Denny in the News

Splendor of Okinawa: Egyptian star luster, roadside Uruma, 18oc23 The US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is slated for relocation to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa. The construction work for it came up as a topic at the final session of the Okinawa Assembly (48 members) on 23 October. Assembly members of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and neutral factions proposed a motion of censure against Governor Denny Tamaki, but it lacked enough yes votes and was defeated. In the proposed motion, the opposition criticized Governor Tamaki because he refused to approve the Government’s request for design changes needed to shore up Henoko’s weak seabed. Moreover, it was claimed that the governor did not even obey the Supreme Court’s ruling that rejected the Prefecture’s claims.  The opposition asserted, “The governor has repeatedly acted more and more against our Constitutional Government!  He’s chipping away at the faculties and very nature that has let our regional au...

Splendor of Okinawa: Moss Rose Purslane, roadside Uruma, 18oc23 The U.S. Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is slated for relocation to Henoko in Nago. In reference to the plan, at the regular session of the Prefectural Assembly on 23 October, a motion of censure against Governor Denny Tamaki for not approving a change in design for construction to shore up the weak seabed at Henoko was rejected by a majority. Claiming the governor’s judgment had disparaged the office of governor, among the 47 members of the assembly, Speaker of the Assembly excluded, the 23 members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito submitted their motion of censure. At the regular Assembly session, LDP members pointed out, “Unless there’s a defect in the National Government’s procedures, approval of its requests is normal. So, refusal to approve is an abuse of authority.” However, Assembly members from the governor’s side defended him, arguing, “The judgment to approve or not is the governor's ri...

Splendor of Okinawa: Purslane, roadside Uruma, 11oc23 (ITOMAN) On the afternoon of 21 October, the All Okinawa Committee for the Prevention of New Base Construction at Henoko held a mass rally of the prefecture’s people in the Multi-purpose Square at the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman to request that soil, blended with the remains of the war dead, not be used in the construction of the new base at Henoko. Many of the citizens who attended pondered the present reality that a great many remains, still, have yet to be found, even though 78 years have passed since the end of the war. According to Satoshi Kunimoto of our southern bureau, the committee adopted this declaration: “The souls of many, including our children, rest here in Okinawa. We will protect forever our peaceful Okinawa, so that the same mistake will never happen again. With our hearts as one, we will put a halt to the new base construction.” The sponsors’ keynote was given by the committee’s joint representative, Susumu Ina...

Splendor of Okinawa: Autumn Zephyrlily, Gushikawa RC Church, 8oc23 Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki held his scheduled press conference on 20 October. He spoke on the Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC) fare hike from November. In line with his policy of reducing the air fare burden for the residents of small and medium remote islands, the governor announced that the Prefecture will take on the total burden of the increase in fare amount.  Thus, the burden of the airplane ticket prices for residents will not increase due to the fare hike. Moreover, discounted fares will be maintained. Governor Tamaki explained, “We will grapple with continually reducing the burden on the residents of our remote islands.” The areas affected will be the 4 lines from Naha to Kume, Minami Daito, Kita Daito, and Yonaguni Islands,  the 2 lines connecting the islands of Miyako, Ishigaki, and Tarama Islands, plus the 1 for Ishigaki to Yonaguni, and 1 connecting Minami and Kita Daito Islands, altogether ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Mexican Petunia, Gushikawa RC Church, 8oc23 The US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan  is slated for relocation to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture. At a press conference on 20 October, Governor Denny Tamaki firmly emphasized his consideration of arguing against the National Government by appearing in court himself in the first oral arguments, scheduled for 30 October, on the exercise of proxy in the matter. The governor pointed out, “Even though the Prefecture has repeatedly requested a solution through dialogue with the Government, there’s been no reply.” The governor further set out his plan of pleading that the  requirements for proxy being determined will not be met, since, under the Regional Autonomy Law, “There’s no measure provided for correction by a third party.” The National Government claims that the  governor’s refusal to approve design changes for shoring up the weak seabed at Henoko will result in damage to the public good. ...

