Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Sweet William, roadside Uruma, 25ja26 On 30 January the teams selected to play in the 98th Invitational High School Baseball Tournament (Spring Koshien) were announced.  From the forces of Okinawa, Okinawa Shogaku High School’s team, victorious in its first championship at last summer’s Koshien tournament, has been invited to play for the second consecutive year. The team picked up the final slot among the 5 invited from Kyushu. This is the team’s ninth invitation to participate and it is hoping to take the championship in both the spring and summer tournaments, to make it historically only the fifth team to do so. In Shogaku High’s Naha auditorium, its team assiduously viewed the live coverage of the screening committee’s meeting to determine the teams to take the field. While the teams faces remained calm as they peered at the screen,  at the moment those to take the field were decided, everyone in the auditorium erupted in cries of joy. The commander of...

Splendor of Okinawa: Treasure Flower, roadside Uruma, 25ja26 The Nago City Gubernatorial Election, in which the relocation  of the US Military Futenma Airfield from Ginowan to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture, was contested, votes were tallied on 25 January.   At daybreak on 26 January, with news of the crushing defeat of the anti-relocation candidate whom he himself  had supported, Governor Denny Denny Tamaki assured the press corps at the Prefectural Office, “Our intention to oppose the new base construction remains unchanged!” Noting the prolonged high prices of goods, he added, “The biggest factor was the concerns of our citizens over their livelihoods.” In the Nago City Mayoral Election, incumbent Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi, received support from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is pushing the Henoko relocation. His opponent, former City Assembly Member Kumiko Onaga was supported by the forces of All Okinawa, who are against the relocation. Mayor Toguchi...

Splendor of Okinawa: Chrysanthemum, roadside Uruma, 25ja26 The US Military Futenma Airfield is to be relocated to Henoko in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture. Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki, answering queries from the press squad on record at the Prefectural Office on 26 January, was asked about the defeat of his candidate, who opposed the Henoko relocation in the Nago City Mayoral Election, where the relocation was certainly a point of contention. The governor replied, “It’s a shame our candidate didn’t get the win.” Then he added, "However, that will make no change in our sentiment against the new base construction  at Henoko.” Governor Tamaki furthermore queried, “Weren’t matters such as the high price of goods and the concerns of residents over their livelihoods the biggest factors in play?” To the press squad on the same subject, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stressed, “The relocation to Henoko has been settled as the sole policy solution”, so construction for the relocation...

Splendor of Okinawa: Great Bougainvillea, roadside Uruma, 26ja26. With ballots opened on 25 January in the mayoral election in Okinawa Prefecture’s Nago City, the relocation destination of the US Military Futenma Airfield, the prefectural headquarters of the coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito achieved a huge plurality to give a third term to their nominated candidate. But in the House of Representatives Election promulgated on 27 January, Komeito, overturning its former stance, will join the Constitutional Democratic Party in the newly formed Centrist Reform Alliance to support candidates.   In response to queries for Yomiuri Shimbun coverage near daybreak on 26 January in Nago City after his victory, Taketoyo Toguchi (64) noted, “Even after the formation of the new party, the power I received from Komeito in its coalition with the LDP was huge! Mayor Toguchi has expressed neither agreement nor disagreement on the Henoko relocation. Yet, besides the LDP, hi...

Splendor of Okinawa: Sweet William, roadside Uruma, 25ja26. The start of the House of Representatives Election will be promulgated on 27 January, with ballots to be opened on 8 February. On 26 January, Representative Akira Uehara and Chief Secretary Masahiro Itokazu of the Komeito Okinawa Headquarters held a conference for the Prefectural Office Press Club.  They laid out their party’s plan to support the 3 candidates nominated by the new Centrist Reform Alliance Party in Okinawa Prefecture‘s Election Districts 2,3, and 4. Their party has not yet decided whom to support in District 1. Representative Uehara explained, “The Komeito Prefectural Headquarters and the Constitutional Democratic Party will independently support the Centrist Reform Alliance candidates.” He further stressed that the Komeito Prefectural Headquarters plans to align with the forces of All Okinawa, which supports Governor Denny Tamaki, combining  their opposition to the new base construction at Henoko in Na...

