On May 11, the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) announced that Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga will visit the United States from May 27 to June 5. Onaga plans to stay in Washington D.C. from May 31 to June 4. He intends to convey to U.S. government officials, lawmakers, and think-tanks the OPG’s opposition to the plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the Henoko district in Nago. He will appeal to them and ask them to reconsider the relocation plan. Prior to visiting Washington, Onaga will stay in Hawaii, which has a sister-state affiliation with Okinawa, from May 27 to 29. Onaga will meet Hawaii State Governor David Ige, who is third generation Okinawan American.
Onaga hopes to meet assistant secretaries of the Department of Defense and the Department of State during his visit to Washington. The Washington branch office of the OPG has been arranging meetings with U.S. officials.
Onaga is expected to convey the Okinawan people’s opposition to the relocation plan to Ige and seek support from the state governor. This year marks the 30th anniversary of a sister-state affiliation between Okinawa and Hawaii. Onaga and Ige are scheduled to discuss ways to promote exchange between Okinawa and Hawaii.
On May 11, Onaga spoke to the press. He said, “I would like to urge the U.S. side to discuss the matter on the premise that the OPG will not allow a new base to be built in Henoko.”
Battle of Okinawa survivor Shigeru Hoshikado, 84, of Urasoe city, on May 3 successfully located what is believed to be the remains of his younger sister, with the help of a volunteer group dedicated to recovering the remains of the war dead. His sister Setsuko was killed during the Battle of Okinawa.
Hoshikado said locating Setsuko’s remains has been his objective since the end of the war. His wish finally came true on the 70th anniversary of the 1945 battle. The remains were found on a mountain in Arashiro in the town of Yaese.
It was also the first time for the volunteer group Gamafuya to search for the remains of a specific individual in response to a request from a bereaved family.
“Secchan, I am sorry I couldn’t welcome you for a long time,” Hoshikado said tenderly as he carefully held a tiny piece of his sister’s skull in his hands.
A piece of a child’s skull discovered by the volunteer group Gamafuya on May 3 in Arashiro in the town of Yaese.
During the battle, Hoshikado lost his grandmother, father, brother, as well as his sister. Setsuko, who was 6 at the time, died instantly when she was hit by a bullet in a cave in Arashiro in Yaese. Hoshikado, who was 14 at the time, buried her under a rock near the cave.
Other members of Hoshikado’s family died at different locations but their remains were all recovered shortly after the war. Though his mother was always telling him to “be sure to recover” her remains, Hoshikado had not been able to locate them due to difficulties accessing the mountain, which is densely covered by vegetation.
“My heart had been unsettled for the entire time after the war, I felt like my sister was calling me, saying ‘ni ni’ (brother),” Hoshikado said, speaking in Okinawan dialect. “Every time I saw my grandchild, I thought about Setsuko,” he said.
As the battle marked its 70th anniversary this year, Hoshikado became aware of the work of Gamafuya through a newspaper article and contacted its leader Takamatsu Gushiken for help. A group of students who study with Yoshihito Sudo, an associate professor at Okinawa University, also took part in the search.
The volunteers searched the area a total of four times starting on April 19 based on Hoshikado’s recollections. He said there were three caves that his family had used as evacuation shelters located on the right side of a river as one headed downstream. The river had a bridge over it and he buried his sister beneath a large rock on the opposite bank.
The volunteers waded through bushes and climbed slopes with a rope before finally finding a place that matched his description on the third day. Based on the position of the caves and the rock, Hoshikado said he was convinced “this must be it.”
The search for the remains, conducted on the fourth day, took about five hours. Just as the participants were about to give up, a piece of a child’s skull appeared on the surface, according to Hoshikado.
“This shows what we can do — we were able to locate the remains of a war dead based on the recollections of a bereaved family member. We will continue to look for the rest of her remains,” said Gushiken, the group’s leader.
“Finally, I can tell my parents in heaven (that the remains were recovered.) It has taken a load off my mind. I would like to inter the remains at our ancestral grave,” Hoshikado said, gently putting his hand over the piece of skull.
The 41st Naha Harii dragon boat race has attracted thousands of spectators. Participants paddled on Okinawan dragon boats to pray for good catches and safety at sea. On the final day, May 5, the main race attracted 95,000 visitors, according to the organizers. At the Naha New Harbor Dock, the spectators, including families, enjoyed the boat race and fireworks in the welcoming sea breeze. The total number of visitors over the three days of the event amounted to about 210,000.
Three teams from Kume, Naha, and Tomari competed in the main boat race. Tomari managed to keep its lead from the beginning and won the first prize for the first time in three years. The 38-year old Tomari leader Futoshi Itokazu, smiled saying, “I’m very happy – we had good team work. We will aim for our second straight win next year.”
In the general race Team Kuji Lekio Wing won group A in a record 5 minutes 9.75 seconds, and the Naha Fire Department team won group B with a record time of 4 minutes 54.72 seconds.
