With its unifying force of single issue criticism waning, All Okinawa hits a crossroads. (29de23)

Splendor of Okinawa: Wood Sorrel, roadside Uruma, 26de23


“The use of proxy to crush democracy is unjust!”, say opponents, but the Administration used proxy to approve design changes in construction for the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago.


In response, on 28 December, the All Okinawa Conference, which supports Governor Denny Tamaki, sharply criticized the Administration at its meeting in Naha.


However, there was also criticism for All Okinawa itself for strengthening its confrontational approach to the National Government in its single issue preoccupation with opposition to Henoko. The protest activities pleading opposition to Henoko are facing a crossroads where the All Okinawa power no longer has its former strength.


At a study session held by All Okinawa on the evening of 26 December on the topic ‘How shall we fight back against this unjust ruling?’, a female participant raised the question, “Even if we appeal to the Supreme Court, proxy will still be used. Will it come to the point where Henoko must be stopped by force?”


An administrative law expert, invited as a lecturer, calmed her ardor with, “It may be fun to end up talking about forceful obstruction, but we can’t  talk about anything so irresponsible.” He entrusted his hopes to the Supreme Court’s ‘enlightened judgment’.


In the 2014 gubernatorial election, All Okinawa concentrated its energy on Takeshi Onaga, who won the governorship on touting his opposition to the Henoko relocation. In 2018, after the death of governor Onaga, it supported his successor, Governor Tamaki. In February of 2019, All Okinawa gained a huge influence in the prefecture in becoming the driving force behind the realization of the Prefectural People’s Referendum which asked whether or not there should be landfilling at Henoko.


However after that, All Okinawa’s support has been gradually on the wane. Its power to unify has eroded and its influential members, such as conservative Assembly members and businessmen, have been falling away.


Governor Tamaki clings to his ‘popular will’ to battle judicial decisions, but does that really reflect the opinion of the majority of the prefecture’s people?


The Liberal Democratic Party Prefectural Federation Headquarters pointed out, “There’s also ‘approval’ for our proposals for regional stimulation in the popular will in Okinawa, which is beyond ‘for’ and ‘against’.


The popular will of Okinawa just now is standing at a huge fork in its path.


Original Japanese article: Sankei Shimbun, published Thursday 28 December 2023 at 21:28. Byline Naoki Ohtake.  https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/a4e5333359a499ad3ac1377047e9ef8decdbddfb


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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