Japan Press Weekly

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2015 July 1 - 7 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Cultural property found at construction site of new US base in Henoko

The Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education on June 30 designated as a cultural property an anchor stone of the Ryukyu (ancient name for Oknawa) Kingdom era which was unearthed inside U.S. Camp Schwab in Nago’s Henoko district. This may affect the Japanese and U.S. governments’ plan to construct a new U.S. base in that area.

The anchor measures 15 kilograms in weight, 10 centimeters in width and height, and 57 centimeters in length. It was found in February when the Nago City Board of Education was exploring the ruins of the Ryukyu Dynasty (15th century to 19th century) inside Camp Schwab. In the middle of last month, the unearthed anchor was handed over to the city by the U.S. military.

Later on the same day, Nago City Mayor Inamine Susumu in the city office building said to reporters, “We will carry out further excavations at the site in question in accordance with the law on protection of cultural properties. A full-scale excavation will be ordered if more historical objects are discovered.”

In the coastal area of Camp Schwab, the preparatory work for the construction of a new U.S. military facility as an alternative to the U.S. Futenma base has been underway.

Past related article:
> Demolition work of old buildings in Henoko begins for new US base construction [July 2, 2014]