Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Pink Lady, Gushikawa RC Church, 18my25 ( TOKYO ) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) House of Councilors Member Shoji Nishida responded on record to queries from the press squad at the National Diet.  Mr. Nishida once again claimed the legitimacy of his own statements, such as that the explanatory display at the Himeyuri Monument in Itoman was “a rewriting of history”. Mr. Nishida further asserted, “The Sankei Newspaper Company’s account was reasonable as written”. But he offered no opinion in response to the 29 May resolution of protest requesting an apology and retraction of his statements by the Prefectural Assembly. In “Sound Reasoning the July Edition”, published on 30 May by the Sankei News Company, his own submitted article was titled “The True Meaning of my Revised Statements on the Himeyuri Monument”. Mr. Nishida claimed to the press squad, “I wrote the truth that, at the Himeyuri Monument, there was a display narrating that the US Army fought off the Japan...

Splendor of Okinawa: Chinese Hibiscus, roadside Uruma, 18my25 On 20 May, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki held a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Residence.  At the meeting, the Prime Minister brought up Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) House of Councilors Member Shoji Ishida’s statements concerning the Himeyuri Monument. The Prime Minister stated, “His statements were truly unspeakable for the people of Okinawa. As the leader of the LDP, I apologize profoundly for them”. After the meeting, Governor Tamaki stated to the press squad, “We also would like to accept his sincerity”. Mr. Nishida was at a symposium in Naha on the revision of the Constitution. There he made such statements as, “They’ve rewritten history”, in regard to the explanation display at the Himeyuri Monument in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, which honors the souls of the students who were mobilized into the army in the final stage of World War II. On 9 May, Mr. Nishida had partia...

Splendor of Okinawa: Gushikawa RC Church, 18my25. On 26 May, Okinawa Prefecture publicly released the report on its Survey on Okinawa’s Children for 2024, making it the 10th such, carried out yearly to take effective counter measures against child poverty. The 2015 poverty rate stood at 29.9%. In the 10 years since then, it fell gradually to 21.8%, but still remains over 20%. In this survey, the effectiveness of health support and the school attendance support system were evaluated. The “experience of an inability to purchase food” increased from 2015. In the rate of poverty especially, that  increase was obvious. The rise in the high price of commodities cast its shadow over assistance. As for experience of the inability to buy food, in the 2015 survey of care providers of 2nd year junior high children in poverty, the total answering “often”, “sometimes”, and “rarely” was 48.7%. However, it rose to 58.2% in 2024. Even among the non-poor, it increased by 1 point from 20.9% Facing t...

Splendor of Okinawa: Bougainvillea, roadside Uruma, 18my25. On 25 May, two US troops were arrested in separate incidents on charges of  house burglary and hit and run. In response to press queries at a news briefing on the morning of 26 May, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki responded, “Unless the US Military top brass can share the enormity of our concerns, they can’t crack down on such incidents!” At the direction of Governor Tamaki, the Prefectural Base Response Section is considering an oral appeal to the military. In a hit and run incident in Okinawa Prefecture on 25 May, a  passenger car carrying a family of 5, 4 of whom suffered injuries, was crashed into by another car. The driver of that car, a male US Marine lance corporal (20) stationed at Camp Hansen, was arrested on suspicion of violating the Motor Vehicle Driving Punishment Act (negligent driving causing injury) and  the Highway Traffic Law (not taking measures to aid the injured). Moreover, in the early dawn of...

Splendor of Okinawa: Madagascar Periwinkle, Gushikawa RC Church, 18my25 Today (26 May), in Naha, Okinawa, a male US Marine lance corporal was arrested on suspicion of a collision  with a passenger car, causing injuries to 4 elementary school students, fleeing the accident scene, and other charges.  The suspect, arrested for causing injuries by negligent driving and fleeing the accident scene, is US Marine Lance Corporal Ivan Garcia-Martinez (20), stationed at Camp Hansen. According to the Prefectural Police, at around 10:30 on the Naha National Highway, the accused Garcia-Martinez lost control and crashed his car into a water tank set up between the highway and a side road, then continuing forward ran into a passenger car. The passenger car that he hit rolled over, injuring the family of five inside, including 4 elementary school boys and girls. The accused Garcia Martinez ran off from the scene of the accident, but he was sighted on the sidewalk about 100 meters ahead by a po...

Splendor of Okinawa: Sunflower, Gushikawa RC Church, 25my25 On 20 May, Prime Minister (also Liberal Democratic Party Chief) Shigeru Ishiba held a meeting with Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki at the Prime Minister’s Residence. With LDP House of Councilors Shoji Nishida’s statements on the Himeyuri Monument at Itoman in Okinawa Prefecture on his mind, the Prime Minister apologized, saying, “His statements were truly unspeakable! As leader of our party, I deeply apologize for them.” The Prime Minister’s apology was on the customary yearly visit of Governor Tamaki to present the Prime Minister a Kariyushi shirt, used as summer wear in Okinawa. After the meeting, Governor Tamaki quipped to the press squad, “I want to firmly accept the Prime Minister’s apology.” But, he then candidly added, “We would have preferred a comment that more firmly took historical facts into account. Mr. Nishida has apologized and retracted his comments, such as that the explanation at the Himeyuri Monumen...

