“I would like for the relocation plans to continue no further, and for our country to show the world that we are an unrivaled democratic country.” Governor of Okinawa Prefecture Takeshi Onaga announced this belief of his during the first prefectural assembly after his inauguration and pressed for the government to abandon its plans of relocating the U.S. Futenma Air Force Base to Henoko.
The concentration of American military bases in Okinawa is referred to as an “abnormal” situation. Onaga stated, “If Japan’s national security issue is important, then I believe that the entire Japanese population should consider it.” This means that right now, the ball is in the government’s court.
The first half of his statement was aimed toward the citizens in Okinawa and spoke of the prefectural government’s fundamental plan, while the latter half was a message directed toward the government. This move was founded on the thought that the American bases are the main obstruction to Okinawa’s economic development, and blurred the decision to settle the base issue.
Gov. Onaga made a public commitment to “do everything [he] can to prevent the new base construction [in Henoko],” and won with an overwhelming majority of over 100,000 votes against the then-current Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima. In other words, the current office, which is backed desperately by an incredibly powerful political party, suffered a crushing defeat.
The will of the people objects to the creation of a new base. This was shown even in the Nago mayoral election in January, and by now is already clearly what most Okinawans intend.
Why won’t the government face the will of the Okinawan people, and why does the mainland trample over the voices of Okinawa? These are the questions Gov. Onaga is asking.
The citizens have been suffering from the Battle of Okinawa and the continuing rule of American forces on top of it. The construction of bases continues, harming even our descendants, and it feels like Okinawa is once again being used as a sacrificial lamb for the sake of the mainland’s safety and peace of mind.
There is no solution if Henoko is thought of as only Okinawa’s problem.
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After Gov. Onaga’s inauguration, Ginowan City Mayor Atsushi Sakima stated at a press conference that he “wanted him to put effort into removing the danger.”
Removing danger is an important task for the prefectural government, and there is no way for it to take down that flag.
On the other hand, however, the deal Nakaima made with Prime Minister Abe to suspend Futenma within five years is already failing.
During electoral campaigns, Nakaima said again and again that “[he] received a definite promise from Abe,” but there was never a definite discussion. On the contrary, the Japanese government hasn’t made any requests to the Americans.
The Americans are working to return Futenma in “as soon as 22 years.”* Before a new prefectural governor was chosen, they suddenly expressed discomfort at the idea and denied it, saying powerful words like “that’s an almost fantastical outlook.”*
The promise to close Futenma in five years is essentially an empty one. Instead, reconsidering the plan to relocate it to Henoko may be more of a shortcut to removing the danger.
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In America, there is the thought that a base surrounded by hostility won’t function.
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Joseph Nye, who carries much influence in policies related to Japan, also stated the following and showed a cautious way of thinking toward the relocation to Henoko: “I think if you have the support of the Okinawan people going ahead with the relocation from Futenma to Henoko, I would support it. But if you don’t have the support of the Okinawan people, then I think we probably have to think again.”
Gov. Onaga emphasized his belief that “appealing to people both in and outside the country is connected to reducing the burden of the bases.”
I want to hint toward a solution that the Americans can accept.
*Editor’s Note: The original quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified.
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