A group of ten NGO members, researchers, and foreigners working on issues of peace and demilitarization are visiting Okinawa on a study tour to learn about the U.S. military base issues here. They arrived on July 27. The tour participants come from the United States, Nepal, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. As of July 29, they have visited Kadena Air Base, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma, and Henoko, Nago, the planned relocation site for MCAS Futenma.
On July 27, the participants visited sites from the Battle of Okinawa in the southern part of Okinawa Island, guided by Okinawa International University professor emeritus Masaie Ishihara. They then visited the Sakima Art Museum, which sits immediately adjacent to MCAS Futenma, and observed Futenma from the roof of the museum.
At the Sakima Art Museum, Yoshikazu Makishi of the Okinawa Dugong Environmental Assessment Surveillance Group explained to the study tour participants how the U.S. military drove residents off their land and annexed it to build MCAS Futenma.
Participant Kyle Kajihiro, a former member of the 1947 Nobel Prize-winning peace organization American Friends Service Committee, who now studies political geography at the University of Hawaii, said, “When I learned about the history, I felt that the base issues in Okinawa are very unjust.”
On July 28, the group took a boat out into Oura Bay in Nago, where the new military base is set to be built. They then participated in a protest rally in front of the Camp Schwab gate.
Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space chairman Dave Webb of the United Kingdom declared, “The world knows about the base issues going on in Okinawa. Together with people opposing military bases worldwide, I want to express my admiration for all of you.”
Satoko Norimatsu, organizer and leader of the study tour and co-editor of the Asia Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, said, “All of the people visiting here today are active in various fields around the world, and they are able to view the current events in Okinawa from a broad perspective. I believe that when they go back to their home countries, they will continue engaging in Okinawa issues.”
Master-hand at Habu hunting from Mihara Nago City, Yasuhiro Makishi has opened an exhibit at the Wansaka Oura Park displaying pictures of habu and other wildlife. The exhibition is called “Habu and Friends in the Forest: Photo Exhibit of Habu and Rare Creatures in Yambaru”. You can see approximately 130 photos of powerful Habu and rare wildlife in Yambaru. The exhibit is open until August 22.
For 30 years, Makishi has been catching Habu in forests in three villages in Kunigami County. In total, Makishi has caught approximately 20,000 Habu and 60,000 smaller Himehabu. While exploring the forest, he has been taking pictures of the unique creatures he has found.
At the photo exhibit, you can see a picture of an Anderson’s Crocodile Newt and a picture capturing the moment when a karasuhiba snake swallowed an Ishikawas Frog. Makishi said, “I hope people will see and learn what kind of wildlife there is in Yambaru and how they live.”
Makishi catches 400 to 500 habu a year. He has been bitten a few times. On Saturdays when Makishi will be present at the exhibit, he will demonstrate the first-aid treatment he uses.
At the venue, there will be a tasting of Habu-sake made by Makishi and sales of Habu oil, which is good for cuts. The entrance fee is 300 yen. High school and younger students are free. The exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For inquiries, call 0980(51) 9446.
The Okinawa Churashima Foundation in Motobu Town collaborated with Chief Researcher Masaki Miya from the Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba and five university research groups to develop a technique to identify what species of fish are living in specific areas by analyzing one bucket with a mix of river and ocean water. The group conducted the experiment at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, and the outcome is the development of a world-first technique to identify multiple species by just analyzing water. The new technique is expected to contribute to the protection of species, the discovery of new species, and to accumulating “big data” of marine species.
The group looked at the “environmental DNA” found in mucus discharged from the species’ body and feces floating in the water. The group used a Next Generation Sequencer that analyzes DNA to identify fish species from the environmental DNA.
The experiment includes four fish tanks at the aquarium and species living in the reef area around Bise, Motobu Town. Out of the 180 species from the aquarium, the experiment identified 168 species, approximately 90 percent of the sample.
It takes two days at the earliest to identify 5,000 species with the analyzer, which can analyze 1,000 samples at one time.
While the conventional method can only analyze one sample at a time, the new method enables researchers to analyze multiple samples at one time. Although this research only looks at fish, it is possible to apply the method to other animals, including those on land. The method is also expected to be used for research into rare species such as Yambarukuina and new species.
“If we can analyze oceans across the globe, we will be able to create big data. That will allow us to study chronological existence of species, not only what exists today,” said Miya.
A variety of events will take place in Okinawa throughout “Tourism Month” in August, including “Tourism Day” on August 1. On July 28, the three Miss Okinawa beauty queens visited the Ryukyu Shimpo Office in Naha to promote the tourism events .
Takao Kadekaru, executive director of the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB), said, “We want people to understand more the importance of Okinawa tourism. We would like them to enjoy events to be held in August.”
The Ten Thousand Eisa Dance Parade will be held in Naha Kokusai Street on August 2 and Hagoromo Festival is scheduled to be held at Seaside Park in Ginowan.
