June 26 & 27, 2020

Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny on June 24 evaluated a U.S. bill which expresses concern over the construction of a new base in Nago City's Henoko in Okinawa as an "achievement" of his visit to the U.S.

The bill on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2021 adopted on the previous day by a relevant subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives points out that there has been growing concern about the possibility of an undersea earthquake and the instability of the sea bottom in Oura Bay located on the north side of the base construction site where extremely soft ground has been discovered. The bill demands that certain reports be submitted by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Governor Tamaki in October of last year visited the United States in order to directly convey Okinawans' overwhelming opposition to the new base construction and inform the U.S. administration and federal legislatures of several problems such as the issue of the soft seafloor found in the base construction project.

A month later, a group of anti-base Okinawa prefectural assemblypersons also went to the United States to raise awareness of the issue. Japanese Communist Party assemblyperson Toguchi Osamu who headed this delegation said, "Repeated visits to the U.S. by former Governor Onagata Takeshi, present Governor Tamaki, anti-base bipartisan Okinawa representatives, and anti-base citizens' organizations as well as Okinawans' firm opposition have led to the U.S. House adoption of the bill."

Okinawa Governor Tamaki on June 26 at a press conference held in the prefectural government office building again expressed his determination to work on the issues facing the new base construction and of U.S. bases in Okinawa by saying, "I will make efforts to further promote understanding by not only U.S. congressmembers but also U.S. citizens."

Past related articles:
> Akahata Sunday edition finds data coverup in regard to soft seafloors at Henoko [February 9, 2020]
> US military deletes Henoko base-related projects from its annual planning document [April 9, 2019]
> Mayonnaise sea bottom will lead Henoko base project to dead end [January, 22, 2019]