Japan Press Weekly

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2014 February 5 - 11 [OKINAWA]

PM refuses to confirm he promised to close Futenma base in 5 years

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo avoided confirming the Okinawa governor’s remark that the PM had promised to him to end the use of the U.S. Futenma base in Ginowan City within five years.

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken on February 4 took up this issue at a House Budget Committee meeting.

On December 27, after approving the state application for reclamation work in the sea area off the Henoko district in Nago City to construct a new U.S. military base, Okinawa Governor Nakaima Hirokazu in a press conference said that PM Abe guaranteed to put an end to the operation of the Futenma base within five years.

Akamine asked the PM if he actually made such a promise to the governor.

PM Abe showed an unwillingness to affirm the promise by saying, “The Okinawa governor’s requests included the closing down of the Futenma base within five years. Taking the requests into account, I will try my best to meet the governor’s requests.”

The JCP lawmaker pointed out that the victory of an anti-base candidate in the Nago mayoral election last month clearly endorsed the residents’ opposition to Governor Nakaima’s decision to approve the Henoko landfill work. He also called for the unconditional removal of the Futenma base without delay.

Past related article
> Okinawans seek revocation of governor’s approval for Henoko reclamation [January 10, 2014]