Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki warns a woman from China who claimed, “I bought an uninhabited island!”, that, if she wants to use it, she should best, “exchange views with the locals.” (23ja25)

Splendor of Okinawa: Bougainvillea, roadside Futenma, 25oc24.


A woman in China posted on an internet social media site (SNS), “I bought an uninhabited Japanese island!” Moreover, she expressed her intention to visit the island that she owns in Okinawa Prefecture this summer. Regarding her announcement, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki stated on 21 January, “We have some concerns over letting her come here.”


The uninhabited island is called Yanaha Island and lies about 1 km. offshore Izena Village on Izena Island, itself about 20 km. off the coast of Okinawa Island. According to land deeds and such, as of February of 2021, a Chinese company, run by the woman’s relatives, owns about half of the island.


2 years ago in an SNS, the woman posted a video claiming, “I bought a Japanese uninhabited island.” Moreover, on a Japanese SNS site, she courted controversy, posting, “This will be a huge problem for the Defense Ministry!”


According to Izena Village, in addition to its village property, there is also land possessed by private owners, other than the woman, on the island.


The Village also claims that electricity doesn’t extend to the island and although a newly built facility draws water from the village,  the volume is insufficient.


In Japan,  foreigners and foreign companies can freely buy land, apart from areas surrounding joint defense facilities or remote islands and such near Japan’s borders. Voices point out problems with the US-Japan Security Treaty in that policy. 


Governor Tamaki expressed his awareness, noting, “How is that land going to be used? I think that it’s of great concern for the people of that area as well.” The governor emphasized, “If the lady is thinking of putting the land to productive use, I would expect that she would want to consider the path of deepening friendships and exchanging views with the residents of the area.”


Original Japanese article: Sankei Shimbun, published Tuesday 21 January 2025 at 16:55.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0cd0fe8f876c816c39071f22c2034d74e22d52d3



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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