Denny in the News

The counting of ballots for the 49th House of Representatives Election will take place on 31 October. This is the first national political election in the prefecture since the spread of the Covid-19 virus. 11 candidates, 6 incumbent and 5 new,  are standing for election in the prefecture’s 4 districts. Each and every candidate is roundly debating such points of contention as disease prevention policies, economic revitalization, and measures to eliminate the dangers posed by the US Military Futenma Airfield. On the afternoon of 30 October, at places such as intersections, booster ceremonies are being held to conclude the election campaign.  The time between the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the counting of ballots in the current election has been a mere 17 days, the shortest period ever. Along with confidence in Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet, the election will also hand down a judgement on the continuous 9 year rule of the Abe and Suga governments. With only one yea...

On the afternoon of 28 October, Governor Denny Tamaki held a press conference at the Prefectural Office. He announced the end of the prefecture’s own measures to prevent the widespread contagion of Covid-19. He will cancel his request to restaurants and bars for shortened business hours on 31 October and will establish a timeframe to prevent a rebound of the infection and to balance economic activity. The governor will also continue expansion of the system of business economic promotion and medical examination supply.  But, he is requesting that the prefecture’s people continue dining out in groups of 4 or under and within 2 hours. As for business economic promotion, the Prefecture will push the use of the “GoTo Eat” meal tickets. The tickets can be used from 8 November for inside dining at bars and restaurants displaying the Prefectural Virus Prevention Measures Certificate. From 1 November,  it will start the Okinawa Experience Support Project, to promote the use of coupon t...

(Nago) Seemingly due to an underwater volcanic eruption in the seas around the Ogasawara Islands, large swathes of floating pumice stone have drifted into place after place in the waters of Okinawa Prefecture. On 27 October, governor Denny Tamaki observed a site of the drifting pumice at the city of Nago. Pondering the conditions at the site, he stated, “The situation here is incredibly dire.” He explained that he was working in concert with concerned parties to quickly solve the problem. 26 October was his second day in a row of observations. He also observed Nago’s Ojima Beach and Yagaji Fishing Port with its open sea tuna fish hatchery. In addition he received an explanation of the problem from officials at the Prefectural Northern Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery Center. After his observations, Governor Tamaki elaborated on the pumice clogging the ports, “I’ve promised businesses that I will activate the nation’s disaster recovery industry, if feasible by the end of this week, be...

The broad swathes of pumice adrift in the sea around Okinawa and the offshore islands of Kagoshima are having an influence on the fishing industry and the movement of ships. Fukutoku Okanoba undersea volcano near the Ogasawara Islands erupted in August. As its impact became clear, on 26 October, Okinawa Prefecture announced the dispatch of a policy team to examine ways  to collect and dispose of the floating pumice. According to the Prefecture, since the floating pumice was confirmed at the beginning of this month at North Daito Island, it has now been confirmed to be concentrated also all around the northern part of Okinawa Island. Besides the 30 fishing boats damaged by having pumice sucked into their engines from the large amount covering the shores and ports, at Hentona Port in Kunigami Village, about 150 Indian mackerel died in the pens where they were being raised. They seem to have mistaken pumice for food and swallowed it. On 26 October, Governor Denny Tamaki noted after in...

Karate Day is 25 October and Okinawa Prefecture celebrated it with a commemorative performance at the Karate Center in Tomigusuku. Once again, the “Spirit of Shurei” (Trans. note: The Ming Dynasty endowed Ryukyu with the title “Devoted Propriety (守礼- shurei)”  for its strict observance of Ming ritual) was confirmed as the basis of karate. The purpose of the performances was to publish domestically and internationally the commemorative day and Okinawa’s role as the birthplace of Karate. 7 holders of the prefectural designated Intangible Culture Preservation Award,  all with the 10th rank of Hanshi, performed karate routines (kata). They are listed with their respective schools and the titles of their kata: Masanari Kikugawa of the Gojuryu school - “Su-pa-rinpe-”, Morinobu Maeijo of Kobayashiryu school - “Matsumura passai”, Kotaro Iha of the Kobudo school - “Shirataro no ko”, Tsutomo Nakahodo of the Uechiryu school - “Kanchin”, Masahiro Nakamoto of the Kobudo school - “Nicho nun...

