Exhibit of photos taken by civilians at the Okinawa International University helicopter crash 20 years ago. (14au24).

Splendor of Okinawa: Hibiscus, beachside Mihama, 9au24



13 August marks the twentieth anniversary of the fiery crash  at Okinawa International University in Ginowan by a helicopter from the adjacent U.S. Military Futenma Airfield. “1000 Memories of the Crash I Saw”, an exhibition of photos taken by civilian eye-witnesses of the crash, was held at the Naha Citizens‘ Gallery in Naha. In the neighborhood of that airfield, even on the morning of 13 August, US Aircraft were still flying, leaving visitors to the exhibit to wonder if their peaceful island without bases would ever become a reality.


Citizen groups that have worked hard together to maintain the memory of the accident planned the event. About 400 items were on display such as cell-phone and camera  photos taken by passersby of the actual crash site, plus newspaper articles from the era. Photos, showing the sense of urgency, were laid out of US soldiers with grim faces running about the site, the sliding doors of houses sliced open by bits of helicopter parts, and such. 


First among the organizers was Author Michiyo Arakawa, whose uncle was involved and killed in an aircraft crash at nearby Kadena Air Base in May of 1966. She pleaded, “My uncle’s accident is pretty well unknown these days. I don’t want the University accident to get buried as well!”


Governor Denny Tamaki stated for news coverage at the Prefectural Office, “In 20 years, what’s changed? Has nothing at all changed? It’s time for us to have to rethink it all!”



Original Japanese article: Kyodo Communications, published Tuesday 13 August 2024 at 12:27.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/16b9cbe514f663e584f1b174e9684caecbd2a41c


Denny in the News:


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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