Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Nanny Berry, roadside Uruma, 5oc25 On 29 November, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara came to Okinawa on an inspection tour of the prefecture. This is the first visit of Secretary Kihara since taking office, as he is tasked with the reduction of Okinawa’s military bases. On the same day, he offered flowers at the National Monument for the War Dead in Itoman and, after receiving an explanation by prefectural staff, inspected the Peace Tower. The inspection tour by Secretary Kihara will last until 30 November. At the Prefectural Office, Secretary Kimura held talks with Governor Denny Tamaki. He also plans discussions with the GW2050 Projects (a project to make Okinawa a world gateway by 2050) Promotion Council, Nago City Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi, and the chief of its Kube Third Ward. The Secretary will also inspect the US Military Futenma Airfield and the site along the west coast  in Urasoe destined for the relocation of the Naha Military Port. Original Japanes...

Splendor of Okinawa: Confederate Jasmine, roadside Uruma, 2no25. A new base is being constructed at Henoko in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture. At a press conference on the morning of 28 November, Governor Denny Tamaki confirmed the dumping of rubble for a landfill in a new section along Oura Bay, “The Okinawa Defense Bureau informed me that, as soon as necessary  preparations are ready, they’ll set to work today.” According to Defense Ministry sources, they expect to start dumping rubble  on the afternoon of the same day. If so, this will be the first  real work on a landfill in that section of Oura Bay. On the driving of sand-filled piles for strengthening the weak seabed, which has been halted for over five months, the governor  pointed out, “There’s been concern over the length of the project’s duration. With this delay, the situation of the difficulty of successfully completing the whole landfill has become more and more apparent.” To the Japanese Government, the govern...

Splendor of Okinawa: Golden Dewdrop, roadside Uruma, 2no25. At Ougami Village in Okinawa, a widespread water leakage occurred. Moreover, centered in the south  central district, water outages are expected.  Starting at 5 p.m. on the evening of 24 November, a meeting of the Danger Management Headquarters (chair: Governor Denny Tamaki) was held. Business Bureau Chief Tsutomu Miyagi explained the situation of countermeasures, while apologizing repeatedly to the prefecture’s people. Chief Miyagi stated that in order to make construction repairs on the deteriorated water lines, eyes are on shutting down the water supply at the East Line Conduit Tunnel.  In addition, he confirmed that work was continuing toward supplying water by laying a 1350 millimeter pipe, which will lie alongside the deteriorated and leaking existing 1 meter water pipe. The aim is to quickly resume the water supply by integrating the two systems. The exact time of water supply resumption is yet to be deter...

Splendor of Okinawa: Peregrina, roadside Uruma, 26oc25. In order for Okinawa Prefecture to run a US Washington Office, it set up a paper corporation. Because of problems with its establishment, at the Prefectural Assembly’s regular session on 26 November, the Prefecture‘s 2024 general accounts settlement failed to  get the majority needed to pass funding, along with the Office’s operational expenses, This was the  second year in a row that passage failed,  including 2023. Last autumn, several legal discrepancies were pointed out in the Office’s establishment, and so in June of this year, it was shut down. In a Prefectural Assembly vote, All Okinawa, the group which supports Governor Tamaki, supported the funding, but, alluding to the issues with the Office, factions aligned with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, having the majority, voted the funding down.  With this varied  series of issues in mind, Governor Tamaki submitted a proposal to the Pref...

Splendor of Okinawa: Ruellia Nudiflora, roadside Uruma, 7no25 Before dawn on 24 November, a leak occurred in a water pipe in the north of Okinawa Island. In response, Governor Denny Tamaki laid out his next moves, noting,  “We’re thinking that, If we can send the water around, we can cut off the west-bound water pipe temporarily and investigate again the cause of the accident.  At a meeting of the 2nd Executive Office, the governor noted, “On reception of the report on conditions, I’d like to confirm our response going forward.” Moreover, Governor Tamaki apologized, stating, “Within Okinawa Island, a great many areas have been afflicted with water shortages. In addition, all of our prefecture’s people and users of water for business have borne huge inconveniences. So, I’d like to deeply express my regrets to you all.” In addition, the governor called on all to cooperate in conserving water, both at home and at work, by stopping unnecessary water use, such as by switching to pa...

Splendor of Okinawa, Shell Ginger, roadside Uruma, 7no25 (TOKYO) Leakage occurred from water pipes connecting dams in the Northern areas of Okinawa Island with water purification plants, causing the possibility of water outages spreading across the island.  Responding to queries  on this problem from the press, during his business trip to Tokyo, on the evening of 24 November, Governor Denny Tamaki apologized, saying, “We’re truly sorry for the totally sudden all around  inconvenience to so many of  our prefecture’s people and their  enterprises,” The Prefectural Enterprise Bureau plans to reopen the flow of water to villages and towns affected during the morning of 25 November.  Governor Tamaki assured, “We want to  coordinate closely in our continuing direct directions…We’re asking for your patience with worries and inconvenience for a bit, but we want to take immediate measures to get the water running again.” The governor also confirmed that, just t...