The Review Committee which is investigating the possibility of cancelling the approval for the construction of a new U.S. Military Base consists of lawyers and administrative law experts in Okinawa. On May 1, the committee members visited the Okinawa Prefectural Government Office. They filed a written opinion claiming that it is possible to cancel the approval for the landfill application at Henoko, Nago (where a replacement for U.S. Futenma Air Station is being built) granted by former Okinawa Governor, Hirokazu Nakaima.
After filing the documents, lawyer Tsutomu Arakaki said, “The landfill approval falls within the realm of statutory commissioned affairs. The Okinawa Governor has jurisdiction over this matter.” Arakaki went on to say, “It is possible to cancel the approval now, even before a third party committee set up by the Okinawa Prefectural Government has finished scrutinizing its validity.”
As well as the written opinion, the committee members filed documents on countermeasures which the Okinawa Prefectural Government could take if the Japanese government challenged the cancellation.
Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani had their first meeting on May 9 at the prefectural government office in Naha. Onaga asked Nakatani to cancel the plan to relocate U.S. Marine Corp Air Station Futenma to Henoko, Nago. The governor said, “It is impossible to build a new U.S. base in Henoko. I would absolutely oppose it.”
Onaga criticized the central government for its stance that ‘Henoko is the only solution.’ “Okinawa is gasping and suffering. This is why Okinawa has strongly claimed the right to self-determination in this case,” the governor said. He asked the defense minister to respect the wishes of the Okinawan people.
The meeting lasted about 40 minutes. The first part of it, for about 20 minutes, was opened to media.
Onaga said, “The government should be free from stubbornness and ideas about stereotypes. I would like the government to stop construction work in the sea off Henoko and continue the dialogue with us.”
The Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) has asked for permission to enter a restricted area of water off Henoko but the U.S. military and the central government have refused. The OPG plans to carry out a survey there to investigate how corals have been damaged by concrete blocks installed by the Okinawa Defense Bureau.
The governor again urged the defense minister to respond to the request from the OPG.
Referring to incidents and accidents caused by the U.S. military, the governor said, “I would like the director or officials of the Okinawa Defense Bureau to call at the prefectural government office, city, town and village offices and listen to our requests and opinions, when incidents involving the U.S. military take place.”
Onaga also criticized remarks the defense minister made at a press conference in March. Nakatani said that if meeting with the governor deepened the conflict between the prefectural and national authorities, it would be meaningless. The defense minister also has said that the governor should think more about Okinawa’s and Japan’s security.
Onaga said, “That sounds like a high-handed remark. It is far from the government policy that they will stand by the Okinawan people, or that they will strive to gain understanding from the local community. There has not been a meeting between us. That has dug a deeper trench between us.”
Onaga quoted a remark made by an LDP lawmaker, a then-member of the House of Councillors Budget Committee, who visited Okinawa in 2013. The lawmaker said “It is natural that the Okinawan people host U.S. military bases, because the people in mainland of Japan hate them.” Onaga said, “I felt a sense of hopelessness when I heard that remark.” The governor pointed out that a lack of understanding by people from outside the prefecture had led to an excessive burden on Okinawans.
The government has made a commitment to the former Governor Hirokazu Nakaima that ‘U.S. military operations at the Futenma base will stop within five years’. Nakaima approved the landfill application from the central government in 2013, based on such a verbal promise from the prime minister.
Nakatani has described the government’s commitment as meaning ‘a state whereby no aircraft fly.’ However, he later withdrew this definition, saying that he should not say things that may mislead people. Onaga asked the defense minister to keep the promise to the former governor.
On the morning of April 30, a 318-kilogram pacific Bluefin tuna was landed at Ishigaki fishing port. The enormous catch brought great excitement to the port.
The captain of the fishing boat Takashi Higa, who caught the tuna said, “I feel wonderful. I believe this fishing season is going to be excellent. It is just getting started.”
The fishing season for pacific Bluefin tuna started in early April near Ishigaki Island. According to the Yaeyama Fishery Association, eight pacific bluefin tunas have already been landed and sold for between 2,500 yen and 5,600 yen per kilo.
The peak of the tuna fishing season is mid-May, and it lasts until mid-June.
May 4, 2015 Ryukyu Shimpo
Opinion polls recently conducted by national newspapers in Japan have shown that a growing segment of the population in mainland Japan is critical of the government’s attitude toward the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the Henoko district of Nago. The proposal is already highly unpopular in Okinawa Prefecture which hosts the base.
In a poll conducted in mid-April by the Asahi Shimbun, 55% of respondents said they “do not approve of “the way the government under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been handling the relocation issue, compared with 25% who said they “approve of” it. The Mainichi Shimbun, which asked respondents whether they approve of the manner in which the government has been carrying out the project, showed 53% were “against” it, compared with 34% who were “for” it.
