In attendance at the mass rally in protest against sexual assaults by US troops, Okinawa Governor Tamaki urges the US Military, “Please go home, back to your own country, please!” (23de24)

Splendor of Okinawa: Crepidiastrum Denticulatum, roadside Futenma, 16de24.


Sexual assault crimes by US troops have been continually exposed in Okinawa Prefecture. In protest of these crimes, the Prefectural People’s Mass Rally was held on 22 December in Okinawa City to request the prevention of any recurrence.


Governor Denny Tamaki pleaded, “To you, the US Military, we strongly request discipline. We want to request, not just individual responsibility, but your structural military responsibility!”


At the mass rally, a motion was passed to request the speedy release of information, with apologies and reparations to the victims, as well as a drastic revision of the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). According to the report of the executive committee, over 2,500 participants attended.


At the mass rally, Governor Tamaki stated, “A great many of our prefecture’s people have been made to live together in the midst of the anxiety of these bases. I feel keenly in my heart that we must raise our voices even higher and increase our actions even more to end it.”


After the mass rally had ended, Governor Tamaki took questions from the press squad for publication on the US Military's structural responsibility. He was critical, in stressing, “The US Military’s position from the very top down is that sexual assault crimes are a problem of individual consciousness and have nothing to do with the organization. That such alarming sentiments even arise is the problem! Moreover, when considering just why such an organization as the US Military is in Okinawa, yes, it’s an organization, sorry but I have to say, ‘Please go home to your own country!’ Our thinking on this must never fade. If they don’t leave, these problems won’t be solved!”


Original Japanese article: Sankei Shimbun, published Sunday 22 December 2024 at 18:37.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4efce28b313c70a72fb3d7bea8587e2f7ec0e356


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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In the suit over exercise of proxy in the case of the weak seabed at the new Henoko base, judgment to be handed down on 20 December. (4de23)

Image
Splendor of Okinawa: Shrubby Bush Clover, roadside Uruma, 30no23 The seabed at the new base construction site at Henoko in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, is weak and needs reinforcement. So, the Okinawa Defense Bureau requested permission for the necessary design changes, but Governor Denny Tamaki refused. In response, the Government intends to exercise proxy to give itself permission in place of the governor. The Naha Branch of the Fukuoka High Court announced on 29 November that it will hand down its judgment in the lawsuit filed over the case at 2 pm on 20 December. At the trial on 30 October, Governor Denny Tamaki emphasized in the first oral arguments, “We can in no way accept this exercise of proxy, which violates the autonomy and independence of Okinawa.”  He further stressed the will of the prefecture’s people in opposition to the new base construction as the ‘Public will’. In addition, he requested to show that the  path to resolution lay in dialogue. The trial was conclud...
Read more

Governor Denny receives the report on JUNGLIA at the 4 month mark after its opening. (7de25)

Image
Splendor of Okinawa: Temple Tree, Mihama Beach, 1de25 CEO Takeshi Kato of Japan Entertainment (JE), which manages JUNGLIA Okinawa, visited Governor Denny Tamaki at the Prefectural Office on 28 November.  　 The CEO reported on the 4 months since the attraction’s opening. He repeatedly brought up dealing with operational improvements and such based on the voices of visitors to the park.  　 The CEO specifically mentioned the evening concerts in the park’s garden and, starting from December, the free entry of one child with each adult, targeting the prefecture’s people. CEO Kato stated, “We’d like to be contributing to Okinawa’s tourism as well.” Governor Tamaki, alluding to his speech the same day, entitled “Declaration on Sustainable Tourism”, stated, “For the people, employees, and tourists of our prefecture, this is an important win-win format. We’d like to have JE’s cooperation in many, many more initiatives.” Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Sunday 30 Nov...
Read more

In Okinawa, Candidate Takara takes hold of the Henoko opposition parties as their new face, urging,”Let’s earnestly come to grips with these issues together.” (21jy25).

Image
Splendor of Okinawa: Mexican Petunia, Gushikawa RC Church, 13jy25. In the House of Councilors Election for the Okinawa Election District, independent candidate Sachika Takara (46), endorsed by All Okinawa, which opposes the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture, scored a victory. She defeated the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Party’s new candidate Ryo Okuma (38) in the election campaign.  Candidate Takara pledged before her supporters, “The Henoko problem is something our prefecture’s people have taken into our hearts. We’re going to earnestly come to grips with it together.”  With their eyes on a victory in next year’s gubernatorial election, her victory was a bitter blow to the LDP. Governor Denny Tamaki, who held the job of Candidate Takara’s campaign headquarters chief, stressed, “The will of the people in opposition to the relocation remains unshaken.” In recent mayoral elections, All Okinawa’s fortunes ha...
Read more