Japan Press Weekly

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2015 May 13 - 19 [POLITICS]

‘Henoko Fund’ officially established

An inauguration assembly of the “Henoko Fund” supporting civil campaigns to block the construction of a new U.S. military base in Okinawa’s Henoko district took place on May 13 in Naha City, with many citizens taking part, including local business leaders.

At the gathering, Okinawa Governor Onaga Takeshi gave a speech as a guest speaker. He expressed his determination to thwart the construction project, saying, “For the sake of the future generations in Okinawa, Japan, and the world, I’ll work on this issue with unwavering resolve.”

Kanehide Holdings Co. chairman Goya Morimasa, one of the co-heads of the fund, stressed, “About 70% of the donations we received are from outside Okinawa. This proves that Okinawans’ struggle is not isolated.”

Participants unanimously adopted an appeal calling on people across the country to support the campaigns to block the Henoko base construction as well as to close and remove the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa’s Ginowan City, which is located in the middle of residential areas.

The Henoko Fund is co-headed by nine Japanese public figures, including world-famous film director Miyazaki Hayao. Since the advance announcement of its foundation on April 9, a lot of contributions have been sent from around the nation. The amount of donations reached 185 million yen as of May 11.

Past related article:
> Okinawans launch ‘Henoko Fund’ to block base construction [April 10, 2015]