Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Cattleya Orchid, roadside Uruma, 14mr24 Controversy has arisen over the establishment of Okinawa Prefecture’s US Washington Office as a paper corporation.  The Prefecture’s 2025 Preliminary General Budget Proposal contained expenses for lobbying activities to relay the Prefecture’s thinking on the base problem to the US side, among the operational expenses budgeted for its Washington Office. On 27 February, the Prefectural Administration’s ruling All Okinawa faction, which supports Governor Denny, offered a revised proposal deleting such funding  to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) faction, which encompasses a bevy of opposition groups. Although the LDP had agreed to a temporary halt in activities, it aims for the abolition of the Office and requests the total deletion of its funding. So, its stance remains unbroken. At the February Regular Prefectural Assembly Session, the Prefecture submitted a budget proposal with 39 million yen allocated to the Offic...

Splendor of Okinawa: Geranium, roadside Uruma 14mr24. On 26 February, the US Navy amphibious transport dock San Diego entered Ishigaki Port in Ishigaki City in Okinawa Prefecture. This is the third year in a row that a US warship has entered this port, and the fourth time since Okinawa’s reversion to Japan. Moreover, the Maritime Self Defense Force (SDF) training support ship Kurobe entered the port on the same day. This was the first time since 2009 that both a US and a SDF vessel have called on this port at the same time, as confirmed by records. On the same day, the Prefecture again requested that US warships exercise self restraint on their ports of call, noting, “Except in times of emergency, civilian ports ought not be utilized.” However, paying no heed to such requests has become the pattern. According to the city, which manages the port, the purpose of the US vessel’s arrival was a “routine port call”, while the SDF vessel claimed theirs was “crew relaxation and water resupply”...

Splendor of Okinawa: Monks Cress, roadside Uruma, 14mr24. Okinawa Prefecture’s registration of staff at its  Washington Office, set up as a paper corporation, has become a problem.  Moreover, on 25 February, it came to light that, since several months ago, the Prefecture has been out of contact with its American lawyer, by its assertion, “We’re dealing through our contractor,  Washington Core LLC. So answered Governor’s Chief of Staff Masahito Tamari, at the Prefectural Assembly General Session that day, during general questioning by Liberal Democrat (LDP) Representative Dai Shimabukuro. Regarding the continuing issue of the Washington Office, on 12 February, the Prefectural Assembly passed a motion requesting that the 2025 Preliminary General Budget Proposal not be deliberated.  To counter that motion, Governor Denny Tamaki expressed no plan to respond by withdrawing or altering the budget proposal. So, the abnormal situation of an undebated budget proposal went on ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Treasure Flower, roadside Uruma, 14mr24. The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly opened its February Scheduled Session at 10 on the morning of 25 February. At the very start of the general session, the 2025 Preliminary General Budget Proposal, whose fate had been held dangling in the air, came up. Chair Kyoki Nakagawa proclaimed, “From today, debate will get underway on the agenda”, and his proposal was accepted by unanimous consent. On 12 February, a motion was passed by the Assembly to hand back the budget proposal and return it to proper authority. Now, about 2 weeks later, the extraordinary situation, in which there would have been no debate on the Preliminary General Budget Proposal, its highest ever at 889.4 trillion yen,  has ended, and normality returned. Regarding the Preliminary Budget Proposal, a sum of about 40 million yen had been included as expenses for the Prefecture’s Washington Office, whose errors in administrative procedures during its establishmen...

Splendor of Okinawa: Purslane, roadside Uruma, 14mr24. Facing this summer’s House of Councillors election for the one seat to be contested in the Okinawa District, the Okinawa Federation of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held its candidate selection committee meeting on 23 February. The committee decided to back Naha City Assemblyman Ryo Okuma (38). It will next petition the party headquarters to  publicly confirm its choice. All Okinawa, which supports Governor Denny Tamaki in his opposition to the relocation of the U.S. Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture, is currently arranging for a run by  Okinawa Social Masses Party Chief Tetsuji Takara (71), the current incumbent of the seat from a regional political party. With the national ruling party (LDP) supporting the relocation and All Okinawa opposing it, it looks to be the recipe for a battle. It will further be a skirmish on the way to the 2026 gubernatorial election. In addi...

