Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Madagascar Periwinkle, roadside Uruma, 13fe24 A plan is afloat for the construction of a Ground Self Defense Force (SDF) training ground on the abandoned site of the former Ishikawa Golf Course in Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture. However, the Okinawa Prefectural Federation of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has declared to the National Government that it will demand the reversion  of the construction plan to a blank sheet, a start from scratch. With that news, on 27 February, Okinawa Prefectural Governor Denny Tamaki stated, “I think that’s an exceptionally prudent judgment!” At the start of the Prefectural Assembly’s general question session, Dai Shimabukuro, who has been appointed chief secretary of the LDP Federation from the faction chief of the Prefectural Assembly faction of the Okinawa LDP, had declared that impression. The LDP Prefectural Federation Chief Hiroki Nakata and its Chief Secretary Shimabukuro, on behalf of the Prefectural Federation, in respons...

Splendor of Okinawa: Indian Chrysanthemum, roadside Uruma, 13fe24 Reporting errors have been reported in the 2022 Political Fund Collection Report of Governor Denny Tamaki’s support group. The governor’s support group submitted a corrected report to the Okinawa Prefectural Election Supervision Commission on 26 February. On the same day Governor Tamaki was queried at the Prefectural Office by the press squad on whether, in addition to those admitted, there were other mistakes. The governor responded, “None that I’ve heard of.” As to the amended collection report, between August and September of 2022, the prefectural branch of the Social Democratic Party clearly noted its contribution to the support group as 50 thousand yen 4 times, 30 thousand once, and 10 thousand twice, for a total of 250 thousand yen. If a single entity makes a contribution of 50,000 yen or more, that entity’s name must be recorded in the collection report. However, before amendment, the contributions in question had...

Splendor of Okinawa: Rhododendron roadside Uruma, 1fe24 Representative Ichiro Ohama (61) of the Ishigaki City Election District held a press conference in the city on 24 February. He announced his third run as the LDP  nominated candidate for the Prefectural Assembly Election, to be announced on 7 June with ballot opening scheduled for 16 June. Representative Ohama will run on a platform emphasizing the promotion of the Outer Islands, touting, “I will bring to fruition a policy of Outer Island Promotion. As the opposition party in our Prefectural Assembly, we will seize  seats to take the majority. We want to greatly strengthen our capability as a check on the Prefectural Administration. Representative Ohama is looking forward to the gubernatorial election in 2 years. He showed his desire for administrative reform by continuing his stance of policy dialogue with the National Government, noting, “I’m aiming for a prefectural administration where an administrative policy dialogu...

Splendor of Okinawa: Bauhinia, roadside Uruma, 1fe24 Governor Denny Tamaki’s support group reported his political funds accumulated in 2022. However, it has been learned that there was also a miss in recording contributions from the prefectural chapter of the Social Democratic Party. Both entities admit the error in the original documents. On 22 February, the Social Democratic Party submitted the correction to the Prefectural Election Commission. Governor Tamaki’s support group, after reviewing its report, submitted its correction on 26 February. The prefectural chapter of the Social Democratic Party made 4 contributions between August and September of 2022, each contribution was 50 thousand yen, for a total of 200 thousand yen. The governor’s support group erred in the reporting of these contributions. According to the Political Fund  Correction Law, in the case of a political contribution over 50 thousand yen from the same entity, the name of the entity must be recorded in the re...

Splendor of Okinawa: Loquat (Biwa), roadside Uruma, 1fe24 The US Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is being relocated to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture. On 24 February, it became 5 years since the Prefectural People’s Referendum when the opinion of over 70% of voters opposed the relocation’s landfill at Henoko. Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki announced his comments on the situation,  “ Without a second thought to the popular opinion shown in our Prefectural People’s Referendum, they have forced this construction on us. As citizens of Japan we have rights. I want to have you think that ‘This belongs to each and every one of us!’” However, even after the Prefectural People’s Referendum, the Government has just kept pursuing its construction. About 99,5% of the amount of rubble planned for landfill  along the southern coastline has been dumped. For all intents and purposes, the dumping there is complete In January of this year, work began on the  Oura Bay side, which has...

The Golden Squash   Kudaka Island is a small island in the sea where the morning sun rises to the east of Shuri Castle. A long time ago, there was a beautiful young woman named Umichiru living on the island.  (Shuri court attire: http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/001/images/i_s02.jpg ) Because she was such a beautiful young woman, the king at Shuri fell in love with her and made her his queen. She was soon pregnant with his child, but at that very time, he had her sent away for some reason or other. Whatever the facts, the reason claimed was that she broke wind in the presence of the king. Umichiru returned to Kudaka Island and soon bore a princely son.  Umichiru named him Matsugane. He grew up a healthy child. But even at seven, he did not know who his father was. So one day, Matsugane asked his mother, “Mom, where is my father? Why doesn’t he ever come to see me?” Surprised, his mother, not knowing how best to answer, just said curtly, “Oh, yes, him…” and looked down.  ...

