On November 7, Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga’s wife Mikiko encouraged citizens who are maintaining a sit-in protest in front of the gate of Camp Schwab as part of efforts to block construction of new U.S. base in Henoko, Nago.
Mikiko visited Henoko in September when the people’s protest rally was held. In her speech to sit-in protesters, the governor’s wife revealed the details of a conversation she had with her husband when he won the gubernatorial race.
“My husband said he absolutely would not let the government build the U.S. base in Henoko. My husband and I promised we would stage a sit-in protest here if we came to the end of our rope,” she said. She received loud applause and cheers from the sit-in members.
She added, “It’s not all up to us.”
“Many people in the world support us. We shall not quit and shall continue to try to do our best, and become single-minded in our objective to block construction of the new U.S. base.”
She took part in the sit-in and spurred on the citizens, shaking all of their hands.
Discarded dog Hatchy is now famous as a habu snake hunter in Uruma. One day, the dog smelled the scent of a coiled poisonous Habu snake on the street and saved the owner Tsugumitsu Toma. Toma and Hatchy regularly take walks near Uruma City’s Katsuren office building through a school zone where Yokatsu High School, elementary and junior high schools are located. The dog helps protect school students and children from snakes.
Hatchy was an abandoned dog. Toma felt compassion toward the dog, which hung around outside his house. He decided to let the dog live with him three and a half years ago. Hatchy is now an adult dog with a talent for finding habu. The dog has caught three Habu so far.
On the night of October 23, when Toma went for a walk with Hatchy, the dog found a Habu near the owner’s feet. He barked at it and braced to attack, getting Toma’s attention. Tomo killed it, avoiding a snake bite.
The snake was 1.6 meters long. Toma said, “It was really close. If I was one moment later, I would have been bitten by the Habu. Hatchy saved me.”
Toma rewards Hatchy when the animal finds snakes, and makes him smell the captured Habu to train him to search for snakes. Habu snakes have a distinctive smell.
“Hatchy is a quick learner. I am glad, so glad to have Hatchy,”Toma said. He warns neighbors and children, saying, “We find small Habu snakes often but sometimes we find more than two meter-long Habu snakes in the area, where children pass by. Be careful.”
An old procession from the days of Ryukyu dynasty was held in and around the Shuri-jo Castle Park on January 3, the last day of the 2015 Shuri Castle Festival.
About 250 people dressed in old traditional costumes, with two people playing the roles of king and queen. They walked through streets near Ryu-tan Pond from the royal garden and Shureimon gate.
The event is held annually and is an opportunity to pray for peace and security and a rich harvest.
Fumikazu Tokuyama, who was born in Okinawa, came to see the festival with his wife Michiyo from Tokyo. He said, “I was lucky to see the festival during my homecoming. It was good to be able to imagine the old days of the Ryukyu.”
Employees of Nansei Sekiyu, which is led by CEO Lincoln Shiodiro Ishikawa and located in Nishihara, have shared their concerns over employment security from April 2016. The company has not shown any guarantee of employment support, including suggesting retirement allowances and outplacements due to uncertainties over the number of resignees and the timing of their resignation. Labor experts and employees say strategies need to be taken at least three months ahead of closure. However, the Okinawa Labor Bureau and the prefectural government have not been able to intervene due to a lack of information from the company.
The company employed 198 members as of January, 2015. According to a survey conducted by the Labor Bureau, approximately 15 employees had resigned as of October this year due to the Brazilian firm Petrobras, the holding company of Nansei Sekiyu, announcing its closure in Japan in March. The majority of the 15 employees have since found new employment.
However, Petrobras has not identified a transfer company, and the employees are concerned because they cannot be certain they will have a job after April next year. When Nansei Sekiyu announced to its business partners in September the contract for petroleum products would not be extended after March 31, 2016, there was no communication between the company and employees. Employees have expressed frustration saying, “Information about the foreseeable plan including a possible buyout is lacking.”
