How Shall We Break the Floating Futenma Deadlock?

As the relocation of the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma becomes the greatest pending question in Japan-America relations, the incumbent Hirokazu Nakaima secured re-election in the gubernatorial prefectural campaign.

The governments of both America and Japan have agreed to relocate the Futenma base within the Okinawa prefecture to Henoko Bay in Nago city. Even Mr. Nakaima initially allowed the inclusion of relocation within the prefecture.

However, within the prefecture there is deeply rooted opposition to the Japan-America agreement, and before the gubernatorial election, attitudes shifted to seek base relocation outside of the prefecture. The prefectural governor holds the authority to permit the filling of public waters that the relocation requires; so as it is, the implementation of a Henoko relocation is becoming even more difficult.

In that case, the effects on the Japan-America alliance will be large. At this month’s meeting with U.S. President Obama, Prime Minister Naoto Kan promised to put “the utmost effort” toward the realization of a Henoko relocation. At a Japan-America summit meeting, former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama stressed that “we want you to trust us,” but in the end he left only disorder.

In reality, the Americans think of the prime minister’s visit to America next spring as the deadline for a resolution. If prime ministers of Japan make a second empty promise, the trust of the Japan-America relationship will be further damaged. With the acceleration of Chinese military armament and tensions in the Korean peninsula, the alliance cannot be weakened any more.

So what should be done? We have no choice but to expose what has been aggravating the situation up until now and take the time to remove it. Much of what caused the Futenma troubles lies in the Hatoyama administration’s blunders. But the responsibility of the Kan administration is also large, as they complain about the implementation of the Japan-America agreement while not taking any decisive action.

Now is the time for Prime Minister Kan to earnestly face Okinawa. He must have the resolve to risk his political career for a solution to the Futenma problem. And Mr. Nakaima must not declare opposition to relocation within the prefecture, even while he seeks a relocation to outside the prefecture. And he must not refuse a conference with the government.

Nonetheless, immediately securing a compromise on relocation within the prefecture will in all honesty be difficult. The Kan administration has to take a hard look at the reality that many U.S. military bases are concentrated in one prefecture, and redouble serious efforts to reduce the burdens on local communities. It is also necessary to give priority to the policies to reduce the military base burden of Okinawa that Japan and America have already agreed upon.

In the meantime, the danger of Futenma being adjacent to town areas remains. If relocation fails completely, Futenma will be cemented as it is, and the set relocation of U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam will be up in the air with the Futenma relocation. Such a situation must be avoided for the sake of promoting the reduction of Okinawa’s burden.

In the undercurrent that is lengthening the Futenma problem, the government has done nothing to clearly explain the reality that they cannot expel the U.S. Marines from Okinawa from the point of view of deterrence. To get the support of the people of the Okinawa prefecture, and the people of Japan as a whole, Prime Minister Kan must give a good explanation of this point.