Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Indian Blanket, beachside Mihama, 9au24 On 14 August, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he would not run in the Liberal Democratic Party election. In response to questions on the decision from the press squad for their coverage, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki answered briefly, “I feel that because of various and sundry personal circumstances, the Prime Minister judged to not run for re-election. However, I also feel it was probably his judgment as a politician.” However, in returning to the topic of the Kishida Administration, the governor claimed, “As was seen in his exercise of proxy in our lawsuits and such, while we were working earnestly toward a solution by dialog, I had hoped we could have had him lend us more of a constructive hand.” On his efforts on Okinawa Promotion, the governor  assessed the prime minister, noting,  “He was consistent in planning the Promotion program, according to a solid plan, a basic plan for  admin...

Splendor of Okinawa: Raintree, beachside Mihama, 9au24 With the ongoing sexual assaults by US troops in Okinawa Prefecture coming to light, citizen groups and others requesting a reduction in Okinawa’s base burden, held a protest rally on 10 August at an athletic field in Ginowan City. According to the organizers, over 2,000 citizens attended. The rally adopted a letter of appeal to the Japanese Government requesting control and reduction of bases and a radical revision of the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), pointing out its barriers in crime investigations. The participants raised placards bearing the slogan, “Don’t forgive US troop sexual assaults!”, as Governor Denny Tamaki took the stage to greet the crowd with, “Let’s get on with it, dauntless, and never giving up!” Chiemi Yonaha (52), a mother still raising 2 children, touching on the US Military aircraft crash accidents and sexual assault crimes that have occurred up to now, emphasized, “Schools and parks, that ought...

Splendor of Okinawa: Beach Spider Lily, beachside Mihama, 9au24 Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on 14 August that he would not enter the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election. On 15 August, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki spoke to the press squad for their coverage of this news. He stated only, “I think he decided not to run for the presidency again because of a variety of personal considerations. However, I consider this  just my judgment as a politician.” Moreover, on looking back over the Kishida Administration, the governor claimed, “In cases such as the exercise of proxy in the Henoko litigation, I would have preferred to have had him make more of a hands on effort to solve our differences through dialogue.” The governor settled his evaluation of Prime Minister Kishida’s efforts to put together the Okinawa Promotion package as consistent, noting, “The Promotion package was solidly planned, as is usual for a government administration’s basic plans...

Splendor of Okinawa: Hellenia, Gushikawa RC Church 11au24 A security guard died while restraining a woman protesting the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture. On 15 August, the Defense Ministry’s Okinawa Defense Bureau issued a letter of request addressed to Governor Denny Tamaki asking him to carry out cautions and notifications to “obstructionists” and to take safety measures such as the installation of a guardrail. Such a request by the Defense Bureau is extremely unusual. Nearby the port, where soil is unloaded, members of citizen groups carrying placards continue their protest activity of walking ever so slowly across the crosswalk in front of the dump trucks, in their “cow walk” strategy to delay the delivery of the soil. The letter of request about the accident claimed, “Heedless of restraints by the security guards, protestors went out into the road in front of trucks in the process of trying to make a left turn...

Splendor of Okinawa: Lantana, beachside Mihama, 9au24. 13 August was the twentieth anniversary of the crash at Okinawa International University in Ginowan of a helicopter attached to the U.S. Military Futenma Airfield  To the press squad at the Prefectural Office, in addition to the crash of the CH53E helicopter in 2004, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki took up the Osprey aircraft currently deployed at the U.S. Military Futenma Airfield, whose structural defects have been pointed out after accidents, noting, “Both Ospreys and helicopters are jointly in use. We cannot help but say that unease among our prefecture’s people is on the rise.” A US Military Osprey crashed offshore Yaku Island in Kagoshima Prefecture last November, resulting in the death of its crew of 8. Governor Tamaki lamented, “The Osprey’s structural defects have become apparent. Considering this situation where accidents  just continue due to the use of Ospreys and helicopters, Okinawa’s situation will ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Hibiscus, beachside Mihama, 9au24 13 August marks the twentieth anniversary of the fiery crash  at Okinawa International University in Ginowan by a helicopter from the adjacent U.S. Military Futenma Airfield. “1000 Memories of the Crash I Saw”, an exhibition of photos taken by civilian eye-witnesses of the crash, was held at the Naha Citizens‘ Gallery in Naha. In the neighborhood of that airfield, even on the morning of 13 August, US Aircraft were still flying, leaving visitors to the exhibit to wonder if their peaceful island without bases would ever become a reality. Citizen groups that have worked hard together to maintain the memory of the accident planned the event. About 400 items were on display such as cell-phone and camera  photos taken by passersby of the actual crash site, plus newspaper articles from the era. Photos, showing the sense of urgency, were laid out of US soldiers with grim faces running about the site, the sliding doors of houses sl...

