Nago residents hold rally opposing construction of new U.S. base in Henoko

Japan Press Weekly

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

Nago residents hold rally opposing construction of new U.S. base in Henoko

More than 200 Nago residents on March 13 assembled at the beach of Henoko in Nago City in Okinawa to hold a rally opposing the government plan to construct a new U.S. base either on the sea or on the land in the Henoko District as a replacement for the Futenma base.

Regarding the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station relocation issue, in addition to the existing plan to construct a new base in the sea off Henoko, the Hatoyama administration is considering the possibility of transferring the base to Camp Shwab in Nago City.

The rally was organized by the Nago Council against the Construction of the U.S. On-sea Heliport. Many foreign media covered the rally.

In the rally, Nago Mayor Inamine Susumu said, “Nago citizens in the recent mayoral election clearly showed their opposition to the construction plan. In defiance of the election result, Hatoyama Cabinet ministers have repeatedly made disparaging remarks. Do they think the Okinawan people’s and Nago residents’ demand is meaningless?”

Council head Ashitomi Hiroshi stated, “Okinawans voted for non-Liberal Democratic Party candidates in the Okinawa constituencies in the 2009 general election. It was our intention to stop the government plan to construct a new U.S. base in the Henoko District. I’m angered at the Hatoyama administration’s weak-kneed measures being brought out to deal with this issue.”

- Akahata, March 14, 2010