Splendor of Okinawa: Philippine Ground Orchid, roadside Uruma, 14 mr24. In order to operate its Washington Office, Okinawa Prefecture set it up as a paper corporation. That has become a problem.  So, on 21 February, All Okinawa groups, which support Governor Denny Tamaki as the prefectural administration ruling party, agreed with the majority opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to submit a motion requesting that the Prefecture decrease the Office’s operating expenses, included in the 2025 Preliminary General Accounts Budget. Governor Tamaki seems to be responding  to the All Okinawa compromise. This can possibly have a huge impact on the Office’s activities. The Prefecture had submitted a budget proposal at the February scheduled session of the Prefectural Assembly, packaged with operating expenses of 39 million yen for the Office. The LDP requested the total deletion of the funding from the budget proposal and submitted a motion to that effect. With the cooperation of K...

Splendor of Okinawa: Chinese Hibiscus, roadside Uruma, 14fe25. On the evening of 19 February, Governor Denny Tamaki posted a message on his social networking site (SNS) on an administration submitting an administrative budget, even with a minority ruling party in the Diet, while opposition and ruling parties carry out a lively debate. After grumbling, “I’d hoped ours would be such a government of debate!”, he deleted the post. On 20 February, in response to press coverage on the post, Governor Tamaki stated, “I blurted out my true feelings without thinking.” He then added, referring to the current representative  and general questioning in the Assembly, “After that’s over, I’ll rewrite the post.” However, there will be no debate on the budget at the Assembly. The governor’s ruling, but minority, party included operational funding for its Washington Office in the 2025 Preliminary General Accounts Budget Proposal. However, a motion was adopted asserting, “Debate is impossible!” ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Hibiscus, roadside Uruma, 14fe25. The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly has adopted a motion to “return” the 2025 Preliminary General Budget Proposal and hand it to the relevant authority. However, at the opening of his press conference at 6:30 p.m. on the evening of 17 February, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki stated, “The situation is that our budget proposal has been presented to the Assembly. We’d  again certainly like to have it deliberated.” He further expressed his intention of not having it revised or scrapped. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, in response to the Prefectural Assembly General Affairs Bureau’s request for clarification, advised, “In addition to there being no real action as a basis for the return of the proposal, it must be observed that the said  budget proposal already remains, just as is, at the Assembly.” The fuss over the 2025 Preliminary General Budget Proposal is due to the inclusion of a budget of about 40 million in yen ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Star Jasmine, roadside Uruma, 14fe24. The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly regular February session opened on 19 February and representative questioning began. 5 members of the Okinawa Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the nonaligned group stood for their queries. At the February scheduled session, the 2025 Preliminary General Budget Proposal submitted by the Prefecture was in question. On the hot-plate for its activities was the Washington DC Office Incorporated, with flaws in details of procedures in its establishment being brought to light.  The opposition parties were outraged that the budget  included 40 million yen for the operation of the Prefecture’s Washington Office. Funding for the Office will require a vote in the Assembly for passage according to regional law.  However, since no bill for its passage has been submitted, the LDP and Komeito have adopted a motion claiming, “A resolution ought not be put to the Assembly”. So, the unprecedented s...

Splendor of Okinawa: Great Bougainvillea, roadside Uruma, 16fe24 Issues have arisen at the Prefectural Assembly over the passage of a motion that the 2025 Preliminary General Budget Proposal, which includes funding for Okinawa Prefectural Office’s Washington Office operations, ought not be passed. On 17 February, Governor Denny Tamaki requested that the Assembly deliberate his budget proposal. At his press conference, he alluded to his budget proposal, noting, “We hope, if at all possible, that we can gain acceptance of it through deliberations.” Insofar as the Prefectural Administration does not revise its budget proposal, the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) faction will continue its policy of refusing to accept deliberations. On being queried on the possibility of a revision of his budget, Governor Tamaki responded curtly, “According to some reading of the law, that sort of recourse is available.” The problem with the Office is the revelation that the operation was set up a...