Okinawa Prefectural Assembly building
January 15, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
On January 14, a meeting of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly’s Special Committee on U.S. Military Base Affairs (chaired by Moriyuki Teruya) opened and unanimously adopted the chairman’s declaration objecting to the low altitude flying of U.S. military aircraft in the vicinity of the Kerama Islands. The declaration mentioned that Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi’s statement, in which he gave his approval for these flights, was “truly deplorable”; requested a drastic revision of the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement; and asked for training in the sky over residential districts to stop. The Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) is attempting to coordinate with the US military as well as relevant agencies of the U.S. and Japanese governments, and calling personnel from these agencies to visit the Okinawa Prefectural Office next week or thereafter.
December 8, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
During the second day of general inquiries at the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly’s (OPA) regular November session December 7, eight members of the Okinawa-Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) faction took the podium. In response to a claim made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated regarding Japanese fishing boats operating in the ocean around the Senkaku Islands, “The fact is these were not mere fishing boats, and were entering the area as a provocation,” Okinawa Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries chief commented, “The assertation that our prefecture’s fishing boats are ‘disguised fishing boats’ is absolutely impossible.” This was in response to a question by Ichiro Ohama, who represents the Ishigaki City district.