Protesters rally one year after start of Henoko coastal work

April 26, 2018

Nago, Okinawa Pref.- Protesters on Wednesday held a rally near US Camp Schwab in Okinawa Prefecture on the first anniversary of the start of coastal protection work for a planned US military base at the Henoko coastal area in the Okinawa city of Nago.

About 800 people showed up, voicing opposition to the planned transfer to Henoko of the functions of the US Marine Corps' Futenma air base in Ginowan, another Okinawa city, under an agreement between the Japanese and U.S. governments, according to the organizers.

A sit-in protest was also conducted in front of Camp Schwab from the morning, while some 240 people, including those in canoes, staged demonstrations off the Henoko coast.

Former Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine, who attended the rally, said he feels anger over the Henoko work, which the central government is carrying out despite the prefectural government's opposition.

"I doubt that the work is based on proper procedures," said Inamine, who was defeated in a mayoral election in February by a candidate backed by the ruling coalition.

Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga issued a statement on the day reiterating his resolve to block the US base construction at Henoko.

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said the central government will provide Nago with a total of 2.98 billion yen in subsidies related to the base relocation for fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2018.

The subsidies have been suspended since Inamine became Nago mayor in 2010. Jiji Press