Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Impatiens, roadside Futenma, 22no24 A problem has arisen over Okinawa Prefecture’s setting up a “paper” company to manage its Washington DC Office. At his scheduled news conference on 28 November, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki addressed the Prefectural Assembly’s non-authorization of the Washington Office’s related expenses for inclusion in the 2023 general account settlement. The governor lamented, “Although I think it’s a pity, it must be taken very seriously!” At the press conference, Governor Tamaki further stated, “We’ve found the point needing revision to put the Prefecture’s paperwork suitably in line with Japanese law.” Thus, the governor acknowledged that the existence of the DC Office is improper and that he intends to order the implementation of corrective measures.  However, the governor added, “But even from this very moment, we’ll have to take responsibility for explaining with our best efforts in order to continue the office’s activiti...

Splendor of Okinawa: Indian Blanket, beachside Mihama, 23no24m At his 28 November press conference, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki confirmed the introduction of an accommodation tax, to be levied on guests at hotels, ryokans, and other such businesses within the prefecture. 　 The Prefecture will adopt a fixed rate system to collect a 2% tax on accommodation fees, up to a cap of 2,000 yen per person per night. The proposal, targeted to begin in 2026, will be presented to the Prefectural Assembly’s regular session in February of next year. According to the Prefecture, a fixed rate accommodation tax is being introduced in Hokkaido’s Kutchan District. However, Okinawa’s accommodation tax will be the first among  prefectural level entities in the Nation. Governor Tamaki stated, “We will proceed courteously with discussions among tourism related groups and communities.” He noted that the tax will not be collected from school trip groups and their leaders. Okinawa Prefecture exp...

Splendor of Okinawa: Wishbone Flower, roadside Futenma, 22no24 　 Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki held his scheduled press conference on the morning of 28 November. In it, he announced that on 29 November, he will name as a Prefectural Designated Historical Landmark, the Japanese 32nd Army Headquarters Tunnel (Shuri Castle Headquarters Tunnel remains), built under Shuri Castle starting from December of 1944 as the command center for the Japanese Army’s Okinawa Campaign. (Trans. Note: The tunnel is actually a cave tunneled to extend into a series of shafts deep under the castle, as a shelter from Allied bombing.) This will be the Prefecture‘s first designation of this war relic as a historical landmark. However, the Prefecture already has 56 other designated historical landmarks. With the 80th anniversary of the campaign looming next year, Governor Tamaki promised, “From an educational viewpoint, we’d like to make this designation for our heritage. We want to activate it as one ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Chinese Violet, roadside Futenma, 22no24. On 27 November, the curtain opens at the Nanjo Museum’s 2024 exhibition “Mika Ninagawa Presents with EiM: Dancing in the Shadow of Light”, produced by the museum under the joint sponsorship of the Okinawa Times and Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting. On 26 November, a private opening ceremony was held at the museum. Artist Ninagawa urged, “Since I’ve made this work to be seen nowhere but here, I’d like you to come to see it again and again!” In his address to the guests, Governor Denny Tamaki noted in his message, “This exhibit is a tourism attraction. We expect a great many visitors to come to this spot for it, from within and from outside our prefecture, even from foreign countries!” At the private ceremony, Miho Sakihama (37) from Naha who was enjoying the works, gushed, “The exhibit, in which Ningawa’s world vision  can be satisfied, set in  the uniqueness and natural ambience of this museum building, was  wonderfu...

Splendor of Okinawa: Periwinkle, roadside Futenma, 22no24 All Okinawa, made up of the Communist, Socialist, Constitutional Democratic, and other Parties is Governor Denny Tamaki’s own home support base. On 15 November, the governor expressed his acknowledgment of its position, noting, “It continues to hold the expectations of our prefecture’s people.”  In the gubernatorial election of November 2014, Candidate Takeshi Onaga gathered the coalition of All Okinawa in touting his opposition to the relocation of Futenma Airfield within the prefecture. So, Governor Tamaki was speaking at a press conference just a day before welcoming 16 November, the  tenth anniversary of that pivotal first election victory,  In the 2018 election, occasioned by the unexpected death of Governor Onaga, Governor Tamaki routed the candidate of the Liberal Democratic-Komeito administration. Then, in the last gubernatorial election in 2022, Governor Tamaki was re-elected. However, apart from late Gove...

Splendor of Okinawa: Bush Clockvine, roadside Futenma, 22no24 A US Marine Corps H1 general purpose helicopter attached to the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan made an emergency landing at a pastoral grassland at Ginama in Kunigami Village, near Hedo Bluff, the northernmost tip of Okinawa Island in Okinawa Prefecture. 　 In response, at his scheduled press conference on 15 November, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki stated, “It’s extremely regrettable that our prefecture’s people have again been caused such great anxiety.” He will request the US side to investigate the cause and prevent a recurrence. On 15 November at about 1 in the afternoon, the helicopter took off and flew back to Futenma Airfield. On 14 November about 5 p.m., the helicopter had made an emergency landing in a civilian pastoral grassland about 1.6 kilometers southwest of Hedo Bluff. There was no damage to the fuselage and the crew received no injuries. Since there were no homes in the area, neither was th...

