Japan Press Weekly

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2013 January 16 - 22 [OKINAWA]

DefMin faces strong protest in Okinawa

Defense Minister Onodera Itsunori on January 16 visited Okinawa Prefecture for the first time as a member of the Abe Cabinet which recently declared it will promote the planned relocation of the U.S. Futenma base in Ginowan City to the Henoko district in Nago City within the prefecture. Okinawans received Onodera with a storm of protest.

The minister went there to hear local opinions concerning the plan.

In Okinawa, local residents are seething with anger at the planned deployment of CV22 Ospreys to the U.S. Kadena Air Base and the national government’s move to apply to the Okinawa governor for permission to reclaim the sea area off Henoko Point for the construction of a new U.S. base.

On that day, a protest rally against the defense minister’s visit took place in front of the prefectural office. Ashitomi Hiroshi, representative of the anti-U.S. heliport council, said, “It is outrageous to ask for the understanding of local people who have undergone tremendous hardships due to the military bases that have existed in Okinawa for the last 67 years since the end of WWII.”

Japanese Communist Party member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly Kayo Sogi said, “In one united movement, let’s demand the abrogation of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty as well as the total withdrawal of U.S. bases from the country, and change the direction of Japan’s politics with our actions in Okinawa.”

In meetings with leaders of the municipalities that host U.S. bases, Onodera also faced harsh criticism.

Kadena Town Mayor Toyama Hiroshi stated that it is unpardonable to expose townspeople to any more danger for the sake of the Japan-U.S. alliance. Mayor of Nago City Inamine Susumu said, “Now there is no difference between conservatives and reformers in regard to the problem of U.S. bases. Opposition to the construction project has become Okinawan consensus.”

At the prefectural office, vice-governors met with Onodera in place of Governor Nakaima Hirokazu who is in the hospital. They requested the minister to review the deployment of Ospreys to Okinawa and remove the Futenma base outside the prefecture by saying that the government’s plan is “actually impossible”.