Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki asserts, “Just writing them off as protest boats doesn’t mean they had safety issues.” (29mr26)

Splendor of Okinawa: Golden Dewdrop, roadside Uruma, 29mr26.

On 27 March, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki held his regular press conference. 


Two boats, ordinarily engaged as protest boats in opposing the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago (both in Okinawa Prefecture), capsized in the offing off  Henoko. In answering a query from our Sankei Shimbun reporter, he showed his persective, noting, “Just writing them off as so-called protest boats doesn’t mean they had safety issues. They were just boats which were also used in protests. They were boats used suitably for their purpose.”


The Heiwa Maru, one of the 2 boats,  had carried the second year female student (17) from Doshisha International University High School who was killed. It has been confirmed that a banner reading, “Let’s go for it with Governor Denny”, was raised on it during a maritime protest action against the Henoko relocation back in December of 2023.


At the press conference, the governor  was asked about his relations with the Helicopter Base Opposition Committee, which manages the two boats. 


Governor Tamaki responded, “I’m in accord with the concept of opposition to the Henoko relocation and with the groups that are carrying out actions against construction of the new base at Henoko.”


The governor added, “I also understand  that maritime protest activities are ongoing  from the news. However, under what conditions  they’re actually carried out, I have no detailed knowledge about them.”


On the peace studies students on board the boats, the governor stopped at noting, “Regarding the school and the helicopter base opposition committee, we’re confirming whether there was sufficient coordination between them.”


Original Japanese article: Sankei Shimbun, published Friday 27 March 2026 at 17:11. Byline: Naoki Ohtake.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cdf4251b7ba377a6a699bd58c1e9216526a02f49


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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