March 6, 2019

Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny on March 5 in the prefectural government office building met with Robert Kajiwara who is a Japanese American with roots in Okinawa and the initiator of an online signature drive petitioning the White House to stop the Henoko base construction in Okinawa's Nago City.

Gov. Tamaki extended his appreciation to Kajiwara for his successful effort in collecting 210,000 signatures online before the prefectural referendum over the Henoko base took place last month, and expressed his hope for Kajiwara's continued cooperation.

Kajiwara in response said, "The referendum is over, but I'd still like to contribute to supporting Okinawans in resisting the Henoko base."

He told the governor that a new signature campaign was launched yet again to demand the cancellation of the U.S. base construction in Okinawa, following on the heels of the Okinawa referendum in which an overwhelming majority of voters expressed their opposition to a new U.S. base.

Kajiwara, also a singer-songwriter, gave his music CDs as a gift to Gov. Tamaki who was once a famous radio personality, and they had a lively conversation about music.

Past related article:
> American man again petitions White House on Henoko base construction [March 3, 2019]
> American promoter of anti-Henoko base petition unjustly taken into custody at Japanese airport [February 21, 2019]