Splendor of Okinawa: Balloon Flower, Gushikawa RC Church, 25my25  At an event held at the Prime Minister’s Residence on 20 May,  Prime Minister Shigeru Ishida and held a conversation with Okinawa Prefecture Governor Tamaki. With the statements on his mind of Liberal Democratic Party House of Councilors Member Shoji Nishida, such as his claiming that the explanatory plaque on the Himeyuri Monument in Okinawa’s Itoman contained “a rewriting of history”, the Prime Minister apologized, saying, “As leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, I offer my deepest apologies.” On the very same day, Governor Tamaki visited the Prime Minister’s Residence to present him with a Kariyushi shirt. After receiving the gift, in his greeting, the Prime Minister brought up the statements, stating, “I’d like to take this opportunity to say something. Just recently, a totally unspeakable comment was made to to the whole people of Okinawa.” He pointed to the huge number of victims produced by the Okinawa...

Splendor of Okinawa: Butterfly Pea, roadside Uruma, 18my25 On 20 May, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Residence with Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki. With  statements of Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) House of Councilors Member Shoji Nishida on the contents of the explanatory  plaque at the Himeyuri Monument in Ginowan, Okinawa, at the top of his mind, the Prime Minister apologized to the governor, stating, “Those statements were indescribably horrific for every person in Okinawa. As leader of Mr. Nishida’s party, I offer my deepest apologies.” On receiving the gift of a Kariyushi shirt from Governor Tamaki, the Prime Minister added, “When I was serving as Defense Minister during the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, what was always in my mind in fashioning emergency legislation, was the Okinawan Campaign in which so many Okinawans died. I resolved that such a tragedy must never occur again.” 　After the meeting, Governor Tamak...

Splendor of Okinawa: Ornamental Onion, roadside Uruma, 18my25 Prime Minister Shigeru Ichiba held discussions at the Prime Minister’s Residence on 20 May with Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki, who presented him with Kariyushi Wear. The Prime Minister thanked the governor, noting, “This shirt is not only cool, but no other has its design. It’s something absolutely unique. We’d like to do our best to promote Kariyushi Wear.” He further passed word that he would expect Kariyushi Wear to be worn by his entire Cabinet at their 3 June meeting. The Kariyushi shirt that the Prime Minister was given had images of the Okinawan sand and sea, with its basic theme in blue and white. With a smile, the PM quipped, “On the very first time I wear it, I’ll be in awe at just how cool it is, and my wisdom in wearing it.” Original Japanese article: Mainichi Shimbun, published Tuesday 20 May 2025 at 16:16. Byline: Honokage Uchida https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/618c4240aa79999158996fe92450e852b422...

Splendor of Okinawa: Desert Rose, roadside Uruma, 18my25 ( TOKYO ) on 20 May, Governor Denny Tamaki visited Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and others at the Prime Minister’s Residence for talks. There the governor presented the PM a Kariyushi shirt, as has become his custom in connection with “Kariyushi Wear Day” in Okinawa on 1 June. Prime Minister Ishiba promised to promote the clothing, noting, “I hope to have everyone wear Kariyushi at my 6 June Cabinet meeting!” In the center of Japan’s capital that day, the temperature surpassed mid-summer temperatures at over 30 degrees. Governor Tamaki noted the appeal of Kariyushi stating, “Wearing Kariyushi has become established in our prefecture in line with its ‘cool business’ policy, so we can get through our hard work and still feel refreshed even in the heat of summer.” On receiving his white Kariyushi shirt, with its matching cool blue design, the PM quipped with delight, “This shirt is not only cool, but even its design is unique. I’d ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Philippine Ground Orchid, roadside Uruma, 18my25 On 29 May, Prime Minister Ishiba was presented with a Kariyushi shirt, the formal summer wear of Okinawa Prefecture. During Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki’s visit to the Prime Minister’s Residence, he handed out 3  Kariyushi shirts,  as presents, one each to Prime Minister Ishiba, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi, and Okinawa and the Northern Territories Minister Ito. The shirt presented to Prime Minister Ishiba was white with blue flowers in a “palace flower motif, woven into the fabric as brocade. The white and blue signify Okinawa’s sand beaches and sea. Prime Minister Ishiba stated, “This shirt is not only cool, but, with its design of various animals and plants, it is one of a kind, and uniquely creative. We’d like to do our best to spread word of this style.”  While the group was being photographed, the Prime Minister added, “Just looking at it, I decided I wanted to try it on!” In order ...