Denny in the News

The view has been hardening that the  US Military bases in Japan are the epicenter of the sudden expansion of the epidemic in 3 prefectures: Okinawa, where Special Contagion Prevention Measures against Covid-19 have been applied, Yamaguchi, and Hiroshima. Compared to Japan’s, the US Military’s disease prevention measures have been pointed out to be weak. The Japanese Government is worried that anti-base sentiment will surely heighten among its population. On 6 January, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi phoned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asking for a tightening of contagion prevention measures among US Military in Japan, “We strongly request that you implement strong and thorough measures, including imposition of confinement to base.” The Foreign Ministry’s request for confinement to base was unprecedented. Secretary Blinken answered, “I want to do whatever I can.” 　 US Military bases in their midst is a common factor among the 3 prefectures. In Japan, 70 percent of the fa...

On 5 January, it became known that 27 people were newly infected with Covid-19 in the prefecture (Shizuoka). Moreover, the wide-spread infections at the US Military Camp Fuji in Gotemba  have not ceased. Up to now, 46 cases of infection have been confirmed there, further heightening the sense of alarm in the area. The contagion is widespread among the American Military stationed in the prefecture as well. The American Military Camp Fuji in Gotemba reported 46  cases of contagion among its units as of 5 January. The Omicron strain was also confirmed there. The situation regionally and in the city of Gotemba is such. Gotemba Mayor Masami Katsumata notes, “Covid-19 is overwhelming wherever there are Marine bases: Okinawa, Iwakuni. My truly great worry is this situation where it is spreading widely in the blink of an eye.”  At this point, the spread of the contagion keeps getting wider and wider from the areas that have American Military bases. On 5 January in Yamaguchi Prefe...

Okinawa Prefecture announced on the morning of 5 January that it expected the number of Covid-19  infected people to rise to around 600. Compared to last Wednesday’s report of 27 cases, that is 22 times more, and compared to the report of 4 January, the previous day, it is 2.6 times higher. Within the prefecture, Omicron is continuing to replace other strains.  On 5 January, a panel of experts in health care and economics will convene a meeting to hear opinions on prevention policy going forward. Within this week, the group will adjust the “Special Contagion Prevention Measures” for suitable application. Within the prefecture, in the more than 40 days leading up to mid-December last year, the number of victims per day ranged around ten. But then came a dramatic expansion. As the new year opened on 4 January, the infections shot up to a total of 458 cases. Added to those infected on 5 January, the number of cases will surpass 1,000. On 4 January, the number of US Military affil...

On 4 January, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki offered his New Year’s Greeting to employees at the Prefectural Office. He declared, in reference to the 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s Reversion to Japan, “While taking in the various opinions of the people of our prefecture, I’m going to consider how proposals and declarations will be done hereafter.  The governor also referred to former Okinawa Governor Chobyo Yara, who led the Ryukyu government before and after Reversion. Yara had compared his image of Okinawa with its reality when he penned his “Proposal on Reversion Policy”, also called the “Yara Proposal” to the National Government. Moreover, his plan formulated a proposal or declaration pointing out a renewed image for a future Okinawa. Governor Tamaki explained the Yara Proposal, “Governor Yara was writing about an Okinawa reborn, gathering together its shattered bones, considering the priority of the prefectural people’s welfare, establishing regional autonomy, anti-war, pro-peac...

On 2 January, Okinawa Prefecture reported 70 newly confirmed Covid infections among the US Military (Commander of US Forces Japan, Lieutenant General Ricky N. Rupp) in the prefecture. There were over 300 cases on both 1 and 2 January. Governor Denny Tamaki held a press conference. He noted that the infections have spread widely even outside the bases and, “There is no doubt that the US Military is the cause.” He further criticized the American response. It offered a detailed breakdown such as number of cases by base, but no clarification on whether the Omicron strain was included. The total of US Military cases has risen to 3,683, and the prefectural totals do not include them. The number of confirmed prefectural cases has risen to a level between 40 and 50 since the end of 2021. Because of the Military’s lack of thorough prevention measures such as the use of masks and Covid testing, the governor offered this strong criticism, “I’ll bear in mind my intense rage. I’m telling you, don’t...

On 1 January, Okinawa Prefecture announced that 235 new cases of Covid-19 had been confirmed among the US Military in Okinawa (Commander of US Forces Japan, Lieutenant General Ricky N. Rupp). According to the report the Prefecture received from the US Military, the number announced hit the highest yet for any one day.  The Military claimed that whether or not the infections of the 235 were associated with or a variant of the Omicron strain was undetermined. On 17 December 2021, a huge cluster of the virus was confirmed within the prefecture at the US Marine base Camp Hansen in and around the town of Kin. At year end, the number of infections increased from 45 on 30 December to 98 on 31 December, bringing the total for December alone to 522. As to the cause of the increase, the US Military is said to have told the Prefecture, “We haven’t been able to analyse all the information.  We’re in the middle of our investigation.”   Governor Denny Tamakihas requested that the US Mi...

The US Military reported to Okinawa Prefecture that on 30 December there were 45 new Covid-19 infections related to its bases. That more than doubled the 20 reported on 29 December. After 31 December, a report is expected in which the breakdown of new infections by base will classify the strain in all cases as undetermined. There is a fear of widespread infection not only with the cluster at Camp Hansen, but across all the US Military bases in Okinawa.  Also, on 30 December, Governor Denny Tamaki pointed out that, at the beginning of December, a large contingent of 1,000 troops entered Okinawa from the US. They came in without receiving PCR tests and were active inside and outside their base without wearing masks. The governor explained that he had requested that the US Military raise the level of its health care system with measures such as thorough prevention at the border, requiring PCR tests of all military and their dependents, and prohibition of base entrance and exits. It ha...

The Prefecture announced 50 new Covid-19 infections among people between the ages of 10 and 99 on 30 December. The total was twice that of the previous Thursday and the first time the one day total of victims hit 50 in the 91 days since 30 September. The number of possible cases of the Omicron strain surpassed the previous 21 and reached 36. Governor Denny Tamaki confirmed his acknowledgement that the municipal-wide spread of Omicron contagion had begun, at an unscheduled press conference on 30 December.  He further shared his anticipation that, if large-scale contagion continues, he will increase the Prefecture’s warning level. The governor noted, “If the epidemic becomes larger as the new year begins, there’s a possibility that I will even have to request limitations on activities.” In addition, he again called for full preventive measures against the virus as the old year ends and the new one begins.  Currently, the prefectural warning level is 1 (epidemic caution). If infe...

On 27 December, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki held a press conference. The number of Covid-19 cases is on the rise in places such as the northern part of Okinawa Island. The governor expressed his sense of wariness on the problem, “It’s thought to be on an upward trend at this point.” He added, “If the rise continues as is, we’ll have to ask that self-discipline be demanded when going outside.” He further noted that even stricter measures may be unavoidable, such as a move toward priority prevention measures, should the infection conditions worsen. Before the flow of people across the prefecture and the islands for homecoming begins, during the end of this and the beginning of next year, the governor is calling for full measures to combat the virus. He is requesting that the prefecture’s people who are planning homecomings to the offshore islands to participate in festivities, such Adult Day, during the New Year vacation and tourists from outside the prefecture as well get PCR tests be...