Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Doubtful Knight’s Spur, roadside Futenma, 26ap24 Ishigaki City’s ocean inspection ship surveyed the area around Senkaku Island, which is within its administrative area in Okinawa Prefecture. It returned to Ishigaki Port around 6:40 p.m. on 26 April. The same night it is said to be scheduled to depart port again for Senkaku after a crew change. Among those on board the ocean survey ship were Ishigaki City Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama and Professor Yoshihiko Yamada of Tokai University, commissioned by the city for the inspection. In the vicinity of Iotsuri Island, a drone equipped with an infrared camera was used to survey the extent of environmental damage, such as the harm done to vegetation by goats. The Japanese Government does not allow landings on Iotsuri Island. However, for his survey, Ishigaki City plans to request the Government for an inspection ashore.  After his return to port, Mayor Nakayama emphasized, “It was an especially significant inspection. Howe...

Splendor of Okinawa: Purpletop Vervain, roadside Futenma, 26ap24 It has been 72 years since  the San Francisco Peace Treaty came into effect on 28 April 1952, which cut post-war Okinawa off from Japan and placed it under US Government authority, the so-called Day of Humiliation. 　、 Even after Okinawa’s reversion to Japan, that treaty still invites the concentration of bases in that prefecture. In the 1950s, movements in opposition to US Military bases in Japan spread widely. The outcry over the occurrence of crimes and accidents emanating from the US bases, as well as citizen movements for peace, which flared up with such opportunities, caused the withdrawal of the US Marines from Yamanishi, Shizuoka, and Gifu Prefectures.  However, the Marines were redeployed to Okinawa, which was the under US Government administration. Ever since then, the majority of Marines in Japan seem to get placed in Okinawa Okinawa was reverted to Japan’s control on 15 May 1972. At that time, the tota...

Splendor of Okinawa: Queen’s Wreath, roadside Uruma, 26ap24 Regional municipalities and the Prefecture have requested that no further parachute jump practices be carried out at the US Military Kadena Air Force Base. In response, on 26 April, Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, Commander, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan. Revealed that the exercises would continue, but noted, “For the present, we’ll only carry out the exercises once a month. The next one is scheduled for the end of May.” The same day, Governor Denny Tamaki and the Kadena Town Assembly expressed absolute concern and protest over the normalization of the parachute drops. During an interview within Kadena Base with media companies, Commander Evans responded with the  explanation that the exercises would continue within his base, until repairs at the Iejima Auxiliary Airfield were completed. However, the commander avoided statements about the state of the Iejima Base repairs. Infantry at Kadena Air Base have already received tr...

Splendor of Okinawa: Rose of Sharon, roadside Uruma, 11ap24 The US Military Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa Prefecture has been conducting parachute jump exercises within the base recently. In response, at his scheduled press conference on the morning of 26 April, Governor Denny Tamaki revealed that he is making arrangements to go to Tokyo in early May to make requests and protest the exercises. The governor stated, “The parachute drop exercises should be carried on outside Japan, but at least outside our prefecture,” during the time until the maintenance is completed at the Iejima Auxiliary Airfield, As a rule, the parachute drop exercises are carried out at the Iejima Auxiliary Airfield. However, because the auxiliary airfield runway is unusable, the US Military is continuing its exercise at Kadena, as an exception. The Japanese Government also accepts such use as exceptional. Original Japanese article : Okinawa Times, published Friday 26 April 2024 at 11:33.   https://news.yaho...

Splendor of Okinawa: Trailing Shrub Verbena, roadside Uruma, 21mr4 On 24 April, Governor Denny Tamaki visited Ishigaki City for an administrative inspection. At the city hall, he exchanged opinions with City Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama. Mayor Nakayama requested 9 items, including an upgrade in the capability of the New Ishigaki Airport in view of its designation as a “special use airport”. Governor Tamaki did not lose his composure over the designation of special use airport to the New Airport. This was Governor Tamaki’s first visit to Ishigaki City since taking office, and the first for a governor since 25 years ago in 1999. Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama pleaded for the upgrading of the capabilities of the airport, noting, “Our Nation has indicated the assignment of designated use airport to our New Ishigaki Airport. However, the airport is managed by the Prefecture. So, without the Prefecture’s help, the airport upgrade can’t happen. Needless to say, our discussions are essential.” He also p...