In March this year, the labor union requested the company suggest an estimated retirement allowance, support for outplacements, and a travel allowance for employees from outside of the prefecture. However, the company has not replied. In response, the labor union ceased the “36 agreement”, a resolution over an overtime dispute, on which workers and employers were due to sign off on October 19.
The Labor Bureau planned to establish an office for urgent employment support, and the prefectural government also planned to liaise between Nansei Sekiyu, the labor bureau and Nishihara Town after Petrobras announced its closure in Japan. However neither of these plans has been executed yet. According to the Labor Bureau’s Department of Employment Support, Nansei Sekiyu says it will decide on plans, such as redundancy packages, for retirees when Petrobas finalizes its closure and possible buyout.
The department also stated, “in general, resignees would need to start looking for new employment around the end of this year, three months before the closure, yet there is no information from the company on how many people will leave the company. We are not able to provide support without that information.”
There was no mention of a concrete re-employment plan when the CEO Ishikawa visited the prefectural government on November 22 and met the prefectural government officials. The prefectural government officials stated, “we will be able to respond once the labor union receives the detail on retirement conditions, but nothing can be done from our side now.” However, they have stressed the urgency of the matter, saying, “it will directly impact people’s lives so employment support is needed, but we can do nothing at this moment.”
On July 27, Okinawa city’s population reached 140,000 people. A ceremony to celebrate the milestone was held at Okinawa city municipal office on July 23. About 100 people, including residents, members of the city councils, City staff officers of and parents of six newborn babies who were registered on July 27, gathered at the municipal office for the ceremony.
Okinawa City Mayor Sachio Kuwae presented a certificate of population achievement, picture books and photo frames to the parents. The Okinawa Zoo and Museum presented the two-year passport tickets to them.
Folk singer Sadato China, a father of a newborn Sadaka, said on behalf of the families of newborn babies, “I am very happy because I was born in 1974 when Okinawa City started, and my daughter was born on the commemoration day of its population reaching 140000. I want to contribute to the city becoming a peaceful and good place to live for my daughter.”
On November 1, an ordinance on invasive species within soil hauled from outside Okinawa was enforced for the land reclamation project in public waters. It requires the business operator to submit soil-and-sand transportation plans and take measures to ensure that no alien species are included. Under the ordinance, the governor is authorized to order the cancellation of such plans and make on-site inspections.
For the purpose of protecting Okinawa’s biodiversity, fixed limits on soil and sand hauled from outside the prefecture for use in construction of the new U.S. base in Henoko are being called upon, and there is a possibility this will affect construction work.
The business operator must report project details to the governor of Okinawa 90 prior to bringing in materials. At the present point there are two target projects: construction of a replacement facility for U.S. Marine Corp Air Station Futenma by Okinawa Defense Bureau (Ministry of Defense) in Henoko and Naha Airport runway expansion by Okinawa General Bureau (Cabinet Office).
According to the Division for Promotion of Nature Conservation and Afforestation (Environmental Department, Okinawa’s prefectural government), as of October 30 the business operators of the target projects have not made inquiries about Okinawa’s regulations in regard to the projects.
There is confirmed documentation of at least nine types of invasive species in the soil, sand and stone provided by places outside the prefecture, including Argentine ants.
The Division for Promotion of Nature Conservation and Afforestation simultaneously enforced regulations on bringing in invasive species and took on two more personnel in order to advance investigation into the condition of the introduced species’ dispersion.
Prefectural personnel and persons entrusted with the investigation will enter sites where soil liable to contain introduced species was deposited and conduct their work. There are no provisions to penalize those responsible should there be introduced species, but should the business operators not comply with prefectural measures, their names can be publicly announced.
This ordinance is in accordance with the intent of the Invasive Alien Species Act, which prohibits the transfer of non-native species and other such actions. In June 2015, the ordinance was proposed at a regular meeting of the prefectural assembly by the ruling party, adopted by a majority vote, and put into effect.
