Dangers related to the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, which is regarded as symbolic of Okinawa Prefecture's burden of hosting U.S. forces in Japan, must be steadily eliminated. Such efforts will lead to maintaining the deterrence of the Japan-U.S. alliance.
A memorial service for the war dead was held in the city of Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, on Saturday, commemorating the day when organized combat is said to have ended in the Pacific War's Battle of Okinawa.
Speaking at the memorial service, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, "The current situation in which a heavy burden is being shouldered by Okinawa due to the concentration of U.S. bases in the prefecture must change at all costs." Abe needs to display leadership to lessen the prefecture's burden.
Accidents involving U.S. military aircraft have occurred one after another in recent months in the prefecture. The window of a U.S. military's helicopter fell onto the grounds of an elementary school near the Futenma Air Station in the city of Ginowan last December. In the middle of this month, an F-15 fighter jet belonging to the U.S. Kadena Air Base crashed in waters off Okinawa.
The government should persistently call for the United States to work toward preventing a recurrence of similar accidents.
To remove the dangers linked to the Futenma base, which is located in a dense residential area, its early relocation to the Henoko coastal district in the city of Nago could be the only realistic option.
The government has notified the Okinawa prefectural government that earth and sand filling for reclamation work off the Henoko coastal area will start in mid-August. This will represent an important turning point for proceeding with the relocation work. Relocation schedules have been delayed significantly due to resistance from the Okinawa prefectural government. Further delay is not desirable.
U.S. forces in Japan vital
What cannot be understood is that Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga is poised to take retaliatory measures again. The prefectural government is understood to be pursuing legal procedures to rescind the approval of reclamation on the grounds that it constitutes a grave violation of the law.
Onaga in 2015 repealed the approval of landfill work but his decision was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court in December 2016.
In connection with the reclamation work, Onaga has repeatedly waged a legal battle with the central government. It appears he is taking advantage of the U.S. military bases issue for the purpose of boosting his political position.
What Okinawa faces is a threat from China, which has been advancing its military might. U.S. military forces stationed in Japan are indispensable to the defense of Japan and security stabilization in Asia.
The central government should persistently explain to residents in Okinawa Prefecture about the significance of U.S. military bases from the standpoint of ensuring security, work toward reducing the prefecture's burden of hosting U.S. bases, and promote regional development.
The relocation issue will become a big point of contention in the Okinawa gubernatorial election scheduled for November. After undergoing an operation to treat pancreatic cancer, Onaga announced his intention to remain in office but has yet to clarify whether he will run for a second term. The Liberal Democratic Party is expediting the selection of its candidate.
Administrative management intended merely for stoking confrontation with the central government would not make it possible to find effective measures to deal with various issues affecting Okinawa Prefecture. It is essential for the central and Okinawa prefectural governments to cooperate in carrying out necessary measures while envisioning the future of Okinawa.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 24, 2018)
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