Archive for the Politics Category

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Nago City Office signs up for diplomatic think tank

September 20, 2013 Ryota Nakamura of Ryukyu Shimpo

The Nago City Office has decided to sign up to the think tank New Diplomacy Initiative, which sends out information and makes policy recommendations between Japan and the United States. It is rare for a municipal office in Japan to become involved in a diplomatic think tank. By signing up, the city office aims to gather information from sources other than existing media and diplomatic channels and to disseminate information itself.

The...

 

Okinawa to work on promoting use of Shimoji Airport in Miyako

Okinawa to work on promoting use of Shimoji Airport in Miyako

September 15, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

The Okinawa Prefectural Government aims to promote the use of Shimoji Airport, an airport for civil aviation training, in Miyako. Poor use of the airport has been a long-standing problem. From September 18, the Prefectural Government, which manages the airport,...

Okinawa to set up a council to restore prefecture’s exceptional longevity

September 6, 2013 Yoko Takaesu of the Ryukyu Shimpo

The Okinawa Prefectural Government will set up a prefecture-wide council to plan a movement to restore good health and longevity among Okinawans. It will consist of representatives of 50 to 60 organizations such as economic and educational...

Okinawa government provides information about Henoko relocation

August 24, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

The Japanese government has filed an application to the Governor of Okinawa for permission to reclaim land off Henoko, Nago in preparation for relocating U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. The Okinawa Prefectural Government has received 3,500 statements of...

Kadena resumes HH-60 helicopter flights

Kadena resumes HH-60 helicopter flights

August 17, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Kadena Air Base resumed HH-60 rescue helicopter flights on August 16. The U.S. military had suspended flight training for the HH-60 helicopter after one crashed in the Central Training Area near Camp Hansen in Ginoza on August 5, so only eleven days had passed...

More MV-22 Ospreys arrive on Futenma

More MV-22 Ospreys arrive on Futenma

August 12, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

In the morning of August 12, the U.S. Marine Corps resumed the deployment of additional MV-22 Osprey to Futenma Air Station. The U.S. military suspended this, considering the reaction of Okinawan residents after a Kadena based HH-60 rescue helicopter crashed in...

Hawaii Governor ready to accept U.S. Marines from Okinawa

Hawaii Governor ready to accept U.S. Marines from Okinawa

August 1, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

On a visit to Hawaii, Susumu Matayoshi, the head of the Executive Office of the Governor, met State of Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie at the Government Offices in the afternoon on July 30. Abercrombie stated that he is willing to accept U.S. Marines currently...

Resident arrested in sit-in protest against further deployment of Osprey

August 4, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Two MV-22 Osprey aircraft arrived on August 3 at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Iwakuni in Yamaguchi. They are the first of an additional 12 tilt-rotor aircraft, which take off and land like a helicopter. One person was arrested in front of the base’s...

Henoko landfill: OPG receives over 2,000 written opinions from residents

July 19 2013, Ryukyu Shimpo

The period for public inspection of the application documents submitted by the Okinawa Defense Bureau to reclaim land off Henoko, Nago ended on July 18. The bureau submitted the application to the Okinawa governor for permission to carry out the landfill necessary...

82 percent of Okinawan people oppose deployment of more Osprey to Okinawa

July 17, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Ryukyu Shimpo and the Kyodo News Service have carried out a telephone opinion poll of Okinawan people asking about moving more Osprey to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

Of those surveyed, 82.3 percent opposed the plan and 6.5 percent supported it....

Leader opposing move to Henoko wins 3rd term in House of Councillors election

Leader opposing move to Henoko wins 3rd term in House of Councillors election

July 22, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

Keiko Itokazu, 65, leader of the Okinawa Social Mass Party, won a third term in the Okinawa prefectural constituency for which one seat was contested in the July 21 House of Councillors election. Itokazu, who won 294,420 votes, beat first-time candidate of the ruling...