U.S. may move Okinawa airfield further offshore

Monday 19th October, 06:19 AM JST

WASHINGTON —

The United States will consider moving its envisaged military airfield in Okinawa Prefecture further offshore than currently planned in the event that Tokyo proposes it, a senior Defense Department official said. The official, who recently spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, also said the relationship of mutual trust between the two countries would suffer a setback if the existing deal on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, which covers the airfield issue, is not implemented.

It is the first time that a U.S. administration official has signaled that Washington would mull the idea of making adjustments to the location of the new facility that would take over the heliport functions of the U.S. Marines Corps’ Futenma Air Station in Okinawa. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who will visit Japan on Tuesday and Wednesday, is expected to urge Tokyo to implement the existing accord during his meetings with Japanese leaders.

Okinawa Gov Hirokazu Nakaima said recently that Okinawa would accept the relocation of the Futenma facility within the prefecture, provided that the new airfield is located as far away from the seashore as possible to ensure safety and reduce noise.

The senior Pentagon official said it would be a matter for Okinawa and Tokyo to settle if the Okinawa governor is eager to move the new facility a further 50 meters or so offshore than under the current plan.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has said the government will seek to move the heliport functions of the Futenma Air Station outside Okinawa, or even outside Japan.

That would contravene an accord reached in 2006 in which Japan and the United States agreed to transfer the air station to an area off the coast of Henoko in the city of Nago in the prefecture, near the U.S. Marine Corps’ Camp Schwab, by 2014.

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Latest 15 of 18 Total Comments Show All

TheMarion at 09:43 AM JST - 19th October

This is the most stupid decision that is being considered. I have suggested that we take our entire military and return them to the United States of America - preferably Oceanside, Calif. Isn't 65 years enough?
TheMarion at 09:53 AM JST - 19th October

I suppose if I come back to this problem twenty years from today, we will still be wrangling over the same problem. At my present 89 years of age, I won't be here to dwell on this problem, but I'll bet the powers to be, will still be ignoring the residents of Henoko (bless them all)
societymike at 09:57 AM JST - 19th October

yeah, in a perfect world, they would simply close Futenma and not merely "move" the heliport part to somewhere else in Japan. I would love to see more reductions happen sooner, rather than later.
jason6 at 11:48 AM JST - 19th October

Offshore or not, troops will still come to Okinawa during their off-duty times. All the old situations still apply.
YuriOtani at 12:09 PM JST - 19th October

The people of Okinawa do not want the Marines, what is so hard to understand?
terebiko at 12:40 PM JST - 19th October

I hope they do an environmental impact study before they do this. societymike, do you ever ask yourself why the dugong may be almost non-existent? The Okinawa variety is part of a larger population of dugong listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Also, what about the coral reefs? It is not necessary to fill-in the ocean for an airstrip. At the rate of global warming, it would probably be under water in a few years after it is completed anyway. Wait a minute, I'm beginning to sound like an environmentalist... I feel the need to hug a tree!
apecNetworks at 03:58 PM JST - 19th October

Hey, what about a "floating airstrip platform" that would compensate for changing sea levels? I read on JT of someone constantly promoting this idea.
ratpack at 04:19 PM JST - 19th October

And you watch how quickly the same people that say leave turn around and say help when/if japan is attacked again!!!
pathat at 08:27 PM JST - 19th October

Yuri Otani wrote:

"The people of Okinawa do not want the Marines, what is so hard to understand?"

Many Americans, including myself, would agree with you that the time is long past due to get as many of the U.S. military as possible off Okinawa-and elsewhere throughout Japan for that matter-and stationed in U.S. territory.

However, it is up to the Japanese government to make the hard decisions to change the situation once and for all. Japan has reaped the geopolitical benefits in Asia for more than a half century due to the presence of the U.S. military, and the economic ones-from the boost the U.S. entry in the Korean War gave to the Japanese economy to the overall small amount of its GDP Japan has paid for its own defense in this time-including the "sympathy budget."

