About 70% of Japan's U.S. military bases are concentrated in Okinawa in 1945 . Battle of Okinawa during World War II and 1950 It is derived from the take-up of land by the US military during the American occupation of the generation.
During the Battle of Okinawa at the end of World War II, the U.S. military forcibly collected some villages in Ginowan Village . We built a base for attacking the mainland of Japan. It happened while the inhabitants were evacuated or put in camps.
This is the current [ Futenma Air Station ] Is the beginning. According to the history of Ginowan, 9 of the 22 prewar settlements have returned to their original lands. Then 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty Japan regained sovereignty, but Okinawa was placed under American rule. Furthermore, on the same day that the San Francisco Peace Treaty was signed, the former Japan-US Security Treaty on Japan's security was also signed.
Let's take a look at the international situation when Futenma Air Station started
The world around this time was Cold War In the middle of.
About half a year after the end of World War II, when Winston Churchill of England, a so-called western member, visited the United States.
It was the conclusion of the San Francisco Peace Treaty at a time when the tension was so high that the danger of the Soviet Union was complaining.
What did the United States do to counter the eastern camp?
America is Socialist Soviet Lianbao / China / North Korea In Okinawa, we moved US soldiers from the mainland and expanded the base.
The Korean War from 1950 to 1993, also known as the proxy war of the Cold War. Vietnam War which became full-scale after 1965 Although the United States also intervened in the military (the United States withdrew in 1973, the war itself was until 1975), the military was also participating from Okinawa because it was a place far from the mainland ... To expand the base Seems to have such a background.
At this time, the U.S. soldiers were forcibly collecting the land of the Okinawans, so [ gun sword and bulldozer ] Is also born.
What happened to the relationship between Okinawa and the United States?
Many people actually go to war at bases near the front lines ... so not all people are well-behaved. Moreover, the people of Okinawa are under the administration of the US military and are not covered by the Japanese and American constitutions. Due to the extremely unstable position, accidents and incidents by American soldiers continued, and the Okinawan reversion movement began in earnest.
At the same time, Richard Nixon became president with a pledge to withdraw from the Vietnam War in the United States, where the mood of war was rising. It seems that the former president who was thinking about continuing the war was not thinking about returning Okinawa, but when it comes to withdrawing from Vietnam, the importance of Okinawa will be lessened to some extent. The story of the return of Okinawa became a reality at once.
Furthermore, in 1970, the Koza riots overlapped, and on May 15, 1972, Okinawa returned to Japan.
U.S. Forces Japan assault on a girl
It has been 23 years since the return of Okinawa. 1995 When a girl assault by a US soldier in Japan occurs, the anger of the citizens of the prefecture reaches its peak.
If you are in your late 30s or older, you may remember 23 years ago and before, so it may be natural.
A movement to close or relocate the US military base was held at Ginowan Seaside Park, and 85,000 Okinawans gathered.
Following the anti-base movement in Okinawa Prefecture, the Japanese and US governments will begin negotiations to reduce the number of bases in Okinawa Prefecture. As a result, a plan centered on the return of Futenma Air Station was formulated Did.
Prime Minister at the time, Ryutaro Hashimoto And Walter Mondale The US Ambassador to Japan has agreed to return Futenma Air Station within 5 to 7 years. However, this return was subject to the condition that an alternative airfield be relocated within the same Okinawa prefecture.
A promising plan was to build a maritime base in the Henoko district of Nago City, where the US Marine Corps base Camp Schwab was listed as a candidate site.
The Futenma Air Station relocation problem began here.
Cabinet decision to relocate to Henoko
Regarding the Henoko relocation plan, there were many dissenting opinions that there were concerns about environmental destruction and that they were just doing a mess in the prefecture.
Despite the opposition in the prefecture, 1998 In the Nago Mayoral election, relocation tolerant Mr. Kishimoto Was elected, and in the subsequent prefectural governor election, Mr. Inamine, who is the same tolerant group, will be elected. Then, in 1999, Okinawa Prefecture decided on the area around Henoko as a candidate site for relocation, and the Japanese government also made a cabinet decision on the relocation of Henoko.
US military helicopter crashes on university campus
August 2004 , A US military helicopter at Futenma Air Station crashed on the premises of Okinawa International University.
