Governor Tamaki of Okinawa Prefecture visited Tokyo on the 2nd to meet with related ministers one after another and requested financial support for the cost of removal due to the problem that a large amount of pumice stones were washed ashore on the main island of Okinawa. Did.

In Okinawa Prefecture, a large amount of pumice stones have been washed ashore around the main island of Okinawa since last month, affecting the fishing and tourism industries.

In response to this, Governor Tamaki visited Tokyo on the 2nd and had a series of talks with the Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Affairs Nishime and the Minister of Defense Kishi.



Of these, Governor Tamaki said in a meeting with the Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Affairs Nishime, "I would like to take measures to eliminate the impact on fishing, tourism, the environment, and life as soon as possible." We requested the implementation of environmental impact surveys.



In response, Minister Nishimei said, "We have heard voices of anxiety from people involved in fishing, ships, and tourism. We would like to pay close attention to the situation, including damage to the fishing industry and the impact on tourism." I conveyed the corresponding idea.

In a meeting with Minister of Defense Kishi, Governor Tamaki said that he may request the Self-Defense Forces to dispatch pumice stones to remove or dispose of them as needed. It is necessary, but we will carefully consider the situation with the Self-Defense Forces at the site as necessary. "



After the meeting, Governor Tamaki told reporters, "I think I was able to fully convey the situation in Okinawa. I think that the national and prefectural governments have the same perception in the sense that disaster response is necessary and the national government will provide solid support." Said.

Confirmed a large amount of pumice stones around the main island of Okinawa on the 2nd

In the video taken from the NHK helicopter, it was confirmed that a large amount of pumice stones were drifting and drifting around the main island of Okinawa on the 2nd.


When the helicopter went north over the west coast of the main island of Okinawa, it was first confirmed that pumice stones were washed ashore at Cape Zanpa in Yomitan Village.


In addition, the coast around Cape Maeda in Onna Village was covered with a large amount of pumice stones.

It was confirmed that pumice stones have also entered the popular "blue cave" for diving and snorkeling.



Pumice stones were floating in a band around the scenic spot of Manzamo.



Further north, pumice stones were floating in the Haneji Inland Sea in Nago City, which is surrounded by the Motobu Peninsula and Yagaji Island, but it seemed to be less than one day.


In addition, pumice stones were floating in strips off the coast of Kouri Island.



Pumice stones were also rushing to the Nakaoshi fishing port in Nago City, and the area near the mouth of the nearby Hanejio River was filled with pumice stones.


In the Genka River, it flowed not only near the mouth of the river but also several hundred meters upstream for two days.

Removal work at resort hotels

Employees are busy removing the beaches of resort hotels in Onna Village, Okinawa Prefecture, where a large amount of pumice stones have been washed ashore.


At the resort hotel in Onna Village, about 20 cm of pumice stones are piled up on the proud white beach of about 100 meters.


On the 2nd, from the morning, three employees scooped pumice stones with a shovel and put them in sandbags or collected them with heavy machinery.



Pumice stones began to drift to the beach from around the 20th of last month, which means that the pier cannot be used and marine leisure activities such as banana boats and diving, which are open all year round, cannot be performed.



Pumice stone removal work is done by free employees every day from morning till night, but as the number of pumice stones washed ashore is increasing day by day, it means that the number of employees working will increase significantly in the future. ..



An employee who was working on the removal said, "I didn't expect it to have such a big impact at first."



In addition, Mr. Hiroshi Yokoyama, the general manager, said, "We are working with the hope that many customers will use the clean sea after the state of emergency has been declared. There is a limit to what we can do by human power. In the future, it will be necessary to remove machines such as pumps, so I would like to ask for the cooperation of prefectures and villages. "