Japan Press Weekly

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2011 November 30 - December 6 [OKINAWA]

Okinawa defense chief replaced over his demeaning remark

The director general of the Okinawa Defense Bureau was replaced over his remark, “Would you say, ‘I will rape you,’ before you rape someone?” in response to a question regarding when an environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the construction of a new U.S. base in Okinawa would be released.

The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly has recently adopted a unanimous resolution calling for a national governmental decision to abandon the EIA submission. The remark was made with this situation in the background.

Defense Minister Ichikawa Yasuo on November 29 announced that he replaced Tanaka Satoshi as Okinawa defense chief, saying, “There is no room for excuses.” However, the minister said that there is no change in the plan to submit the EIA before the end of the year.

The EIA will be used to accelerate the process to start the relocation of the U.S. Futenma base from Ginowan City to Nago City, and is meeting fierce resistance from Okinawans.

The Okinawa defense senior official reportedly made the “rape” remark while drinking with some newspaper reporters on the evening of November 28 in Okinawa. Over drinks, he also said, “There can be no peaceful island without military bases,” and, “If no progress is made in the relocation of the Futenma base by next summer, the relocation to (Nago City’s) Henoko will be canceled and the Futenma base will stay where it is.”

Commenting on his remark insulting women and all Okinawans, Nago City Mayor Inamine Susumu said, “I’m struck speechless.”

A 51-year-old local woman said, “The Okinawa defense chief has no understanding of our suffering and experience in the ground battle (at the end of WWII) or the rape incident (of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by three U.S. servicemen in 1995).” A 63-year-old local man said, “That wasn’t just a personal remark. The remark reflects the Democratic Party government’s arrogance. They have no hesitation to ignore our demands in order to push ahead with the relocation plan.”