The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism ordered a stay of execution of Governor Takeshi Onaga’s revocation of the permit authorizing land reclamation in order to build a new base in Henoko as part of the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. In response, the Okinawa prefectural government filed for a review of the government’s action with the Committee for Settling National-Local Disputes. The events to come will say a great deal about the state of justice in Japan.
Doubts have arisen as to the fairness of workings within the Japanese government, and this issue will become a barometer to test precisely that. Needless to say, the government’s order for a stay of execution brought the issue of fairness to light.
After Governor Onaga revoked the land reclamation permit, the Okinawa Defense Bureau (ODB) filed an appeal requesting administrative review with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) based on the Administrative Appeals Act. Upon receiving the appeal, MLIT minister Keiichi Ishii ordered a stay of execution of the governor’s revocation. Both the ODB, which filed the appeal, and MLIT, which received it, are organs of the same national government. The government essentially submitted the papers with one hand and accepted them with the other. No matter how one views it, this spectacle lacks a sense of justice.
Ninety-three Japanese scholars of administrative law published a statement calling the stay of execution illegal, stating, “The Administrative Appeals Act was not intended to be used by governmental agencies to file appeals requesting administrative review.” The statement further criticized the Okinawa Defense Bureau for “impersonating a private entity” and even went so far as to say that Japan has “violated [the principles of] a nation of laws.” The fact that legal experts would make such a statement shows how utterly unjust the government’s actions have been.
The Committee for Settling National-Local Disputes is a third-party organization. It seems the issue will finally be taken to a place where an unbiased ruling can be handed down. However, the Local Autonomy Act stipulates that “[court] verdicts” and “[judicial] rulings, etc.” are outside the jurisdiction of the Committee. Therefore, Okinawa’s case could be turned down automatically.
If that happens, and the central government ends up in battle with Okinawa over the validity of the government’s decision, there will be no chance for an impartial third-party organization to have a say in the matter. Thus, doubts have arisen as to the fairness of workings within the Japanese government.
Rather than splitting hairs, what is really needed is a thorough examination of the government’s “impersonation of a private entity.”
The government’s reasoning is absurd. It claims that because it is “urgent” to remove the dangers posed by MCAS Futenma, a stay of execution is required to nullify Governor Onaga’s revocation and proceed with relocation work that will take years. If closing Futenma is so urgent, why does the government not demand operations cease there within five years, as was promised to the previous governor? Why do they not demand a halt to violations of Osprey flight rules and late-night and early-morning helicopter flights? Their logic is utterly incoherent. The Committee must investigate the government’s inconsistencies.
Governor Onaga repeated to the press that he will use “every possible means [to stop the new base construction].” Numerous legal battles are sure to come. Not because of the governor’s personal views, but because of the unwavering sentiment of the Okinawan people. The government will finally have to face the weight of the will of the Okinawan people.
Citizens opposing the construction of the new U.S. base in Henoko, Nago put their lives on the line to stop the offshore work towards the new base, which was restarted on October 29. Despite being detained by Coast Guard officers many times, protestors on canoes persisted with trying to obstruct the works. Once again, a tense standoff is taking place on the calm waters of Henoko.
Similarly to the protest in front of Camp Schwab, canoe team members began their protest activities in the early morning and continued them throughout the day. Protestors blocked work ships on their way to locations where floats and oil fences for a drilling survey are being installed. Holding on to the oil fence, protestors pushed back against the work ships to prevent them from continuing the work. There was a heated interaction, in which a protestor and a worker struggled over a rope and both fell into the ocean. Another situation involved more than ten Coast Guard officers surrounding one protestor.
Whenever Yu Ikema, a 23-year-old college student and member of a canoe team “Henoko Blue”, repeatedly yelled at a workman, “Stop the work,” Coast Guard officers detained her. While she expressed fear of being caught, she looked on and said, “I want to delay their work even if it is just another minute.”