Splendor of Okinawa: Golden Trumpet, beachside Mihama, 9au24. A mass rally was held in Okinawa to request a reduction in its burden of bases and to protest the recurrence of sexual assault crimes by US troops. Even Governor Tamaki participated. The mass rally, called for by the All Okinawa Committee, which supports the Tamaki Administration, and others, was held in Ginowan on 10 August. According to a report by the organizers, over 2,000 attended. In addition to pleading for the closing and removal of the US Military Futenma Airfield and a halt to Osprey transport aircraft flights, the participants also raised their voices to protest the continuing sexual assaults by those related to the U.S. Military. Even Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki made his way to the rally. The governor stated, “We the people of Okinawa Prefecture are here to raise our voices to the National Administration. Without any mistake, our way of action is correct. Let’s get out and zealously affirm that we th...

Splendor of Okinawa: Narrowleaf Angelina, beachside Mihama, 9au24 The twentieth anniversary of the crash of a large US Military helicopter at Okinawa International University is approaching. Prior to it, an event was held in Naha on 10 August to consider the issue of US bases in Okinawa. Since 2019, Governor Tamaki has been crisscrossing the Nation to hold his  Talk Caravan to highlight the current state of Okinawa’s base issue. However, this was the first time the event was held in Okinawa itself. On 10 August, discussions revolved around the theme, “The Exercise of Proxy at Henoko and Regional Autonomy”.  Attorney Yutaka Kato noted, “The decision handed down by the court was nothing but a letdown. There is no reason to say that the Henoko problem is settled. It’s still ongoing.” Professor Masanori Okada of Waseda University’s School of Legal Scholarship stated, “I've wondered if it weren’t essential to have a rethinking established on the very meaning of citizen autonomy.” G...

Splendor of Okinawa: Lagerstroenia, Gushikawa RC Church, 11au24 Sexual assault crimes by US Military troops keep happening in Okinawa Prefecture, and furthermore, after such incidents occur, the Prefecture has not been notified of them by the National Government. In protest, on 10 August a mass rally was held in Ginowan. According to its organizers’ announcement, 2,500 protesters participated. A participant from Urasoe claimed, “They say that all people are equal, that all have equal human rights, but we wonder how Okinawa has ended up being treated differently!” A protester from Nanjo was left wondering, “It’s somehow weird, isn’t it? How is it that what’s right doesn’t apply to Okinawa?” Even Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki took the stage to add as well the declaration of his opposition to the current situation of progressing on with construction for the relocation of Futenma Airfield. The governor noted, “We the people haven’t given up our means to resist.” Then he added, “...

Splendor of Okinawa: Fan Flower, beach path Mihama, 9au24. On 8 August, the Meteorological Agency announced, “Nankai Trough Earthquake provisional information: beware of a huge earthquake!” In response, at his regular press conference on 9 August, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki expressed his recognition of the issue, stating, “Although Okinawa Prefecture is not included within the Nankai Trough Great Earthquake hypothetical hypocentral region, hereafter, in tandem with the occurrence of an earthquake, there is a fear that its tidal wave may reach us.” In addition, he exhorted the prefecture’s people, “We’d like you to once again confirm your normal preparedness for earthquakes.” As a regional promotion area for measures to counter Nanjai Trough earthquake hazards in Okinawa Prefecture,  16 municipalities have been designated: Nago City, Itoman City, Tomigusuku City, Uruma City, Miyako City, Nanjo City, Kunigami Village, Higashi Village, Yonabaru Town, Tokashiki Village, Z...

Splendor of Okinawa: Angelwing Jasmine, roadside Uruma, 8mr24 Mayor Masanori Matsukawa of Ginowan, which holds the US Military Futenma Airfield, died in office. The election to replace him will be publicly announced on 1 September  with ballot opening on 8 September. On 7 August, former Mayor Atsushi Sakima (59) formally declared his candidacy. Matsukawa had served as Sakima’s Vice-mayor while Sakima was mayor. Sakima stressed at his press conference, “Various and sundry inherited projects remain to be carried to fruition, and, along with their burden and joy, it’s mine alone to get them done.” The Liberal Democratic Party Prefectural Federation  decided to nominate Sakima as its candidate on 7 August. After first being  elected to the Ginowan City Assembly and Prefectural Assembly, Sakima was elected mayor in 2012. Halfway through his second term as mayor, he stepped down to run as a candidate in the 2018 gubernatorial election. However, he lost the race to Governor Denn...

Splendor of Okinawa: Chinese Hibiscus, roadside Uruma, 26ja24. Even though sexual assault crimes by those associated with the US Military have been ongoing, the Government has not been sharing information with Okinawa Prefecture about them. To respond to the issue, Governor Denny Tamaki held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Japan in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Governor Tamaki brought up the Japanese Government’s claim that information had not been shared for the sake of the privacy of the victims. He countered, “As the prefecture’s governor, it’s my responsibility to protect the life, property, peace of mind, and security of my prefecture’s people.” He added, in his criticism of the Government’s stance, “It’s especially essential that I promote awareness in order to guarantee peace in the region! That’s perfectly possible while moreover guaranteeing the privacy of victims.” On 5 July, the Japanese Government revealed that, from then on, in cases of the occurrence of cri...