Fortunately, there were no casualties during the summer vacation, but the outer walls of the school building and debris from the aircraft were scattered around the residential area. Located in the middle of the city of Ginowan, [ the most dangerous airfield in the world ] It was an accident at Futenma Air Station, where the danger of a serious accident had been pointed out for some time.
After this accident, the voice of returning the base increased further, and in 2006, the Japanese and US governments [ U.S. Army Reorganization Roadmap ] Agreed. With this, it was decided to reclaim the coastal area around Henoko and build a base with two runways, and to relocate 8,000 US Marine Corps to Guam.
The situation suddenly changed with the Hatoyama administration, which was a big victory for the opposition.
Opposition and Democratic Party won overwhelmingly in the 2009 general election and changed power Yukio Hatoyama He became prime minister.
Therefore, in Okinawa Vision 2008, the Democratic Party of Japan will seek to disperse the functions of US Marine Corps bases, including Futenma base, outside the prefecture . ] [ Aiming to relocate abroad ] Was specified. Prime Minister Hatoyama's [ at least outside the prefecture ] Quotations are new to my memory.
Meanwhile, 2010 There was an election for the mayor of Nago City, and it seemed that Mr. Inamine, who opposes the base, was elected and the review of the Futenma relocation was accelerating, but that was not the case.
2010 Prime Minister Hatoyama tried to move the US military base out of the prefecture, but at the same time that the United States was reluctant to review the roadmap that had already been decided between Japan and the United States, it was not possible to find a new facility.
President Obama demands early implementation of the relocation plan [ Trust Me ], But things did not go as expected by Prime Minister Hatoyama. Prime Minister Hatoyama promised in the House of Representatives election in May [ U.S. military base relocation outside the prefecture ], And the relocation of Futenma Air Station has settled down around Henoko as originally planned.
The general election was held again in December 2013, and the ruling party and the Democratic Party were defeated. The administration passed to the Liberal Democratic Party again, and the relocation plan of Futenma base started to move again.
The Governor of Okinawa is also the opposition Governor Onaga ...
Under the second Abe administration, Governor of Okinawa Prefecture Nakaima Approves the reclamation of the Henoko coastal area I did.
However, in 2014, there will be a twist between the national and prefectural governments.
January 2014 Mayor Inamine against the base in the Nago Mayoral election Is reelected. Furthermore, in the prefectural governor's election in December, the opposition Okinacho He defeated Mr. Nakaima and became governor. Previously, Mr. Okina was a Henoko tolerant group, but by this time he switched to a relocation group outside the prefecture, and [ prevent the relocation of Henoko by any means . ] And was elected.
Mr. Okina, who was elected governor, canceled the Henoko landfill approved by former governor Makoto Nakai. I will try.
This cancellation is not something that can be done by becoming a governor, but it seems that it can be canceled only if there is a legal process in the examination of the landfill process or if there is a violation on the business side after approval.
October 2015 Governor Okinaga has a defect due to insufficient grounds for the construction of a U.S. military base in the prefecture and insufficient environmental protection measures . As cancel Henoko landfill I took a railroad crossing.
Naturally, the national side rebelled, and the national government and Okinawa Prefecture were in a legal battle, but in December 2016, the Supreme Court ruled that [ cancellation is illegal . ], And Okinawa Prefecture lost the case.
Governor Onaga's sudden death to the election of the governor of Okinawa
2018 Politics will start moving again.
Mr. Tomo Wataru of the Henoko tolerant group wins the Nago Mayoral election in January, but Governor Onaga approves the landfill of the Henoko coast [ withdrawal ] Did not change.
However, Mr. Okina suddenly died on August 8. The Okinawa Governor's election will be held.
In the governor's election in September, Denny Tamaki will take over Mr. Okina's will. He will be elected, but on December 14th, sediment injection into the Henoko sea area began, making it impossible to restore the sea area to its original state.
As the sediment injection progressed, on February 24, 2019, an Okinawan referendum was held asking whether or not to reclaim the land, and more than 70% of the valid votes indicated the opposite intention. It was not binding, and on March 25, sediment was poured into the new plot.
So far, it has been a series of problems related to Futenma Air Station.
I am not very familiar with it, so please let me know if there are any mistakes.