The Research Committee of the Constitutional Democratic Party aims to offer a proposal to revise the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) within the year. (28se 25)

Splendor of Okinawa: Scarlet Jungleflame, roadside Uruma, 28se25


Constitutional Democratic Party Member Yoshinori Suematsu, chairman of its US-Japan Status of Forces Research Committee held a press conference at the Okinawa Prefectural Office on 25 September. 


Regarding the SOFA, which gives special rights to the US Military, the chairman expressed his intention of aiming to enact the committee’s proposal for its revision within this year. The committee is forthwith gathering concrete content for the proposal .


From 24 September, the committee members, including over 10 members of the House of Representatives, along with others, have been observing areas such as the US Military Kadena Airfield, 


On 24 September, Chairman Suematsu and other members of the Research Committee, after confirming the circumstances of the thunderous din of aircraft taking off and landing at the bases, held a symposium in Okinawa City in the Prefecture on the SOFA.


The attendees heard from Associate Professor Akiko Yamamoto of Ryukyu University about the problematic points of the SOFA. Moreover, on 25 September, the committee held an exchange of views at the Prefectural Office with Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki.


 On the fact of the SOFA not being brought up as a factor  in the Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential campaign, House of Representatives Member Keisuke Tsumura, a member of the committee, stated, “That’s an issue we’d like to raise!”

　

Original Japanese article: Kyodo Communications, published Thursday 25 September 2025 at 15:53.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0aa1bf425ac2fa43bac9315c77ff29eb05c409b9


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 the 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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