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2023 February 8 - 14 [POLITICS]

Use of Shimoji-jima airport by USFJ will break 1971 Tokyo-Okinawa rule

Japanese Communist Party representative Akamine Seiken at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on February 8 took up the issue of a possible use of Shimoji-jima airport in Okinawa's Miyakojima City by the U.S. military.

The U.S. Forces Japan, the day after a Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee (2-plus-2) meeting on January 12 in Washington where both governments affirmed cooperation in increasing the use of civil airports and harbors for military purposes, applied for the use of the local airport to the Okinawa prefectural government.

Akamine pointed out that the military use of the airport will break a promise that Tokyo and Okinawa made to the islanders in August 1971, the so-called Yara memorandum. He demanded that the application for access be rescinded.

Akamine also raised the issue of the controversial "three key national security documents". Under the three security documents, the number of land-to-ship missile regiments of the Ground Self-Defense Force will increase to seven from the current five and all seven will be equipped with long-range missiles. According to Akamine, in Okinawa, a GSDF missile unit has already been deployed in Miyako-jima (Miyakojima City) and additional units will be deployed in Ishigaki-jima (Ishigaki City) within this fiscal year and in the GSDF Katsuren camp (Uruma City) in fiscal 2023.

Akamine referred to the fact that the government has so far explained to Okinawans that it deploys missile troops to Okinawa "in order to fill the defense vacuum". He, however, pointed out that the missiles to be installed are capable of attacking enemy missile bases. He also pointed out that more missiles have been added to the deployment plan and that Yonaguni-jima (Yonaguni Town) will be the deployment site.

He said, "It is a matter of course for Okinawans to complain, 'That wasn't the deal!' because SDF bases in Okinawa could become the first and foremost targets in reprisal to a first strike."

Regarding several media reports which point out that the U.S. military and the SDF are working out a joint operation plan for a "Taiwan contingency" scenario, Akamine said that the U.S. military will reportedly conduct missile strikes against Chinese warships from about 40 missile launch sites located in the southwestern Nansei islands and the SDF, based on Japan's security-related legislation, will give "logistic support" to the U.S. forces.

Akamine stated, "The government should explain to the general public about what Japan would do when dealing with a military contingency in Taiwan and how many casualties or what kind of damage Japan may be expected to incur."

Past related articles:
> Use of airports in southwestern Japan for military purposes increased [January 30, 2023]
> US in 2+2 talks 'strongly supports' Japan's promise to acquire counterattack capabilities [January 13, 202]