The 12 municipalities of the Amami Island in Kagoshima Prefecture donated 20 million yen to Okinawa Prefecture  for the reconstruction of Shuri Castle. On 21 October, Hideki Takaoka, mayor of the Tokunoshima District and chair of the Amami Islands Municipalities Mayors’  Committee, and  Tsuyoshi Asayama, mayor of Amami City and manager of the Amami Islands Overall Administrative Cooperative, met Governor Tamaki at the Prefectural Office. They greeted the governor with, “We’re from the Nansei Island Brotherhood. For the people of our islands, too, your disaster was a great sorrow. We’ve come together to support you.” District Mayor Takaoka, touching on the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom’s roughly 200 years of governance of the Amami Islands, elaborated, “ While under the influence of Ryukyu, our livelihood and culture flourished. Let’s help to hand down the inheritance our ancestors left us intact for future generations." Governor Tamaki thanked them with, “I have sensed th...

On 23 October, the city of Amami in Kagoshima Prefecture’s Amami Oshima held commemorative festivities to celebrate its July designation as a Natural World Heritage Site. A replica of its designation certificate was passed out to the Prefecture and its 5 municipalities. At Amami Airport, 3 airplanes, bearing the specially painted message “Let’s protect it, our world treasure!,” were unveiled, and Amami’s bequeathal of its abundant nature to future generations was heralded. Amami City Mayor Tsuyoshi Asayama greeted the assembly with, “This designation is not a goal but a starting point. We’re going to protect the inheritance of our ancestors.” Local elementary and middle school students announced their concerted activities, such as the preservation of the Ryukyu ayu (a river fish). Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki sent a video message, as the northern section of Okinawa Island was also among those designated as Natural World Heritage Sites, wishing, “I want our relationship and expectation...

  Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited Okinawa on 20 and 21 October to cheer on the House of Representatives election. He went first to Okinawa District 3, which includes Henoko in Nago, the site where the US Military Futenma Airfield, now in Ginowan, will be moved. He inspected the “East Nago Road,” a national highway, whose early completion became a reality due to local demand. He lauded his “accomplishment.” Suga grasped the mike in two locations in District 3, which includes the city of Nago, but left it untouched at Henoko. Listening to local requests including the topic of traffic jams, under Suga’s leadership  the construction of the East Nago Road had been moved ahead by a year and a half. It was completely open to traffic last summer. Suga stood up to greet Aiko Shimajiri (56), a new face in the LDP and former Cabinet Minister for Okinawa and the Northern Territories, at her campaign headquarters in Nago with, “Everybody’s delighted with the ease of traffic, b...

In the evening on 20 October, a CH53E large transport helicopter based at the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan made an emergency landing at Aguni Airport in Aguni Village. Around noon on 21 October, it returned to Futenma Airfield under its own power. The US Military reported the continuance of the flight to the Okinawa Defense Bureau. Aguni Village plans to protest to the US Military through the Okinawa Defense Bureau. The village assembly intends to quickly call a special assembly meeting to lodge the protest. The US Military dispatched another helicopter of the same type with mechanics and repaired the aircraft. According to workers at Aguni Airport, the aircraft that had made the emergency landing took off around 11:08 in the morning on 21 October. It has been confirmed that, after returning to Futenma Airfield, the aircraft’s condition was checked on the tarmac by mechanics with two repair trucks. The aircraft was left there on the tarmac at least until around 5 in the afte...

