Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Ipomoea, roadside Futenma, 28jn24 (URUMA) In 1965, a US Military jet fighter from the US Military Kadena Air Force Base crashed at Miyamori Elementary School and its surrounding residential area in Ishikawa, now part of Uruma City. 18 people, including children were killed and 210 severely injured in the accident that occurred on this date, 30 June, in 1965. So, a memorial ceremony was held at the school to commemorate it. About 250 victims and  bereaved families formed a procession to pray for the repose of those who died. On 30 June at Ishikawa’s Miyamori Elementary School in Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture, Yutaka Umisedo sang a song that he had composed in memory of the victims of the Miyamori jet crash. The ceremony was sponsored by the Ishikawa Miyamori Jet Crash Bereaved Families Association and the Miyamori 630 (= June 30) Association. At the “Friendly Buddha” monument stone, bearing the engraved names of the victims, a thousand paper cranes and sunflowers, ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Lantana: roadside Futenma, 28jn24 In Okinawa Prefecture, a young girl has been sexually assaulted. It came to light on 28 June, that there had been a new rape by a US Military serviceman. Outrage erupted in the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly and among the prefectural people that harm had been inflicted on a female victim. As in prior such incidents, there was no notification given to the Prefecture and that further spread the uproar across party lines. Immediately on the opening of the Prefectural Assembly on 28 June, a Special Committee on US Bases was set up. Furthermore, the discussion of a proposal for resolutions and opinions on a  letter of protest to be issued to both the US and Japanese Governments was initiated. That letter is expected to be issued, crossing lines of party factions, both liberal and conservative,. After explanations by the leadership, the arrangement of the wording will proceed quickly. Liberal Democratic Party Prefectural (LDP) Federati...

Splendor of Okinawa: Great Bougainvillea, roadside Futenma, 10jn24 In December of 2023, a senior US Air Force airman criminally assaulted a young girl. So, on 27 June, Kadena Air Base 18th Wing Commander Brigadier Gerneral Nicholas B. Evans and the US Consul General for Okinawa Prefecture Matthew Dolbow visited the Okinawa Prefectural Office To Vice-governor Takekuni Ikeda, they stated, “With deep concern over this incident, we will consider with our regrets how worry has been caused to everyone.” There was no word of apology. In the name of Governor Denny Tamaki, Vice-governor Ikeda read out and passed to them the governor’s letter of protest, “Such a contemptibly inhuman crime, carried out by one of your US servicemen, is nothing but an enormously vicious trampling on a woman’s human rights.  It’s totally unforgivable, and the strength of our outrage will remain in our memories. In addition, this crime has caused strong unease among our prefecture’s people, in carrying on their d...

Splendor of Okinawa: Philippine Ground Orchid, roadside Uruma, 4jn24 A US Air Force airman attached to the US Military Kadena Air Base, spread across the town of Kadena and others in Okinawa Prefecture, has been indicted on the crimes of abduction with indecent intent and non-consensual sexual intercourse. In relation to the event, Kadena Air Base 18th Wing Commander Brigadier General Nicholas B. Evans and the US Consul General for Okinawa Prefecture Matthew Dolbow visited the Okinawa Prefectural Office on 27 June. They explained their response to the crime to Vice-governor Takekuni Ikeda. The Vice-governor read out Governor Denny Tamaki’s letter of protest to them, namely, “This is an exceedingly gross infringement of a woman’s human rights. It’s something totally unforgivable.!” He further demanded an apology and compensation from the accused, as well as effective measures to prevent any recurrence of such crimes.  Brigadier General Evan’s responded, “We are deeply concerned over...

Splendor of Okinawa: Treasure Flower, roadside Uruma, 4jn24 In December of 2023, a girl under 16, who resides in the prefecture, was taken to a house  by car and subjected to such crimes as indecent action without consent, indecent abduction, and non-consensual sexual intercourse. It was learned on 25 June, that the Naha District Regional Prosecutor had indicted an American senior airman (male: 25) in the US Air Force. This was confirmed by Regional Prosecution and Prefectural Police records. Although knowing full well about the indictment for about 3 months, the Foreign Ministry failed to inform the Prefecture of it. On 25 June, Governor Denny Tamaki showed his strong indignation over the occurrence of the incident, noting, “This is a case of trampling on the dignity of a young girl!” He further criticized the Foreign Ministry, quipping, “This is nothing but an invitation for distrust.” The indictment was issued on 27 March. The Prefectural Police  cooperated with investigati...