Splendor of Okinawa: Zinnia, roadside Uruma, 2no25. On 21 November, Hyogo Prefecture Governor Motohiko Saito held discussions with Governor Denny Tamaki. Governor Saito was visiting Okinawa to pay his respects in a memorial service for the war dead in the Okinawa Campaign from Hyogo Prefecture at the Chrysanthemum Memorial and also at the Island Guardian Memorial, where the late Okinawa Governor Akira Shimada, a native of Hyogo Prefecture, and other prefectural staff who served and died in the war, are honored. At the Prefectural Office, Governor Saito, with peace on his mind, stated, “This is the pivotal 80th year since the end of World War II. It’s been said that because there is peace, we can have sports and cultural exchanges with Okinawa. It’s essential that we take the chance to consider the links of peace bestowed upon us by the grace of our forebearers.”  Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Sunday 23 November 2025 at 16:21. Byline: Nagihime Tamaki https://n...

Splendor of Okinawa: Marvel of Peru, roadside Uruma, 7no25 The US Military Futenma Airfield is to be relocated to Henoko in Nago,  both in Okinawa Prefecture. At the end of November, the National Government will enter its final preparations towards the start of dumping rubble for the landfill into Oura Bay to the east of Henoko. This was confirmed by government sources on 22 November. At Oura Bay, work has already begun on the construction of reinforcement for the weak seabed there with dikes prepared to enclose the landfill site. However, this will be the first real landfill activity in that area. On 22 November, Defense Minister Junichiro Koizumi answered press squad queries on his inspection trip to Ishigaki City, noting only, “I’ll make appropriate decisions on expectations for activities hereafter, based on work progress, weather, and the sea conditions.” The timing for the possibility of rubble dumping can move forward or back depending on weather conditions. The National Gov...

Splendor of Okinawa: Madagascar Periwinkle, roadside Uruma, 7no25 On 21 November, Hyogo Prefecture Governor Motohiko Saito visited Okinawa Prefecture to make his pilgrimage to services at  Chrysanthemum Memorial Tower (dedicated to Hyogo Prefecture’s war dead in Okinawa) and Island Guardian Memorial Tower (dedicated to Akira Shimada), both constructed  by Hyogo Prefecture in the south of Okinawa Island at Mabuni. In addition Governor Saito held discussions with Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki. Both prefectures are bound by mutual friendship over the background of their respect for Okinawa Prefecture’s  Governor  Akira Shimada, who perished at the end of the war, as one of the great many from Hyogo Prefecture whose lives were lost in the Okinawa Campaign. Governor Tamaki also thanked Governor Saito for the efforts of Hyogo Prefecture’s Amagasaki Municipal Brass Band, led by Chief Conductor Yasutaka Haneji,  in cheering on Okinawa’s Sho Gaku High School B...

Splendor of Okinawa: Dancing Lady Orchid, roadside Uruma, 2no25 Last June, a US Navy sailor stationed in Okinawa purportedly engaged in indecent acts with a teenaged girl he was not acquainted with. The sailor, suspected of non-consensual indecency, is a 20 year-old male and his case documents have been sent to prosecutors. In an on-record response to press squad  queries at the Prefectural Office on that news on 19 November, Governor Denny Tamaki warned, “This was a malicious crime that makes light of the human rights of women  and their dignity. That’s something we’ll absolutely never forgive!”  Governor Tamaki further confirmed that he had told  the US Military, “It’s totally deplorable!” He added, “We’d like the US side to act even more thoroughly on its education of troops.” Original Japanese article: Sankei Shimbun, published Wednesday 19 November 2025 at 18:36. https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/fde40a3726a7bae549a2058afc76f13f009c0a5c Denny in the News: Denny...

Splendor of Okinawa: Hibiscus plus Rosa-Sinensis, roadside Uruma, 7no25 Documents have been sent to prosecutors in the case of a US serviceman stationed in Okinawa Prefecture for subjecting  a girl under 18 to non-consensual indecency.  With that news, in an on-record response to press squad queries on 19 November, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki criticized the crime, stating, “There’s absolutely no forgiveness for malicious crimes that belittle the rights and dignity of women!” Since June of last year, sexual assault crimes by US servicemen have come to light repeatedly. Governor Tamaki pointed out, on the subject of US Military prevention policies, “We’d like to have them thoroughly devise a revision of their policies, including the content of their education programs.” He added, “We can’t just plead again and again to the US side that such crimes are unacceptable!”   The Prefectural Police reported to the Prefecture on 7 November that they had sent the documen...

Splendor of Okinawa: Chinese Violet, roadside Uruma, 7no25 The operation of Okinawa Prefecture’s US Washington Office as a paper corporation had become problematic. So, on 18 November, the Prefecture announced that it would submit to the Prefectural Assembly, opening on 26 November, a draft ordinance for a proposal to cut the salary of Governor Tamaki by 15% from January through March next year. The Prefecture cited the reason noting, “It was in consideration of inappropriate administrative processes and to more fully promote an administration which maintains transparency.” On 13 November, the Prefecture had dealt with 6 others related to the problem with a reprimand. Governor Tamaki had also expressed the opinion that his own pay be cut.  　 The Office was set up in 2015 with the purpose of transmitting US Military base issues and such directly to the US side. The corporation was established to procure a corporate transferee visa for a staff member to work there.  However, it ...