In a poll by the Yomiuri Shimbun conducted over a three-day period through April 5 when Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga held his first official meeting with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the percentages of those who said they “approve of” the government’s handling of the issue and of those who “do not approve of it” were both 41%.
A poll also conducted over a three-day period by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun through April 17, the day when Onaga met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, showed that 47% believe that the government “should review” the current relocation plan, compared with 36% who said the government should go ahead with it as it is.
A poll by the Sankei Shimbun conducted late April showed that 44.7% were “against” the relocation to Henoko, compared with 39.9% who were “for” it.
It is believed that criticisms of the government’s attitude, and of the relocation itself, have been gaining ground across Japan, due partly to news coverage of Onaga’s meeting with Abe. At that meeting Onaga explained to the prime minister the reasons why Okinawa Prefecture is opposed to the base’s relocation to Henoko.
Seventy-one-year-old Nobuko Yoza and 66-year-old Tomoko Taira, who are both members of a center for the disabled, have passed level four of the Eiken English Language Proficiency test. The Toyanosato facility is located in the Toya district of Yomitan. Yoza and Taira set up an English-speaking club at the home. Instructed by volunteer Jane Close, they worked hard and passed the exam on their first try.
They set up the club after Close offered to volunteer at the center. Currently, about 10 members who want to study English, belong to the club. Yoza said, “Jane sensei and the center staff encouraged me to study, which led to success in the examination. Everyone motivated me.” Taira said, “I was relieved when I saw the certificate because I was not confident. I did not imagine that I would take an English Language Proficiency test at this age.”
Yoza (right edge) and Taira (second from right) read a Japanese folk story in both English and Japanese. Close (third from right) taught them English. At Toyanosato center for the disabled in the Toya district of Yomitan on April 21.
Close started teaching English once a week about three years ago in 2012. She said her students asked her many questions and had studied hard, even when she had been absent. Close added that she was inspired by them.
The head of the center Shoei Nakasone said, “These older people put their heart into studying English and were enthusiastic. I think their success in the exam has made them more confident.”
Early summer has come, and Getto galingale is in full bloom. The flowers are lending a nostalgic aura to cultural heritage sites such as Benzaitendo by the Enkan pond at Shurijo Castle Park in Naha.
Getto is also known as Sannin in the Okinawan language and is a member of the Zingiberaceae family of plants. Rice cake steamed in its leaf is a traditional sweet called muchi, which is often eaten when people pray for health and good luck. With its antiseptic properties, the plant is becoming popular as a herb, as well as for its aromatic oil.
Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) will carry out a survey in the sea off Henoko between May 11 and 25, to investigate how corals have been damaged by concrete blocks installed by the Okinawa Defense Bureau. Currently, the Ministry of Defense is conducting preparation work in Henoko to build a replacement facility for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan.
Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga announced the survey plan at a press conference held at the prefectural government office on April 29. The area for the investigation includes waters temporarily restricted by the U.S. military. The OPG has asked for permission to enter the restricted area but the central government and the U.S. military have refused it. This time, the governor showed his strong intention to push ahead with the investigation.
The OPG conveyed the investigation plan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Okinawa Defense Bureau on April 29. At the press conference, the governor suggested that he would take a new countermeasure if the central government did not respond to his request.
A survey, which was conducted by an unofficial group in February, revealed that corals were damaged by the preparation work for the construction of new base. The OPG also carried out an investigation into how the environment has been damaged off the coast of Henoko. However, the U.S. military refused the OPG’s team entry to the restricted areas, saying that their work would be hindered by the OPG’s investigation.
The governments of Japan and the United States reaffirmed that the relocation of the Futenma base to Henoko is the only way forward at the U.S.-Japan Summit meeting and a meeting of the ministerial Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee (two-plus-two). Onaga said, referring to this confirmation by the two governments, “I feel strong indignation.” The governor also criticized the Government Leader for his verbal promise ‘U.S. military operations at the Futenma base will stop within five years.’ This promise was not included in the statement by Abe and President Barack Obama. Onaga said it was an empty promise to gain the approval of the landfill from the former Governor Hirokazu Nakaima.
Onaga indicated his intention to visit the United States at the end of May at the earliest. He said he would attend the Okinawan people’s rally which is scheduled to be held on May 17.
On April 30, the International Center Of Language & Culture Institute of Japanese Language held memorial services at its campus in Naha City. Seventy-one people, including international students from Nepal and school staff attended and laid flowers. Two memorial services were held – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In the evening, a candlelight ceremony was held at the request of the students from Nepal.
Twenty-four-year-old K.C.Basant, spoke on behalf of the international students, “The earthquake killed many people. Nepal needs hope. Let’s pray for Nepal.” Twenty-one-year-old Lama Padma Gyapso said, “My family is safe, but I am sad that so many people died. I cannot stop crying when I see pictures and images of Nepal right after the earthquake.”
Gurung Sagar said, “I want the Nepalese government to send materials not only to urban areas but also to rural areas. I want them to use international support effectively.”
Webcam(Kokusai Street)