Individual Japanese can moan and groan all they want about the U.S. military but, until the nation of Japan as a whole is willing to undertake the necessary steps to provide for the bulk of its own defense, not much will change.

Change your constitution to allow for the clear right of self-defense, start paying your fair share for your own defense and have Japanese men and women do the work, get out into the world more and put some real effort in resolving volatile international situations to enable a more peaceful world, and get out of the dreamy peace world you've been living in for far too long.

Perhaps when you finally stand up and accept responsibility for yourselves, Yuri, then Japan can make some progress on territorial issues involving Russia, South Korea and China, too.

Don't complain unless you're willing to effect real, permanent change.

And if the people in Tokyo who govern Japan's 47 prefectures will not listen to the will of the Japanese people, then the people need to get more involved in the political process from the ground up and force the necessary changes.

How much longer will it take, Yuri? Six more decades?
Sarge at 10:37 PM JST - 19th October

They should move Futenma to Narita.
TheMarion at 12:14 AM JST - 20th October

Sarge: While I realize your post was made with tongue in cheek,it reminded me of a time when I was blogging for Topica and I recieved a blog from a Chinese blogIt is time we considered that our country needs usger and he wrote that when China wanted Okinawa, they would come and get it. Of course we all realize we are in place to make the Chinese think twice. However time marches on and frankly Russia and China are beginning to flex their muscles. While I think your posting was interesting, I also think it is time that we go home.
TheMarion at 12:22 AM JST - 20th October

I made a mess out of the offering I made above. I was trying to correct the word blogger and I ask that you ignore (it is time we considered that our country needs us) that remark was supposed to be added to the thought "I also think it is time that we go home.

Sorry, I screwed up.......
YuriOtani at 12:37 AM JST - 20th October

pathat, The people of Okinawa have been speaking for decades. The Americans have been dragging their feet for decades. They have a sense of entitlement, that they have a right to bases by reason of conquest. I suppose it is manifest density in action. There is nothing more the people of Okinawa can do. It is up to the new government in Tokyo and if they do nothing then it is hopeless. The only other action is to bring it to the United Nations if a friendly government would be willing to sponsor action.
sfjp330 at 04:47 AM JST - 20th October

Japan only has enemies because the U.S. has enemies. Japan needs to distance itself from the U.S., declare neutrality (like Switzerland, Austria etc), work on reducing import dependency, and have warmer relationships with their Asian cousins.

Japan needs to dump this war addicted friend if it wants to be an economic super power again. America's days are numbered.

Loganinippon

What a joke. U.S. is glad to dump Japan, and U.S. does need Japan. Well, Japan imports 90 percent of the oil from the middle east. They are dependent on Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen, Iran. etc. Japan is a major contributor to Iran's military and potential nuclear weapons paid by the Japanese from oil money, and you're saying Japan should be nuetrality? Japan is the major cause of financing Iran's extreme military in the midde east with oil money. If Japan wants to distance themselves from U.S., stop buying oil from Iran and middle east. U.S. security continues to protect the sea lanes for Nippon Oil, destination Japan. Japan should pay their own security with their own troops safeguarding the oil field and sea lanes and not the U.S. troops. U.S. only buys 22 percent from the middle east and they are not the major customers. Japan is. Japan is a major investor in Communist China, and they are the largest trade partener between China and Japan. Over 20,000 Japanese companies are in China.
apecNetworks at 06:34 AM JST - 20th October

I was sorta trained to negotiate these types of problems, but the methods were considered obsolete as I rose academically. In another era, the Futenma agreement should be modified w/out nullifying the tasks needed - further offshore is possible. From my sources, the US should reexamine the complete Base setup in Okinawa, to see if consolidation and reductions can alleviate the longstanding social problems in Okinawa. It may require new analysis of what vital tasks are needed and where it can be relocated. It can be viewed as "modernization" of a situation more suitable for the 21st Century.