On word of the Nago City Mayoral Election results, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Tamaki reaffirms “Our opposition to Henoko is unchanged!” (28ja26)

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 is in fact underway.


Original Japanese article: Jiji.com, published Monday 26 January 2026 at 12:18.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/09938347c6692419c9d6a73448db9c547af6a27c


Denny in the News: Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although 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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