U.S. base construction work in Okinawa resumes after virus hiatus

If no one can give a satisfactory answer or explanation to the question I raised here, then the Futenma relocation is sheer nonsense -- rubbish, garbage, hogwash, shenanigans, white elephant and all, as I have been arguing all along.  

The bottom line: Close USMC Air Station Futenma and return the land right away with no strings attached. PERIOD.

smithinjapan.

Fighto! wrote in his June 13|09:45 am JST post that "If the US leaves, Communist China moves in. They have been eyeing the Okinawa chain for a long time. It really is that simple."  Fighto! further says, "If the US leaves, Communist China moves in. They have been eyeing the Okinawa chain for a long time. It really is that simple."

To this, I responded by saying "It's only the Marines' Futenma air station that is at issue now" Fighto!'s worry is sheer nonsense because the most active, core elements of the Okinawa-based Marines are to relocate to Guam at any rate. Then, what's the use of building a Henoko new base for the Marines?’

Halwick,

Certainly, it's my opinion. Who denies it? I started the sentence with the phrase "in my opinion." But that opinion is based my observation of facts. So all you have to do is deny it based on your own observation of facts.

Tokyo ( politicians, bureaucrats and all) doesn't have any guts to say "No" to Washington's preposterous demands for maintaining bases in Japan, a characteristic mentality of a colonized people.

The bases are not there to protect Japan. They are there for US purposes, projection of power.

What would China gain by attacking Japan? Nothing. There are no resources, no minerals, no oil, no nothing.

The US bases make Japan a target, not Japan itself.

The only people supporting the preposterous position that the bases must be built and Okinawa should just bow down to it can only be from the public relations people at the bases.

voiceofokinawa: "Can't you understand stupidity and illogicality"

followed by:

"In my opinion, Japan as a whole is a U.S. colony."

Ummm... yeah...

voiceofokinawa: "It's only the Marines' Futenma air station that is at issue now. "

Good! Then you support them relocating to Hineno. At least you can't deny that now. Because if you're against that, then you support them staying at Futenma, since that's what will happen.

These guys are mostly left-wing activists from the outside.

I think you have that backwards. The Tokyo government refused to cooperate with the Okinawa government.

@Peter Nell, I think YOU have it backwards. Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan and therefore under Japan jurisdiction. The military treaties are between the U.S. and Japan government, NOT directly between Okinawa government and the U.S. Since when does a prefectural government tells the Central government what it can or cannot do where national security matters are concerned?

In my opinion, Japan as a whole is a U.S. colony. So a more correct way of describing the picture would be that Okinawa is subjugated by the U.S. by way of an already subjugated, docile Japan.

@voiceofokinawa: And that is YOUR opinion. Doesn't mean that it's necessarily correct or factual either. A lot of people disagree with your view of the picture.

quercetum,

Halwick doesn't like your description of the current situation of Okinawa as a U.S. colony. But you are candid enough to acknowledge that Okinawa is a U.S. colony that submit to what the U.S. colonial masters dictate through their surrogate (Tokyo). 

In my opinion, Japan as a whole is a U.S. colony. So a more correct way of describing the picture would be that Okinawa is subjugated by the U.S. by way of an already subjugated, docile Japan.

Don't you know the fact that mainland Japan was like Okinawa in the 1950s and early 60s? Way too many bases remained in Japan even though it recovered independence as the result of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Anti-U.S. base movements stormed all over mainland Japan in those days. In face of anti-U.S. sentiments in Japan, Tokyo and Washington agreed to reduce this heavy U.S. military footprint somehow.

But where did the bases and U.S. soldiers go? Did they pack up and go home? Never. They came to Okinawa in hordes, thus making Okinawa's base hosting burden twofold.

I think you have that backwards. The Tokyo government refused to cooperate with the Okinawa government.

Why is it so hard for people to understand that Okinawa wants less of a footprint from the US bases?

Anytime after 2021, when i will be visiting Okinawa, i want to see the real life of Okinawans, Not the White Faces and the Barracks.

What can we do to make them submit to Tokyo and the US military?

@quercetum, I dislike the term "submit". "Cooperation" is the appropriate word. But Gov. Tamaki and his predecessor refused to cooperate with Tokyo government and the U.S. military in trying to find a solution to the Futaenma problem. It could have been resolved a long time ago but was delayed and derailed for decades by obstructionist protests and legal maneuvering.

How many protesters are there, 10? And some of them are probably nutters from the mainland.

In the SPOILS of WAR always goes to the victor, and the victor decides the fate of the foe. The United States stopped Imperialist Japan from taking over the Pacific and much of China during WWII. The victor in this case could have continued to wipe out all of JAPAN, but elected to show mercy and construct a new government which has led to Japan's great recovery and success coming out of the war. Never has such a great alliance been anywhere, where a former foe would become the staunchest as Japan is with the US. Now, unfortunately the teachers of history have failed our youth, and within 70 years hard lessons of the not so distant past have been forgotten. The departure of US forces will only lead to Chinese aggression and need for more territory as demonstrated with Tibet, Hong Kong, and inner magnolia. The diminishing population of Japanese society will make a Chinese take over much easier and maybe without resistance from Japan with US forces withdrawn.