Splendor of Okinawa: Bush Allamanda, roadside Futenma, 25oc24 On the evening of 14 November, a US Military UH1 helicopter made an emergency landing at Kunigami Village in Okinawa Prefecture. On the afternoon of the 15th, it took off and returned to its base at the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan, also in Okinawa. The helicopter’s crew of 6 were uninjured. No damage to houses and such has yet been confirmed. In line with US-Japan guidelines stipulated for responding to US military vehicle accidents, traffic in the area was being restricted. About 5 p.m. on 14 November, the helicopter made an emergency landing in a pastoral grassland along Highway 58 at Kunigami Village, about 1.6 kilometers southwest of Hedo Bluff. Around the fuselage, US Military and Prefectural Police set up an inner and outer restricted perimeter line. So, traffic was restricted on nearby Highway 58 until the helicopter left. According to the Okinawa Defense Bureau of the Defense Ministry、the US side explaine...

Splendor of Okinawa: Ipil-ipil, roadside Futenma, 21no24. At his scheduled press conference on 15 November, Governor Denny Tamaki was queried on the now ten years since the inception of All Okinawa as a force against the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield to Henoko in Nago. The governor merely replied, “We were able to hold on to one or two seats in the last House of Representatives election. Only our Okinawa, in all of the nation, held onto seats for the Socialist and Communist Parties. That’s proof that there has been no change in thinking of the prefecture’s people in their support of All Okinawa.” As for All Okinawa, the governor pointed to its current petitions which plead against the Osprey deployment and the Henoko relocation. Moreover, going beyond the terms progressive and conservative, various and sundry citizen groups have been created. The governor added, “Even regarding the way of thinking in our petitions, it can’t be said that our prefecture’s people have aba...

Splendor of Okinawa: Ramgoat Dashalong, roadside Uruma, 19no24. The largest food business convention in the Nation, the Okinawa Grand Trade Fair (sponsored by an executive committee of the same name), a true business convention, opened at the Okinawa Convention Center in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture. 52 companies, including suppliers, are participating in the assemblage of specialty products from Okinawa and all over Japan. Over the two days of the convention until 22 November, buyers from 149 companies will hold business negotiations over 2490 products in their search for business opportunities. Buyers from 17 nations and regions, such as Taiwan and Singapore, are visiting to see Japan’s attractive foods.   At the convention’s opening ceremony, Executive Committee Chair Kunio Oroku stated, “In recent years, Japanese foods have been gaining in international value and popularity. For enterprises aiming to expand their overseas trade, this great opportunity comes as a gift.” He h...

Splendor of Okinawa: Egyptian Starcluster, roadside Futenma, 25oc24. Northern Okinawa received extensive damage from a torrential rainfall. On 20 November, Cabinet Diet Minister and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Senator Eriko Imai met Governor Denny Tamaki for discussions at the Prefectural Office to explain how the Disaster Assistance Law and such  could be applied. The discussions were private. After the discussions, Minister Imai spoke to the press squad, noting, “As the Diet Minister in charge of disaster prevention, I hope and wish to apply, first and foremost without hesitation, the Disaster Assistance Law for this disaster.” On the same day, Minister Imai visited Hiji in Kunigami Village, where there had been flood damage in the northern torrential rain. There she received an explanation of the damage situation from its Vice-Mayor Akimasa Miyagi. After her inspection, Minister Imai stated to the press squad, “Speaking for the Government, we want to respond with absolutely a...

Splendor of Okinawa: Light Blue Snakeweed, roadside Futenma, 25oc24 Early on the morning of 15 November, after the emergency landing of a UU1 multi-use US Marine helicopter in a grassy field at Ginama in Kunigami Village in Okinawa Prefecture, Governor Denny Tamaki criticized the event, noting, “Now on top of Ospreys, we get US Military helicopters having so-called preventive emergency landings as well. With this sort of situation continuing, it’s lamentable that neither the people of the region nor the prefecture can be rid of their anxiety.” The governor further assured that prefectural officials had been sent to the site and were in the midst of their investigation. He added, “I’d like to recommend that they confirm thoroughly activities involving flight and maintenance.” He said that the aircraft seemed to be stationed at the US Military Futenma Airfield.  In June of 2021, a UH1 helicopter stationed at Futenma Airfield made an emergency landing in a rice paddy on Tsuken Island ...