Splendor of Okinawa: Ashanti Blood, roadside Uruma, 18oc23 The Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF) and the US Marine Corps, in conducting their Resolute Dragon joint exercises, have used Shin Ishigaki Airport for their GSDF V22 Osprey transport aircraft. On word of this, Governor Denny Tamaki issued a comment, on 19 October, criticizing such use, “The Ospreys keep crashing one after another. Use of the Osprey, under such circumstances, in carrying out large scale Japan-US exercises, will cause anxiety among our prefecture’s people.” On the other hand, in response to our reporting, Ishigaki City Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama, noting that the Osprey had not flown over the city area and such, stated, “It’s no problem”. 　 However, the Prefecture had expressed its concerns over safety to the Okinawa Defense Bureau in both September and October and requested restraint in the use of GSDF Ospreys within the prefecture. So, Governor Tamaki complained, “It’s truly a pity that they’ve been taking off and...

Splendor of Okinawa: Philippine ground orchid, Gushikawa RC Church, 8oc23 On the evening of 11 October, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki got cornered for questions by the Press Corps at the Prefectural Office for their coverage. There he publicly announced that he would counter sue against the suit brought by the National Government to execute proxy in its request for approval for design changes in the work to reinforce the weak seabed at the construction site for the new base at Henoko in Nago. Governor Tamaki added, “We can’t accept the goal of the request of the National Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Ministry,” clearly confirming his stance that he cannot give his approval. Moreover, he again expressed his consideration of taking the stand himself in court for the oral arguments. The National Government claims that the governor’s refusal of approval is detrimental to the public good, However, Governor Tamaki retorted, “There’s a huge disconnect between the Government’s...

Splendor of Okinawa: Wild Rose, roadside Uruma, 17oc23 The U.S. Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is planned to be relocated to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture. On 11 October, Governor Denny Tamaki held a press conference over the Government’s request for changes in the construction design to shore up the weak sea bed for the required Henoko construction. The governor made his position crystal clear, “I will not give my approval.”  The governor further confirmed his intention of fighting the lawsuit that National Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito filed on 5 October at the Naha Branch of the Fukuoka High Court for proxy to make the approval on behalf of the Prefecture.   In 2021, Governor Tamaki refused to approve the request for the design changes, The Government took his refusal up to the Supreme Court and the Prefecture’s loss in the case was confirmed by a Supreme Court ruling in September of this year. Minister Saito, with his authorit...

Splendor of Okinawa: Chinese Hibiscus, roadside Uruma, 17oc23 How will the USMarine Corps in Okinawa change in the near future and what effect will that have on the defense of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands? To discover the vision for the future of the Marine Corps, I visited Hawaii, a US State where the Marine Corps is based, to cover its training. At the end of August, I visited Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, in the southeast of Oahu Island. A small group of marines were trying to hide an armored vehicle supposedly to be loaded with missiles. 28-year-old Staff Sergeant Fernando Dar (=ダー?) stressed, “We hide our weapons, using whatever terrain, with marines dispersed into small groups.” At another training camp in the northern part of Oahu, at the end of an unpaved road in the middle of the jungle, sick and injured were getting treatment using satellite communications, while training was being carried out.　The training projects the importance given to mobility and concealment. Ab...

Splendor of Okinawa: Silver Cockscomb, roadside Uruma,11oc23 On 13 October, the Prefectural Personnel Affairs Committee (chair: Isamu Ikeda) recommended to Governor Denny Tamaki and the Prefectural Assembly that the 2023 monthly salary of Prefectural employees be raised by 3324 yen (0.95%) and their bonus by 0.1% of a month’s salary. This is the highest level increase recommended since 1997 and the second year in a row for a raise recommendation. While the Prefecture must pay due respect to the recommendation, the Prefecture expects to submit the recommendation to the Prefectural Assembly as a supplementary budget and moreover check carefully to align it with the Prefectural Rule Reform Bill. If all is approved, salaries will be adjusted retroactively from April of this year. The committee members based their recommendation on the Public Employees Law. That law takes into consideration such factors as gaps in private sector pay. Then the committee recommends a review of prefectural emp...