Splendor of Okinawa: Shell Ginger, roadside Uruma, 19ap24 On 18 April, Governor Denny Tamaki inspected the site, left vacant in a former housing area of the US Military Camp Zukeran in Ginowan’s Nishi Futenma, for the relocation of Ryukyu University Hospital.  After hearing explanations of the project from Ryukyu University President Mutsumi Nishida, Ryukyu University Hospital Director Yusuke Ohya, and Ginowan Mayor  Masanori Matsukawa, governor Tamaki stated, “This project gives us great expectations for ever more progress in the level of our regional health care.” Ryukyu University Hospital will open in January next year and it’s School of Medicine is expected to open the same April. According to President Nishida, the facility is about 90% complete and surmises there will be a viewing of the inside in December Ford those concerned. Hospital Director Ohya explained the facility’s advanced features, such as the introduction of a sports related rehabilitation capacity. He also...

  Splendor of Okinawa: Chinese Hibiscus, roadside Uruma, 21ap24 On 21 April, Governor Denny Tamaki inspected the runway of the US Military Iejima Auxiliary Airfield. According to the US Military, because the runway of the Iejima Auxiliary Airfield is still under maintenance, parachute drop exercises have been carried out at Kadena Air Base instead for the past 5 months. A message seems to have  been transmitted to the governor from the US Military, advising, “We will notify both the Prefecture and Ie Village when the results of our drilling survey come out.” On 21 April, Governor Tamaki  visited Iejima to participate in its Peace and Prayer Ceremony. There, he received an invitation from Ie Village Mayor Masahide Nashiro to inspect the airfield runway. It seems there was a notification from the US Military suggesting a prolongment of repairs, “Now the thickness of the runway surface is between 30 and 40 centimeters. If we take some more time, we think we might be able to ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Moth Orchid, roadside Uruma, 21ap24 The US Futenma Airfield stands right in a residential district of Ginowan City in Okinawa Prefecture. 12 April marked 28years since the Japan-US governmental agreement that it be completely reverted to Japan. However, the expectation at the time of a reversion in 5-7 years has not matched reality. It will take at least another ten years plus from now to complete work on the relocation site in Nago’s Henoko district, where the Government is pushing forward with its construction. In 1995, a young girl was raped by US soldiers. This situation added to the continuing discontent of prefectural residents over Okinawa’s excessive burden of US Military bases. In response, on 12 April 1996, both the US and Japan agreed to the reversion of Futenma Airfield, since it was surrounded by city streets. But, there was a provision that “the base will be relocated within the prefecture”. So, the Japanese Government proceeded to push a plan involvi...

Splendor of Okinawa: Coppertone Stonecrop, roadside Futenma, 19ap24 On 21 April, Ie Village in Okinawa Prefecture held its Prayer for Peace Ritual at Perfumed Spirits Monument in its Nishi Ie District to commemorate its war dead. About 150 people, including Mayor Masahide Nashiro and Governor Denny Tamaki, attended to offer their bow in the moment of silence. 21 April, 79 years ago, was the day the battle for Ie Island ended in the Okinawa campaign. Every year since, Ie Village has held its commemoration of that day. Before the plaque inscribed with the name Masashige Yamashiro (=山城真繁?), her father, Toko Kurashita (=蔵下登子?) (80), from Kawahira in Ie Village,  prayed, “Please protect us from another war!” 　 Visiting in her wheelchair from her home in Okinawa City, along with 11 relatives, Kinuko Shimabukuro (89) clasped her hands in prayer for her father, Takesuke Miyagi (=宮城武助?), who died in the battle for Ie Island. She assured his spirit, “Your family is still here and healthy. Th...

Splendor of Okinawa: Clematis, roadside Futenma, 19ap24 For five months straight as of the afternoon of 19 April, the US Military has been conducting continuous parachute jump training at Kadena Air Base. In response, on the same day, Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki issued his statement on the training. In it he referred to the repair work at the Iejima auxiliary airfield cited as the reason for using Kadena Air Base instead. The governor criticized such use noting, “We can understand the necessity of the situation until the repair work is completed. But it’s not a stretch to say that the exercises are irresponsible while there’s still no strategic plan.” Original Japanese article : Ryukyu Shimpo, published Saturday 20 April 2024 at 18:00.   https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/32667ff81042e0d1fdf4c96b9491dba0b03f53cb 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 tou...