Denny in the News

On 17 March, Okinawa Prefecture announced the results of its opinion poll of prefectural residents on the Covid-19 vaccine. Among those who answered that they haven’t gotten vaccinated, 73% offered, “Because it’s an unknown,” as their reason. 47% answered, “(I don’t want the vaccination, even in the future).” The opinion poll was carried out on the Internet from 24 January to 10 February. 11,353 people answered the poll. 9,817 people had already gotten their second shot (86%), 60 their first (1%), and 1,476 were unvaccinated. Among the unvaccinated, with multiple answers allowed, the reasons given were: “The vaccine is an unknown” as the most common answer at 73%, “I’m afraid of side effects” at 55%,  “I think there’s a risk of sterility” at 27%, and others.  When the question, with multiple answers allowed, was “What could make you want to get vaccinated?”47% answered that even in the future, “I don’t want to get vaccinated”, followed by 19%, who said they’d accept vaccinatio...

On 18 March, Sachiko Miyagi and other officials of Shinyuryu (True Ryukyu Dance) visited Governor DennyTamaki at the Prefectural Office. Miyagi Sensei was awarded the status of National Human Treasure in the important intangible cultural asset “Ryukyu Dance” for her role as consultant on the true Ryukyu form of Ryukyu dance. After announcing the award, she invited the governor to her “Path to True Dance” memorial award speech at the Okinawa National Theater in Ginowan on 9 April.   With award in hand, Miyagi Sensei told the governor, “I want to thank all my fellow teachers and the late esteemed head of our school Masako Makina. As we preserve the development of Ryukyu dance, we will do our utmost to hand it down to the following generations.” Governor Tamaki lauded her with, “In your reception of the National Human Treasure award as a female dancer,  I, too, have received a taste of your indescribable joy. As dancer and director, you have exerted a huge influence. As our ...

On 12 March, the Okinawa Prefectural Election Administration Commission decided that, to align with the end of the current term on 29 September, the gubernatorial election will be publicly announced on 25 August, with ballots to be opened on 11 September. The conflict between the Japanese Government and the Prefecture on the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to within the prefecture at Henoko in Nago  is envisioned to be the point of contention in the election. Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki (62) is opposed to the Henoko relocation. Although he has not yet publicly announced his candidacy, he has referred to his intention to run again. On the other hand, the opposition party in the prefectural government, the Liberal Democratic Party, is eyeing the recapture of the prefectural administration and is in the process of choosing its candidate.  One name that has come up is that of former Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima (57), who had run in the 2018 gubernator...

On 15 March,  in response to the new base construction at Henoko, the Capital Liaison Committee “Don’t dump rubble in Henoko’s sea” handed Governor Denny Tamaki over 50 thousand signatures in support of the Prefecture’s decision to reject the Japanese Government‘s request for base design changes. Takamatsu Gushiken, representing Gama Fuya-, a volunteer group for collecting the bones of war dead, took part in handing over the signatures. The group is opposed to digging up rubble for landfill from the south of Okinawa Island rife with war remains. The group further requested that the governor bring up  their proposal on the rubble problem at the National Governors Conference. Governor Tamaki answered, “If possible, I’d like to examine with you whether I can submit your proposal to the National Governors Conference and how we can frame it as a national issue.” Jinshiro Motoyama, who played a central role in the 2019 referendum of the people of the prefecture on whether or not to ...

“Don’t fill Henoko’s sea with sludge!" Metropolitan Liaison Committee is constituted of 28 city resident groups and others. On 15 March, its members and others visited Governor Denny Tamaki at the Prefectural Office building. They handed the governor 50,234 signatures supporting his decision to reject the requested changes to the landfill at the new base construction at Henoko in Nago needed to support the weak seabed there. Governor Tamaki thanked them, promising, “As these signatures represent our prefecture’s people, these are an especially great support for me. Without letting myself be swayed by  even an inch in my stated conviction that I must put my heart and soul into seeing to it that the new base at Henoko will not be allowed to be built, let’s all of us together give it our all!” Mikiko Gaima of the Kanto block of the One Tsubo Anti-war Landlords Association stated, “With these signatures, we want to preserve Okinawa’s seas. We want the opinions of the people to be held...