In joint survey conducted by the Ryukyu Shimpo and Mainichi Shimbun, 61% of Okinawans think the concentration of bases in Okinawa “unfair,” while only 40% of people nationwide agree

In joint survey conducted by the Ryukyu Shimpo and Mainichi Shimbun, 61% of Okinawans think the concentration of bases in Okinawa “unfair,” while only 40% of people nationwide agree

A new base construction in Henoko, Nago


May 10, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Teppei Ikeda

 

As the 50th anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa to Japan approaches, the Ryukyu Shimpo conducted a public opinion poll in collaboration with Mainichi Shimbun, which asked respondents in both Okinawa and throughout Japan their assessment of the reversion as well as their awareness of the military base issues. When asked their opinion of the fact that 70% of U.S. military bases in Japan were located in Okinawa, 61% of respondents in Okinawa answered that it was “unfair,” while only 40% of respondents in all regions of Japan answered similarly. In a nationwide survey, when asked if they would approve of moving the bases in Okinawa to the region in which they lived, 52% of people said they would be opposed, while only 23% said they would support it. The answers reaffirmed that there was a difference in opinion regarding the base burden in Okinawa between those in the Ryukyu archipelago and those on the main island, and that there was a lack of awareness of the issue outside of Okinawa.

When asked of their opinion of the reversion to Japan, 92% of people in Okinawa responded that it was “good” or they were “somewhat good,” a 12-point increase compared to a similar survey conducted on the 40th anniversary in 2012. This was also 10 points higher than the surveys conducted on the 30th and 35th anniversaries, marking the highest number since the survey began. In all regions of Japan, 80% responded that they thought it was “good” while 15% responded that they were “somewhat good.”

Regarding the relocation of MCAS Futenma to a new base facility in Henoko, 54% of people in Okinawa responded that the base should be shuttered without a relocation and be moved outside of Okinawa and Japan. The people who wanted the central government’s relocation plan to continue came in at 36% support.

Nationally, 42% of people oppose the relocation plan, while 37% of people support it, showing a clear difference in opinion between Japan and the rest of the country.

The method the survey was conducted was different than the one in 2012, which was conducted over the phone, however opposition to Henoko base relocation was over 90%. As the central government continues its heavy-handed approach to the new base construction, a shift in public opinion in Okinawa can also be seen.

Regarding the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), 71% of Okinawans want a fundamental revision of the agreement, and there was a sharp increase to 13% in those who responded “do not revise the agreement, but they should improve the implementation of the existing agreement.” In the nationwide survey, 55% called for a revision to the agreement, and 15% who called for improving the execution of the existing agreement, showing another difference in opinion regarding SOFA, similar to the difference regarding the concentration of bases.

(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)

 

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