its ruling on a suit over the exercise of proxy, has ordered Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki to approve the changes by 25 December.


However, we have confirmed in coverage of sources in the Prefecture that final maneuvering is underway toward the governor not giving his approval within the 25 December deadline. The governor’s final decision will be made on 25 December. 


If the governor does not give his approval, it appears that National Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito, who manages the Public Water Surface Landfill Law, will step over the governor to approve the design changes in place of him through the exercise of proxy, relying on the Regional Autonomy Law.


Governor Tamaki has been hospitalized with pneumonia since 21 December. However, he has held meeting after meeting remotely with his Prefectural Headquarters and lawyers, Prefectural Assembly members from the ruling administration, and administration legal staff.


According to Prefecture sources, the governor is considering running the course of his stance in opposition to the Henoko relocation going forward, in acceptance of his responsibility to the prefecture’s people, following his pattern of contemplating the difficulty of passing judgment on the approval.


The exercise of proxy is a measure whereby the National Government, in cases where a governor is negligent in the exercise of his ‘legally entrusted duties’ and such given to him for administration of his prefecture, takes over administration in place of the governor.


If the Government use the Regional Autonomy Law for administration by exercise of proxy, the measure will be without precedent. Nonetheless, as soon as the Defense Ministry receives the approval, it plans to quickly set to work in accord with the design changes.


The Prefecture can appeal up to the Supreme Court, but, barring a reversal of the Government’s wins at the High Court, the construction work is unstoppable. Any appeal must be made by 27 December.


The weak seabed was discovered at a sea area of 111 hectares sited for landfill on the east side of  the US Military Camp Schwab. Since April of 2017, construction has been ongoing in one part of its protected shore. However, large scale shoring up of the seabed has become necessary. In April of 2020, the Defense Ministry asked the Prefecture to approve design changes for it. 


However, in November of 2021, Governor Tamaki handled the matter by refusing his approval. In the suit filed by National Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito over the exercise of proxy, the Naha Branch of the Fukuoka High Court totally accepted the National Government’s requests, and ordered Governor Tamaki to grant his approval to the design changes.


Original Japanese article: Mainichi Shimbun, published Saturday 23 December at 15:44: Byline: Hiroshi Higa.   https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/eb4769f16c9ea47c301fbd781b8e510c83509ad0


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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