Koshin Nakamoto, executive director of the Offshore Heliport Opposition Committee, spoke through a speaker to the Coast Guard, “This is the citizens’ ocean. Donʻt lend your support to any act that leads to war.” He expressed his determination, “We will fight until the end.”
The Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace campaign ship, arrived at Naha New Port on November 1. The ship belonging to the international environmental organization is here to oppose construction of a new U.S. base in Henoko, Nago,
Together with local residents, the team on board the ship will launch a protest campaign, including conducting research in the ocean surrounding Henoko. The ship is scheduled to sail for Oura Bay off the coast of Henoko on the night of November 5.
It is the fourth time the Rainbow Warrior has been dispatched to Okinawa.
On October 13, Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga revoked his predecessor’ s approval of the landfill, which was widely disputed because the former governor’s decision broke a key election promise. The land minister overturned the incumbent governor’s withdrawal of the landfill permit and stopped the effect of the revocation. Further, the central government will use a subrogation clause under local autonomy law for works handled by local governments to advance their claim that the landfill is legal. On October 29, the Defense Ministry’s Okinawa Bureau restarted the work at Henoko.
Greenpeace aims to raise international public awareness of the reality in Henoko, where the Japanese government is advancing the construction of the U.S. airfield against the will of citizens.
The Okinawa Prefectural Government has lodged a complaint with a third-party panel, the Committee for Settling National-Local Disputes, which is set up by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, regarding the land minister’s decision to invalidate the Okinawa Governor’s revocation of landfill in Henoko, Nago, where the governments of Japan and the United States plan to relocate U.S. Marine Corp Air Station Futenma,
Governor Onaga stated at a news conference held on the afternoon of November 2, at the prefectural government, “I want the Committee for Settling National-Local Disputes to conduct a fair and independent review.” He criticized the land minister’s decision, saying,”It is impossible for the land minister to judge against the national government’s decision on the Henoko relocation plan. The land minister’s decision to stop the revocation of the landfill lacks a fairness and neutrality that the Administrative Appeal Act requires.”
On October 24, in Ishigaki Citizen Hall, the Association of Comprehensive Studies for Independence of the Lew Chewans (ACSILs) opened a symposium to address peace and Ryukyuan independence. A panel of officials from the Yaeyama Islands and Guam exchanged views on the Japan Self Defense Force (SDF)’s deployment plans, U.S. military base issues in Okinawa, and related topics. The panel affirmed the importance of deepened regional discussion and self-determination, and sharing views with the international community.
Shigeo Aragaki, member of the ACSILs and co-representative of the Islanders’ Council for Considering Ishigaki’s Future, raises the point that it is essential to make great efforts to avoid turning to the method of war. Moreover, touching on a history of discrimination against Okinawa, he attests that at the signing of the Treaty of San Francisco, Okinawans’ views went unheard, and Okinawa is now dealt with dismissively. He appealed to listeners, saying that problems with SDF deployment will occur in Ishigaki unless we unite to prevent it.
Edward Alvarez, executive director of Guam’s Commission on Decolonization, says “both Guam and Okinawa can be referred to as colonies,”. He pointed out that Okinawa receives treatment deserving of placement on the UN list of non-self-governing territories. If placed on the list, Alvarez suggests that it will be possible to make the case to the international community that Okinawa is receiving unjust treatment by being kept from exercising its autonomy.
Kinsei Ishigaki, representative of the Council to Revitalize Iriomote Island, and Michael Bebiakua, associate professor at the University of Guam, also presented their views on the topic.
In advance of the panel discussion, Taketomi Town’s former superintendent of education, Anzo Kedamori, presented a keynote speech, in which he shared his own war experiences and discussed the textbook controversy in Yaeyama. The textbook controversy involved the government interfering with the history being taught in schools. He emphasized the importance of self-determination over national government imposition with the following words: “There is no such thing as a good war. Peace studies are coming to understand that a state of affairs where frail people can live happily means we have good society. This kind of thinking opposes the writing of textbooks that mold a national consciousness with willingness to consider going to war.”
Webcam(Kokusai Street)