Splendor of Okinawa: Violet, roadside Uruma, 25ja26 Vote counting is about to begin in Okinawa Prefecture’s 25 January Nago City Mayoral Election. For the eighth mayoral election running, the planned relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield from Ginowan City to Henoko in Nago has again spouted up. The ballot opening will begin at 9 p.m. and the results are expected to be mostly confirmed by late tonight.  The 3 candidates, all registered as unaligned, are: Katsuya Iha (67), a cram school manager and a new contender. Kumiko Onaga (69), a new contender and former member of the Nago City Assembly, nominated by the Communist Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Socialist Party,  and the Okinawa Social Masses Party. Taketoyo Toguchi (64), the incumbent mayor seeking his third term, nominated by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Japan Restoration Party, the Nationalist Party, and Komeito.  On the relocation plan, Candidate Onaga stands by her opposition, ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Star Jasmine, roadside Uruma, 14fe24 With the theme of local products for local consumption, the “Okinawa Flower and Foods Festival 2026” (sponsored by the promotion headquarters of the same name, began at Naha City’s Onoyama Park on 24 January to broadcast the attraction of the prefecture’s agricultural, forestry, fishery and other products. 116 production and processing groups set up 119 booths. There are even competition shows with food sampling and sales. The festival will end at 6 p.m. on 25 January. Promotion Headquarters Chief  and Chairman of the Okinawa Japan Agricultural Association (JA) Yukimasa Yasuya gave his address at the opening ceremony. He urged, “Find joy in rediscovering Okinawa’s culinary culture, tasting it, touching it, seeing the agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products that workers  put their hearts into making.” Governor Denny Tamaki, as guest speaker, noted, “Touching on the superior attractiveness of our agricultural fores...

Splendor of Okinawa: Wax Begonia, roadside Uruma, 6ja25 “Somehow or other our colors match!”, quipped Okinawa Governor Tamaki, joking that he and Chief Cabinet Secretary  Minoru Kihara were both wearing the same iron red Kariyushi (trans note: brightly-patterned Okinawan wear) shirts, in their first face to face meeting at the Prefectural Office at the end of last November.  With that single phrase, Governor Tamaki began the meeting, setting a cheerful mood.  However, the gap between them on the issue of the new base construction at Henoko to accommodate the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan was not to be bridged. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara just repeated the National Government’s plan. Governor Tamaki stressed, “I’d like to request a policy solution, through dialogue, for the abandonment of the Henoko relocation and the removal of Futenma’s dangers without a moment’s delay.” However, Secretary Kihara just repeated the existing  Administrat...

Splendor of Okinawa: Duranta, roadside Uruma, 14fe25 In the House of Representatives election for the seat in Okinawa District 2, part of the headquarters of the Okinawa Branch of the Socialist Party are considering backing former Nanjo Mayor Chobin Zukeran as their candidate. In on record answers to questions from the press squad on the morning of 19 January, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Tamaki claimed, “I’d like to keep an eye on this split.” Kunio Arakaki, the current holder of the Okinawa District 2 seat, who bolted from the Socialist Party and is now unaligned, was expected to be the party’s candidate. However, a part of the Socialist Party may back Chobin Zukeran instead. If so, the forces of All Okinawa would be fractured. In case of such a division, there would be a concern within All Okinawa that the split would benefit  the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) candidate. 　 On the possibility of such a split becoming an advantage for the LDP, Governor Tamaki opined, “Generally,...

Splendor of Okinawa: Golden Dewdrop, roadside Uruma, 17ja25. On 19 January, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki spoke on the candidate selection for the Okinawa District 2 House of Representatives Election. The governor brought up the selection, pointing out a fracture over the election among the forces of All Okinawa, which had been united in their opposition to the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago, both within Okinawa Prefecture. The governor expressed his consideration, noting, “When allies are considering a breakup, I have to think it will end up being an especially harsh election.” In the House of Representatives Okinawa Election District 2, House of Representatives Member Kunio Arakaki, currently unaffiliated after bolting from the Socialist Party last year, is considering running as the nominated candidate of the Centrist Reform Alliance, newly established by the Constitutional Democratic Party and Komeito. However, supporters of t...