Splendor of Okinawa: Velvetleaf Soldier Bush, roadside Uruma, 17jn24 Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki will appear on stage at the Fuji Rock Festival, the top-rated outdoor music event in the Nation, to be held for 3 days from 26 June in the town of Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture. On 28 June, the governor will discuss the theme “Democracy and Autonomy” with journalist Daisuke Tsuda at its  “Atomic Cafe” talk show event. The governor’s appearance on stage at the event was confirmed to employees during the Prefectural Office internal broadcast “Morning Smile”. This will be the governor’s second appearance at the event, after his first in 2019. Governor Tamaki spoke about the significance of his appearance, “Okinawa bears an excessive burden of bases, with the construction of the new base at Henoko and more. I’d like to have everyone outside our prefecture consider this as their own personal issue!” In the 2019 event, during his discussion, the governor also played his guitar. This time, to...

Splendor of Okinawa: Egyptian Starcluster, roadside Futenma, 26ap24 The Defense Ministry has firmed up its plan to deploy an Air Self Defense Force relocatable radar alert system along with its crew to Okinawa Prefecture’s Kita Daito Village. At his morning press conference on 24 June, Governor Denny Tamaki responded to related press queries, “We haven’t yet  received notice of that matter from the department in charge of the section for base policy. We’d like to confirm the details.” According to Government sources, an official from the Okinawa Defense Bureau will visit Kita Daito Village on 27 June. It seems that the official is scheduled to formally explain the deployment plan. Concerning the Self Defense Deployment to Kita Daito Village, the village and the Diet submitted a letter of intent to make an invitation to the Defense Ministry in December of 2021 Last July, the Defense Ministry explained to residents the situation and such for considering the deployment. The relocatabl...

Splendor of Okinawa: Twins Fujiko and Tokiko, taken from our world just as they had bloomed into it, their names engraved with the all too many  at Mabuni. (23jn24) On 23 June, Okinawa comes to grips with its Remembrance Day for the Dead, when organized combat was concluded 79 years ago in the Battle of Okinawa, which developed into a tragic maelstrom of ground, sea, and air combat that sucked in large numbers of common civilians. Mabuni in the city of Itoman in Okinawa Island’s south was the scene of its final bloody battle. On this day, there, at its Stone Walls of Peace cenotaphs and elsewhere, at monuments to the souls of the dead and battle site remains, at every place in Okinawa Prefecture, crowds will come to visit and renew their pledges to everlasting world peace. Governor Denny Tamaki there also will declare his message, “Our sacred duty, our mission, is to create a society of peace. At noon, he will call for a moment of silence on this Remembrance Day for the Dead. ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Galphimia Gracilis, roadside Ginowan, 21jn24 The US Miliary Naha Port and Bay Facility (Naha Military Port, with an area of about 56 hectares) in Naha is to be relocated. An official from the Defense Ministry’s Okinawa Defense Bureau charged with the relocation visited the Okinawa Prefectural Office on 21June. The official explained that seabed surveys would begin in July at the relocation site for construction of the substitute facility in the offing of Urasoe, in the same prefecture. However, the explanation was not given publicly. According to the Prefecture,  survey inspections and magnetic probes will will begin on 10 July. A plan for the start of boring surveys was also announced for the middle of that month. Moreover, it seems that the official explained that, after the first environmental assessment for the start of the work, a planning stage environmental impact assessment, to gather the results of points of environmental conservation concern, would be...

Splendor of Okinawa: Philippine Ground Orchid, roadside Uruma, 4jn24 A substitute facility is to be constructed for the US Military Naha Port and Bay Facility (with an area of about 56 hectares) in Naha. The Defense Ministry has firmed up its plan to start work in July with an inspection for a weak seabed at the destination site in the offing of Okinawa Prefecture’s Urasoe. The activity will proceed at full tilt offshore for the relocation. Both the US and the Japanese Governments presumed the return of the Naha Military Port to Japan in the 1974 relocation agreement.  In 1996, the offing at Urasoe was proposed as the destination for the relocation. In October of 2022, an agreement among the Prefecture, Naha City, and Urasoe was reached for the substitute facility to be constructed in Urasoe. The scheduled construction site will be on 49 hectares offshore to be landfilled, and fitted out with a sea wall and warehouses. According to sources, the Defense Ministry will begin the inves...