  Splendor of Okinawa: Indian Shot, roadside Uruma, 1fe24 The US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is being relocated to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture. As of 24 February, it has been 5 years since the February 2019 Okinawa Prefectural Popular Referendum asking people if they were for or against landfilling there. The result was that over 70 percent of the total votes were against the landfill. Nevertheless, the National Government is continuing the relocation work. On 1 January of this year, it even set to work on landfilling an area of sea with a weak seabed Popular referendums realize the Prefectural Assembly’s passage of the legislation necessary for their execution through the collection of signatures by a citizens group. In other prefectural entities, citizen groups have requested  prefecture-wide referendums, on such issues as casino attractions or nuclear power plants, to divide those for and against, but, if the proposal is  not ratified in the loc...

  Splendor of Okinawa: Indian blanket, roadside Uruma, 1fe24 In response to queries by Okinawa Liberal Liberal Democratic Party Member Tadaki Shimajiri, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki spoke on the achievements of the activities of the Prefecture’s Washington envoy in the US, “In the 8 years between 2015 and 2022, meetings with a cumulative total of 4447 people related to the US Government, it’s Congress, and such took place. The envoy vigorously carried out his promotion of solving Okinawa’s issues with bases.”  In response to a query by Ichiro Ohama of the same party, Public Office Manager Masahito Tamari dealt with one link in lessening Okinawa’s base burden.  He brought up that Iwakuni City Assembly chairman in Yamaguchi Prefecture and others have expressed thoughts on an alliance with  the  ‘Concerned Assembly Members’ Group for Considering a Decrease in Okinawan Bases.’ Bearing in mind the group’s expressed intention of wanting to hold its next me...

Splendor of Okinawa: Monks Cress, roadside Futenma, 9fe24 A ceremony was held at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum on 20 February for the donation of a replica of the skeletal remains of a kamuysaurus dinosaur, discovered in Hokkaido. Hokkaido resident Hidetaka Ueda (78) purchased and donated the replica to the museum. The skeletal replica duplicates the fossils of the so-called ‘wondrous dinosaur’, discovered at Mukawa Town in Hokkaido, The preserved fossils of 3 such dinosaurs have been discovered, but this case is special, in that such a large number of fossilized bones were found. The Tokyo National Museum, was the first to display the skeletal replica outside of Hokkaido. So, the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum will be the second museum to possess it. When Mr. Ueda was just a baby, he experienced the air-raids of WWll. He said that on his trips to Okinawa Prefecture, the history of the Battle of Okinawa and the excessive burden of Okinawa’s bases brought pain...

Splendor of Okinawa: Nipplewort, roadside Uruma, 13fe24 (TOKYO) Fresh adjustments are planned  for the Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF) training ground at Ishikawa in Uruma. After his 20 February Cabinet meeting, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara spoke to reporters. When questioned about Governor Denny Tamaki’s request to start with a clean sheet, he dismissed it stating, “We aren’t thinking of planning from a clean sheet.” On the other hand, the minister stated,  “From the point of view of a reverential regard for the lives of the residents, we’re considering how to use the land after its purchase under a wide range of considerations. Moreover, it’s essential that we politely explain everything to everyone in the locality.” The minister also received requests from Uruma Mayor Masato Nakamura and the Okinawa Prefectural Liberal Democratic Party Federation. He stressed, “I took in their requests seriously.” Moreover, he ordered their consideration by the bureau director in charge...

Splendor of Okinawa: Coleus, roadside Uruma, 13 fe24 The selection meeting for the Third Okinawa City Ryuka (Ryukyuan poetry style) Grand Prize (sponsored by the Okinawa City Cultural Association, backed by the Ryukyu Shimpo Co.) was held recently. A poem by Uryo Tamashiro (64) of Okinawa City was selected for the grand prize. For this prize, ryuka poems were publicly solicited on the theme of ‘hibiscus’, the Okinawa City Flower. Mr. Tamashiro’s poem reads in English: “A single red hibiscus that my honored father planted in the garden still blooms, charged with his grace.” (Ryukyuan): Tada hitochi sachoru Na- nu akabana wo Mi usa mutasanaya Gu un kumiti Mr. Tamashiro is actually the pen name of Denny Tamaki, employed as our Okinawa Prefecture Governor. Last year as well, he offered a poem for the Okinawa City Ryuka Grand Prize, but only received an honorable mention award. Governor Tamaki explained his poem thus, “Last year my father-in-law died at 98 years of age. He was an honest c...