The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly Special Fiscal Committee (chaired by Noriyuki Oshiro) had Governor Denny Tamaki for Summary Questions on 20 October. Within the around 720 billion yen cost of landfill for the new base construction at Henoko in Nago connected to the move of the US Military Futenma Airfield, the Okinawa Defense Bureau used up 257.3 billion by the end of fiscal 2020. However, Governor Tamaki noted, “The amount of landfill currently done was estimated, at the end of this August, to be only 7.8% of the total amount needed. So, construction has been confirmed as no longer proceeding.”  Among Governor Tamaki’s campaign promises before taking office, he considers 5 “completed but explained “Opposition to the base construction” is not included. That was his response to a question from Moriyuki Teruya of the Okinawan LDP. It had been 7 years since the Special Fiscal Committee called for the attendance of a prefectural governor to answer summary questions, the last being Gove...

The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly’s Special Fiscal Committee (chaired by Noriyuki Oshiro) passed a motion with a majority to request Governor Denny Tamaki’s attendance for summary questions on 19 and 20 October.  As the vote was a tie, the committee chair cast the deciding vote. The Fiscal Special Committee had not requested a prefectural governor’s attendance for summary questions  since 7 years ago in 2014 when Hirokazu Nakaima was governor.  The questions requiring deliberation were 7 items that arose from each standing committee in the process of deliberations around the 2020 general accounts settlement proposal. The Project for Promotion of Natural History Museum Attractions, requested by the Civil Engineering Environmental Committee, received  special support for inclusion in the 2022 budget with unanimous consent. It will be added as a supplemental resolution after passage of the 2020 General Accounts Settlement Proposal. The 7 items needing deliberation to be ...

The 49th House of Representatives election was publicly announced on 19 October.  A total of 11 applied as candidates for Okinawa’s 4 election districts as soon as the elections administration receptions opened at 8:30 a.m. There are only 12 days in the election campaign before ballots are cast on 31 October. Up for contention in the voting are topics such as prevention of the spread of Covid-19, the revival of the prefecture’s economy which fell in its wake, and a solution to the base problem. At sites such as important intersections, the candidates appealed  for their own policies and stands. The result of this election will have a major impact on Governor Denny Tamaki’s prefectural administration and next year’s mayoral election in Nago and the prefectural gubernatorial election. As of 9 a.m. on 19 October, those who have applied as candidates for the Okinawa Election District are as follows by district: Okinawa District 1 (3 candidates): Seiken Akamine (73) incumbent for t...

The Defense Ministry plans to dispose of polluted water containing organic fluorine compounds (PFAS) stored at the US Military Futenma Air Base. On 15 October, the “Alliance for the Protection of Citizens’ Lives from PFAS contamination” and others issued a written request  demanding their concerns be expressed to the Prefecture and the city of Ginowan that that polluted water, just as it is, would be transported away from the prefecture before its concentration has been measured. The written request was addressed to Governor Denny Tamaki and Ginowan Mayor Masanori Matsukawa. On 15 October, the issuance of the written request was announced during a meeting with the Naha prefectural press group. Professor Emeritus Kunitoshi Sakurai of Okinawa University, the co-representative of the Alliance,  criticized the Japanese side for bearing the cost of the disposal, “The environmental management of the base is the responsibility of the US Military.  For the Japanese side to take t...

Okinawa Denny Tamaki had surveys taken targeting people from outside the prefecture inquiring about PCR tests and such prior to departure. He announced on 15 October that the survey which started on 20 July showed that, of the people who responded, 51.8 answered “Yes, I’ve had the test.” That was a 4.5 point increase over the previous survey held from April to 19 July. Whether there were people entering the prefecture who had tested positive or what their positive rate was are unknown, since there were no questions on such matters. 72.4 percent knew that the Prefecture had called for tests prior to leaving their departure point, a 1.9 point rise over the prior survey. At the 15 October announcement, Governor Tamaki stated, “We’ll look for a way of appealing for an answer as to why some people didn’t take the test, targeting the ages and locations where knowledge of prior testing and rates of being tested are comparatively low. I’d like to work cooperatively targeting test acceptance ra...