Governor Denny announces Okinawa Prefecture will sponsor a symposium on 22 September in Naha on the revision of the US-Japan SOFA, with lectures by former Philippine National Defense Minister and others. (24oc24)

Splendor of Okinawa: Oncidium Altissimum, roadside Uruma, 21oc24


The Prefecture-sponsored symposium “Toward a reversion of the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), seen from the perspective of a comparison of those of other countries” will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on 22 September at the Tenbusu Naha Tenbusu Hall in Makishi, Naha. 


Governor Denny Tamaki will announce the results of a survey, which the Prefecture carried out, on the SOFA’s between the US and other nations. In addition, former Philippine Defense Minister Orlando Mercado will give the keynote speech, detailing the situation at the time of the US Military withdrawal from the Philippines while he was a senator and how he worked to reconstruct US-Philippine relations while he served as Defense Minister.


In the second half of the symposium, New Diplomatic Initiative representative Sayo Saruta will serve as moderator of a panel discussion among Governor Tamaki, former Minister Mercado, Ryukyu University Associate Professor Akiko Yamamoto, Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting Natsuko Shimabukuro, and Lawyer Mamoru Fukuda.


Participation will be free, but limited to 200 by  pre-registration. 


Registration is online at:

https://forms.gle/UDsLb32E9mvS6dDeA


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Thursday 19 September 2024 at 12:42.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/34b2c93882762966408d8aa143bfdeb774693ee0


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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