Okinawa sit-in protest against Futenma relocation reaches 5,000th day

December 27, 2017

Nago, Okinawa Pref.- A sit-in protest by citizens opposing the planned relocation of the US Marine Corps' Futenma air station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to the Henoko coastal area in Nago, also in the southernmost Japan prefecture, reached the 5,000th day on Tuesday.

On the same day, a protest rally was held in front of a gate of the U.S. military's Camp Schwab, which straddles Nago and the village of Ginoza, bringing together 500 people, according to its organizer.

Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine, who took part in the rally, said that the city's mayoral election in February 2018 will be a "must-win" race.

"My resolve not to allow the construction of a new base in the sea off or on the land of Henoko has not changed at all," said Inamine, who is slated to run in the election.

Yoko Akagi, 65, from the Okinawa village of Kunigami, said she hopes that "the mayor will be reelected and a new base will not be built so the sit-in protest will not reach the next 5,000th day."

Citizens started the sit-in protest on April 19, 2004, on the coast close to the planned Futenma relocation site, opposing a related boring survey off Henoko by a central government agency. In July 2014, they began protesting also in front of the Camp Schwab gate. Jiji Press