EDITORIAL: Forceful way Futenma base is being relocated a national disgrace

December 28, 2024

Landfill work continues for the Futenma replacement facility off the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, in December 2023. Oura Bay, with its soft seabed, lies to the right of the picture. (Asahi photo

The forced relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma within Okinawa Prefecture serves as a stark example of how the pursuit of “accomplished facts” cannot be accepted as a substitute for genuine local understanding and democratic processes.

A year has passed since the Japanese government initiated an unusual “substitutional execution” that effectively overrode Okinawa Prefecture’s opposition to the construction of a new U.S. military base in Henoko, a coastal area of the city of Nago, designed to replace the functions of the Futenma facility, which is located in the crowded city of Ginowan.

The central government has used the legal mechanism to step in to make decisions to approve construction work in place of the prefectural administration, which has refused to do so.

On Dec. 28, the Defense Ministry’s Okinawa Defense Bureau was due to start driving more than 70,000 piles into Oura Bay to solidify the soft seabed.

Substitutional execution, a situation where a higher level of government steps in to perform duties or make decisions on behalf of a lower level of government, strips local administrations of their right to self-determination, thereby destroying local autonomy.

It is extremely disturbing that construction work has been allowed to proceed unilaterally against the prefecture’s expressed will, and when it has been left without any legal recourse to take counteraction.

Democracy hinges on consensus-building through dialogue, and this fundamental principle must be restored.

Further exacerbating this concern is the government’s recent amendment to the Local Autonomy Law. The amendment allows the central government to issue directives to local governments in situations deemed to have a “significant impact on national security,” effectively creating a legal loophole to override local autonomy.

The vague definition of “significant situations” opens the door to arbitrary intervention and the potential coercion of local governments. The heavy-handed approach to building a Futenma replacement facility in Henoko only intensifies anxieties about the potential misuse of this amended law.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, in his October policy speech, pledged to “continue efforts to reduce the burden” of U.S. military bases borne by Okinawa and emphasized the need for local understanding.

However, these words ring hollow as he repeatedly told the Diet that the relocation to Henoko is “the only solution to eliminate the dangers of Futenma” without any genuine attempt at compromise or exploration of alternatives.

The opposition parties also share responsibility for this outrageous situation. Their failure to effectively challenge the government’s strong-arm tactics has allowed this situation to continue. Now, with the ruling coalition having lost its majority, each opposition party must recognize the increased weight of their responsibility and demonstrate a strong presence on issues of national security and the U.S. base problem.

In Okinawa Prefecture, it has been discovered that the prefectural Washington office is operated in the unusual form of a corporation, leading the assembly to establish an investigative committee, the so-called Article 100 Committee.

The office, established in 2015 during the term of former Governor Takeshi Onaga to directly engage the United States on base-related issues, has faced criticism for its lack of transparency. No reports on its operational status have been submitted to the assembly, and issues like staff failing to obtain proper authorization for secondary employment have been highlighted. The prefecture is now obligated to provide a thorough explanation.

Transparency is paramount, especially for an office representing the prefecture on such a critical issue. Governor Denny Tamaki must clearly articulate the significance and operational details of the Washington office to the assembly and broadly to the public.

This year, a series of incidents involving assaults on women by U.S. servicemen came to light. The issue was marked by controversy after it was learned the central government failed to inform the prefecture about these crimes in a timely manner.

A college student at a recent protest rally held by women’s groups and other entities poignantly asked, “Why must I have my youth stolen just because I was born in Okinawa and there are bases here?”

This question highlights the fundamental injustice at the heart of the issue: the disproportionate burden placed on Okinawa, which hosts approximately 70 percent of U.S. military-exclusive facilities in Japan. The fact that the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, which grants significant privileges to U.S. forces, is a major contributing factor to this imbalance cannot be overlooked.

The agonizingly slow progress in reducing this burden is not merely an Okinawa-specific issue, but a national one that demands the attention and action of all of Japan.