It will be interesting to see how Okinawans adapt to China "colonization" and Chinese "occupation" of the former U.S./JSDF military bases.

It’s interesting to see how they haven’t adapted to Japanese and US colonization. What can we do to make them submit to Tokyo and the US military?

These are ethnically and linguistically independent people but their masters will always be Japan, the US, and China in the future as you mentioned. This is what happens when you’re a small pea: imperialized in the Meiji, colonized postwar, and if ever in the future, a vassal state to China.

Geography is not in their favor. If the islands were in the South Pacific, they could be independent.

Fighto, Halwick, et al:

Okinawa isn't demanding all U.S. bases be closed right away. It's only the Marines' Futenma air station that is at issue now.  U.S. policymakers clearly demonstrated that even if the core elements of Okinawa-based Marines were to be moved to Guam, it wouldn't affect the overall U.S. military strategy for this region of the Pacific.

So what's the use of keeping Marine bases in Okinawa, such as USMC Air Station Futenma or its replacement in Henoko, Camp Schwab, USMC Jungle Warfare Training Center, etc., by squandering so much tax money and destroying so precious mother nature?

Fighto!

To protect Japanese lives from Communist China.

If the US leaves, Communist China moves in. They have been eyeing the Okinawa chain for a long time. It really is that simple.

Gov. Tamaki and the Okinawan people (and the "voice") do not consider Communist China an enemy in the manner Japan homeland and U.S. does. Back in the Ryukyu Kingdom days, China was an important trading partner and ally.

So Tamaki and his supporters would gladly welcome China as "guests", "partners", "investors", etc..

You are right China has been eyeing the Ryukyu (and Senkaku) islands chains for a long time to establish maritime control in that region. Also, U.S. presence on Okinawa has been a thorn in China's side and keeping them in check from making any overt aggressive moves against Taiwan.

When the U.S. leaves the Pacific region, China will move in, expand its sphere of influence, and can easily cut off Japan's maritime industry.

But Okinawans' main concern is that when fighting does happen in that region, Okinawa will be caught in the crossfire due to U.S. military base presence. In other words, they believe if there are no U.S. military bases on Okinawa, China won't attack Okinawa and bring destruction to the island. This backward logic is about as logical as what is being said in the U.S., i.e., The violent protests and riots is because of Police presence. Remove the Police and there will be no police brutality and violent riots.

It will be interesting to see how Okinawans adapt to China "colonization" and Chinese "occupation" of the former U.S./JSDF military bases.

Vance Black,

There's Black Lives Matter demonstrations and protests widely going on in U.S. cities. Do you call them troublemakers? Looters may have taken advantage of this social turmoil and thought this was a good chance to loot stores. But it's turned out looters were only fringe group of people. Do you still call the demonstrators troublemakers? 

Are people, mostly retired and elderly, in peaceful sit-ins in Henoko, that's been going on for decades, troublemakers in your eyes?  To me, they are like heroes.

socrateos

Security is not a matter of local people alone. It is a national issue

You're right to say so. Security may indeed not be a matter of local people but it's a national policy issue per se. That much said, I ask you why you think the construction of a new Marine base in Henoko is absolutely necessary for the security of Japan. 

Remember that the most active, core elements of the Okinawa-based Marines are to deploy to Guam; that Tokyo and Washington agreed that the primary responsibility for the defense of Japan rests with JSDF, not USFJ. The new base, together with the USMC Jungle Warfare Center nearby are training bases where Guam-to-be-deployed Marines will come on a regular basis just for training.

But, of course, such military matters are beyond our concerns. We're only concerned about the madness involved in this relocation issue. Futenma, you know, was illegally confiscated from Ginowan residents while they were herded in camps. In other words, Futenma-based Marines can be said nothing different from illegal squatters. How can illegal squatters demand anything in exchange for their return of the land, demanding new state-or-art housing be provided at another place? 

Can't you understand stupidity and illogicality involved in all this?

Good that the police are disrupting these troublemakers

Why American army still in japan ?

To protect Japanese lives from Communist China.

why they can’t leave japan ..

If the US leaves, Communist China moves in. They have been eyeing the Okinawa chain for a long time. It really is that simple.

Why American army still in japan ?

why they can’t leave japan ... waste of our tax money to that useless guys who does nothing than robbing and doing illegal activities here ...

the national government chosen by the majority of people

At the last general election the LDP got a little over 35% of the vote. Not the majority of the people by a long way.

Even if you add in votes for the Komeito, the total barely scrapes 48%. Still not a majority of the people.

If US bases are so vital and such a boost to the local economy, build them in Abe and Aso’s constituencies, not in a semi-tropical paradise where they are clearly Not Wanted.

Well then why don't they move it to somewhere other than Okinawa and see how well those people accept the decision by the national government chosen by the majority of people?

The majority has no right to step on the neck of the minority.

kurisupisu

The people of Okinawa are against it so the construction goes ahead-democracy not in action....

Security is not a matter of local people alone. It is a national issue. Henoko move was a decision made by the national government chosen by the majority of people.

how about having some nice construction work of “get the h-ll outta there” ...

The people of Okinawa are against it so the construction goes ahead-democracy not in action....

Sympathy for Okinawa.