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Japan Times
4 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
Event to read aloud names of victims of Okinawa battles begins
An event began on Ie Island in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday to read aloud the names of more than 240,000 people killed in fierce battles in the prefecture during World War II. The event will run through June 23, when a ceremony will be held to mourn the victims whose names are engraved on a monument at a peace memorial park in the Okinawa city of Itoman. "The experience of the tragic war is the origin of thoughts shared by people in the prefecture who wish for peace," Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said in an opening speech for the event. "I sincerely hope that Okinawa's wish for peace will spread" through the event, he said. Yui Tomoyose, a 13-year-old who participated in the event for the first time, said that the names of victims that she read aloud included that of a newborn child. "I felt sad that there was such a small child," she said. "I realized once again that many people had died." Naomi Machida, a 68-year-old member of the committee that organized the event, said, "At a time when wars are taking place around the world, we want to send out the wish for peace from Okinawa." Participants can join the event at sites in Okinawa and elsewhere in the country as well as online to read the names of all the victims in a relay system. About 6,000 people from Japan and overseas had applied for participation as of Sunday, according to the organizers. The event started in 2022. Last year's participants totaled some 5,800 people.
4 days ago
- General
Event to Read Aloud Names of Victims of Okinawa Battles Begins
News from Japan Society Jun 2, 2025 10:54 (JST) Ie, Okinawa Pref., June 2 (Jiji Press)--An event began on Ie Island in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday to read aloud the names of more than 240,000 people killed in fierce battles in the southern Japan prefecture during World War II. The event will run through June 23, when a ceremony will be held to mourn the victims whose names are engraved on a monument at a peace memorial park in the Okinawa city of Itoman. "The experience of the tragic war is the origin of thoughts shared by people in the prefecture who wish for peace," Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said in an opening speech for the event. "I sincerely hope that Okinawa's wish for peace will spread" through the event, he said. Yui Tomoyose, a 13-year-old who participated in the event for the first time, said that the names of victims that she read aloud included that of a newborn child. "I felt sad that there was such a small child," she said. "I realized once again that many people had died." [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Forward
27-05-2025
- Japan Forward
Sakishima Evacuation Plan: Stop Talking, Start Acting
このページを 日本語 で読む This is a critical issue that directly affects the lives of the Japanese people. The government has announced an evacuation plan for all residents of the Sakishima archipelago (the Miyakojima and Yaeyama island groups) in Okinawa Prefecture in the event of a Taiwan contingency. The plan calls for the seven Kyushu prefectures and Yamaguchi Prefecture on Honshu to share responsibility in accepting about 120,000 evacuees. In addition to Okinawa, each of these participating prefectures will draw up its own plans for handling the evacuees. These will subsequently be integrated into a package by the central government. The plan is still in its infancy. However, it is of great significance because it begins laying out a road map for the evacuations. Relevant agencies and local governments deserve praise for their efforts. Meanwhile, likely issues, such as securing adequate transportation and providing support for daily life at evacuation sites, have become apparent. The government needs to conduct large-scale drills involving local residents as soon as possible. This is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the plan. Hopefully, all the local governments affected will cooperate fully. The plan calls for the transport of about 110,000 residents of five municipalities in the Sakishima islands, including Ishigaki and Miyakojima, as well as about 10,000 tourists, to Kyushu by passenger planes and ferries. All are to be evacuated within six days. Residents would be organized by home district and temporarily housed in hotels and other facilities in Kyushu or Yamaguchi Prefecture. Transportation capable of moving 20,000 people per day would be required to handle the evacuees. That is double the normal rate of traffic between these locations. Anticipating this situation, the plan calls for special measures, including temporary adjustments to passenger capacity on ships. Still, considerable confusion is expected. Japanese Self-Defense Force base under development at Yonaguni Island, Okinawa Prefecture. Weather may also affect evacuations. Also, the authorities will have to consider additional support for people with special needs due to difficulties in getting around on their own. As it moves towards finalizing the plan, the central government expects to conduct field training in cooperation with local governments during FY2026. But that would be too late. It is essential to conduct large-scale training with the participation of many local residents to quickly identify and resolve any issues. Instead of waiting till FY2026, multiple simulated evacuations should be conducted during the current 2025 fiscal year. Unfortunately, there is a notable lack of enthusiasm on the part of Okinawa Prefecture, where the effort is most needed. So far, the prefecture has only staged tabletop exercises and has not conducted full-scale field training. Denny Tamaki, governor of Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki has expressed his gratitude to the prefectures that will be accepting the refugees. But he has also stated that the "national government needs to provide a thorough explanation to allay [the] concerns of the local communities." It is as if the whole matter has nothing to do with him. After all, shouldn't Tamaki himself visit all the prefectures concerned and ask for their cooperation? It is also his role as governor to explain the importance of the plan to the people of Okinawa. In parallel with the formation of evacuation plans, evacuation facilities and bomb shelters must also be fast-tracked. Protecting citizens remains the greatest responsibility of both Tokyo and the local governments. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's underwater disposal vessel (pictured right) departs port. This marks its second consecutive year entering Ishigaki Port. April 29, Ishigaki Port. Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Japan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Ishiba apologizes over LDP member's remark on World War II exhibits
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, president of the Liberal Democratic Party, apologized on Tuesday to Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki over an LDP member's inappropriate remark about war-related exhibits in the prefecture. Shoji Nishida, an LDP member of the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of parliament, said that descriptions on a monument commemorating the Himeyuri corps of female students who died in the Battle of Okinawa during World War II constituted "a revision of history." He has withdrawn the remark. At the prime minister's office Tuesday, Ishiba told Tamaki that there was a "highly regrettable remark." "As (LDP) president, I'd like to express my deepest apologies," he said. "The prime minister expressed his intention to take care that no such mistakes are made again," Tamaki told reporters after the meeting. "I take what he said seriously." The Okinawa governor visited Ishiba to present him with a "kariyushi" summer shirt from the prefecture.
Kyodo News
14-05-2025
- General
- Kyodo News
Bag with inflammable tube falls from U.S. forces chopper in Okinawa
KYODO NEWS - 7 hours ago - 18:52 | All, Japan A bag containing an inflammable signal flame tube fell from a U.S. military helicopter over the Motobu peninsula in northern Okinawa Prefecture in Japan on Tuesday, the local Defense Ministry bureau said. In Tokyo, Japan's top government spokesman said Wednesday that no damage has been reported following the incident. An official of the U.S. Marine Corps, which is searching for the 18-kilogram bag, told Kyodo News that the UH-1 helicopter dropped it inadvertently during a routine drill and that there were no civilians confirmed in the area where it landed. The crew of the aircraft belonging to the Marines' Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa, reported the incident at around 4 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Marine Corps. The Marines are conducting a thorough examination of the incident while prioritizing the safety of local residents, the official said. "We urged the U.S. side to take thorough steps to ensure a similar problem will not occur again," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference. Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki expressed regret that the incident caused "great concern" to locals, describing it as one that "could have turned into a catastrophe affecting residents." The Japanese ministry's Okinawa Defense Bureau is calling on residents to contact it if the bag is found. The southern island prefecture is home to the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan.
