As the tide continues its ebb in the tenth year since the formation of All Okinawa, Governor Tamaki claims, “It continues to hold the expectations of our prefecture’s people!” (26no24)

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 Governor Onaga’s Henoko issue,  All Okinawa has advocated compromise to get 60-80% of its wishes. So its administration's power lies in consensus .



However recently, the leadership of the  Communist Party has taken on a more strongly progressive hue, decreasing the coalition’s cohesive strength, and causing defections among its  powerful conservative assembly members and financiers. Thus, in this year’s June Prefectural Assembly election, All Okinawa suffered  a huge defeat. In the Prefectural Assembly, All Okinawa lost its first majority.


In the September Ginowan mayoral election as well, the All Okinawa candidate ran with its force on his opposition to the relocation to Henoko of Ginowan’s  US Military Futenma Airfield and got clobbered.


Then, after the opening of ballots in the House of Representatives election on 27 October, although nationally the Liberal Democratic (LDP) and Komeito Parties took a drubbing, Okinawa Prefecture’s 4 district seats were left  unchanged, divided  2 for the LDP and 2 for All Okinawa.


In recent years, All Okinawa’s fortunes have continued to ebb. However, in his press conference, Governor Tamaki noted, “In single seat constituencies across the nation, only here in Okinawa are Communist and Socialist Party candidates hanging on to their seats.”


The governor further stressed, “That’s the proof that there is no change in how our prefecture’s people think in their support of All Okinawa!”


Original Japanese article: Friday 15 November 2024 at 16:06.  Byline: Naoki Ohtake.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/60b57b76d81e749b77508f3f8d7f64426a1627c2


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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