okinawa2

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Nago mayor accepts new U.S. air base plan with two runways

The Defense Agency chief and the mayor of Nago City in Okinawa on April 7 agreed on the plan to construct a new U.S. base with two runways on the shoreline in Nago City after several talks were held over the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa.

The plan to construct a new U.S. base on the shoreline of U.S. Marine Corps Camp Schwab has been included in the ﾒinterim reportﾓ on the U.S. military realignment in Japan published by the Japanese and U.S. governments last October.

Under the agreement reached by Defense Agency Director General Nukaga Fukushiro and Nago Mayor Shimabukuro Yoshikazu, the new air base will have two 1,800-meter runways in a ﾔV-shapedﾕ formation, one for landings and the other for take-offs in almost the same location as the original plan, ostensibly to ﾒreduce aircraft noise pollutionﾓ over residential areas. The whole base area, however, will be much larger than the original plan.

Mayor Shimabukuro said that he accepted the plan because the central government has accommodated the cityﾕs request that U.S. military aircraft be prevented from flying over three districts of the city. Shimabukuro, who won the mayoral election last January promising opposition to the shoreline base plan, will have to face public criticism.

The Defense Agency chief later stated that engineering methods and the cost for the base are to be decided later. He also admitted that the new plan will damage more areas of seaweed beds, the habitat for a rare species of dugong.

Onishi Teruo, Nago Council against the Construction of U.S. On-Sea Heliport representative, said, ﾒThe mayor never discussed the new shoreline base plan with citizens. His acceptance is a betrayal of residentsﾕ trust. Constructing a two-runway base means that the U.S. and Japanese governments want to have a major military stronghold in Nago City in Okinawa. He deserves to face a recall.ﾓ
- Akahata, April 8, 2006