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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE November 17, 2006
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| November 10, 2006 |
Naha, Okinawa, Japan – No Base in My Backyard! |
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| Messages opposing a new base adorn a fence near a proposed site |
For more than 50 years, many people in Okinawa have opposed the presence and expansion of military bases on their islands. The islands, which make up only 0.6 percent of Japan, have 75 percent of all the country's military bases concentrated on them. On November 6, Peace Boat organized a study program to learn more about the bases and their effect on people and the environment. |
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| The mayor of Ginowan shows participants an aerial view of Futenma base and the surrounding residential area |
In Ginowan, the mayor of the city showed participants aerial photographs of Futenma Air Base, clearly illustrating that it took up one quarter of the city's prime flatland - land that was appropriated from local rice farmers to build the base. The mayor also pointed out that there is no buffer zone between the base and the surrounding residential area, which includes schools, hospitals, and other important facilities. "This kind of zoning would be illegal in the U.S.," he said, "but they allow it here." Residents of the city have complained for years about the intense noise generated by the military aircraft flying overhead. |
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| Henoko Bay, site of the prospective base |
Ten years ago, the governments of Japan and the U.S. agreed to relocate the base. However, due to strong opposition from residents of prospective sites in mainland Japan, another site in Okinawa called Henoko Bay was chosen. The bay is home to a delicate ecosystem that includes coral reefs, tropical fish, and an unusual sea mammal called a dugong. For generations, the people of Henoko have enjoyed the beauty of the sea and treasured it as a source of food and livelihood. The plan for the new base, however, involved reclaiming a vast portion of the bay to build a runway. The plan was approved despite opposition from a majority of the residents. |
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| Yuji Kinjo has spent 10 years opposing the new base |
Participants in the study program had the opportunity to speak to a group of elderly residents who have held a 10 year, non-violent campaign to oppose the new base. "We oppose it for two main reasons," explained 72 year old Yuji Kinjo. "The first is because we must protect the dugong. In Japan, they are found only in Henoko Bay." The second reason, he said, is because the base would be used to launch attacks on other countries. "Killing nature in order to kill other human beings is unacceptable to us," he emphasized. He also noted that Okinawa is not at war with any other country, and yet is vulnerable to attack because of the presence of U.S. military bases. |
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| A resident opposed to the base points out the proposed expansion plan of Camp Schwab. The white outline indicates parts of the sea that will be reclaimed. The red strips indicate runways |
The residents formed a group called "The Association to Protect Life," and built a makeshift camp on the shore where they hold sit-ins and distribute information. They also built camps on platforms in the sea in order to block ships from conducting drilling tests. Because of their efforts, the U.S. military finally agreed to cancel the vast reclamation project and expand the runway at the neighboring military base of Camp Schwab. Because significant parts of the sea will still be reclaimed for that project, the Association to Protect Life continues to oppose it. Many residents also fear the danger and noise of military aircraft flying directly over their town. |
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| A tour participant gazes out over Henoko Bay |
After talking to the residents, participants of the tour helped pick up trash from the beach and take it away from Henoko. They then hiked to a hill that overlooks the bay, from where several dugong could be seen frolicking in the crystal clear water. "This bay is so beautiful - it would be such a loss to destroy it," commented one participant. "In the mainland of Japan, we tend to think of Okinawa as a resort paradise island," said another. "I never realized how much local people here struggle with the bases because of decisions people make in Tokyo and Washington."
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