Miss Okinawa Sky Blue Ayami Machida said, “The OCVB has taken up “Utouimuchi (hospitality)” as this year’s theme for its tourism promotion strategy. We would like to boost the campaign to welcome many tourists.”
On July 18, the Ocean Expo Park held its 37th fireworks display at the park in Motobu. About 41,300 people enjoyed the event, watching 10,000 fireworks in the midsummer evening sky.
Fireworks featuring dolphin and sea turtle configurations were released for the first time. People cheered when Niagara Falls appeared, in a flash of sparks that spread 150 meters into the air. Children enjoyed a variety of events such as a water pistol battle on the day.
At a symposium held in the Chuo district of Tokyo, Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga talked about an advisory panel reporting to have found legal flaws in the former governor’s approval of landfill in Henoko, Nago. Onaga said, “I strongly believe that I will never let construction of the U.S. military base happen. From that view point, I need to attach weight to legal validity in the judgement made by the advisory panel.” Onanaga answered a question from writer Masaru Sato.
Onaga also answered a question about proposals to relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Kadena Air Base and Shimojishima Airport. Onaga said, “Okinawan people cannot make a contradictory decision. It logically does not make sense that if the Henoko relocation is unacceptable, Okinawan people then ask to relocate Futenma base to Kadena or Shimojishima.
At the symposium, Onaga delivered a keynote speech. Asahi Shimbun senior staff writer Hiroshi Hoshi facilitated a panel discussion. Administrative director of the Japan Research Institute Jitsuro Terashima, Sato, senior fellow of the Tokyo Foundation Noboru Yamaguchi, and governor Onaga had a heated discussion.”
July 26, 2015 Masatoshi Omine of Ryukyu Shimpo reports from Davao City
The Okinawa Davao Association held a memorial service on July 26 at the Monument of Okinawa in the former Japanese Cemetery of the Mintal district in Davao, the Philippines.
Davao in Mindanao was a fierce battle area during the Pacific War.
Before World War II, many immigrants from Okinawa lived on the island, and after the war, the survivors returned to Okinawa.
The Okinawa Davao Association is made up of those who returned from the island, and their families.
About 70 people, including the bereaved family members and local officials, attended the memorial service. They placed cakes and fruits in front of the monument and offered prayers for the souls of the immediate family and relatives who lost their lives in the war.
The participants joined their hands in prayer recalling when they lost their family members 70 years ago.
Yoshihiro Yamanoha, president of the association, stated, “On behalf of members who passed away, we will continue to visit Davao, which is our second home.”
A rally titled “Henoko Action to create Okinawa’s future” was held on July 18 in front of Camp Schwab at Henoko, Nago. There, the Governments of Japan and the United States are advancing with the project to build a new U.S. base there to replace U.S. Marine Corp Air Station Futenma in Ginowan. The action marked one year since a sit-in protest started in front of the gate of Camp Schwab.
About 500 people took part. They protested against the Abe administration, which is going ahead with construction of the new U.S. base and has rammed controversial security bills through a special committee of the Lower House.
The participants raised their voices saying, “We should not allow the Abe administration’s heavy-handed approach.”
The rally in Henoko was part of a wave of protest action across Japan against the government, with citizens declaring the same message – “We will not tolerate Abe’s politics.”
Novelist Hisae Sawachi called for a nationwide protest against the Abe administration, which kicked off at 1:00 p.m. on July 18. Many intellectuals, including Buddhist-monk novelist Jakucho Setouchi and journalist Shuntaro Torikoshi, also supported this action.
In front of the gate of Camp Schwab, about 300 citizens hoisted the same sign boards as those being held around the country. At Takae in Higashi, where construction of new U.S. military helipads is being carried out, protesters also took part.
Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine took part in the sit-in protest in front of the gate of Camp Schwab.
“If we allow the security bills for Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defense to be enacted, Okinawa will become a base for launching attacks, for both the militaries of Japan and the United States,” the mayor pointed out.
He added, “Vietnamese people called Okinawa ‘Devil Island’ during the Vietnam War. We would not like to be called the Devil Island again. Let’s block the new U.S. base’s construction because we do not want to stand on the side of the perpetrators.”
Fifty-one year old Urasoe resident Noriko Chinen is angered by the security bills being forced through the Lower House. “The Japanese government steamrolled the bills through the Lower House with a dishonest explanation or just plain stupid justification. This kind of political approach should not be allowed. Both the issue of the security bills and the construction of the new U.S. base in Henoko are important because they may become life-threatening,” she said.
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is scheduled to hold its 30th session in Geneva, Switzerland from September 14 to October 2. It was confirmed on July 22 that Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga will deliver a speech at the UNHRC’s upcoming session. The Shima Gurumi Association, which aims to prevent new U.S. base construction in Henoko, has been working with several UN nongovernmental organizations to arrange for the governor to address the UN. The association is arranging for Onaga to deliver a speech at the UN on September 21 or 22.
Soon after being elected, governor Onaga showed his eagerness to work with the UN. If Onaga addresses the UN, it could spark debate on the Henoko relocation issue and could influence international opinion.
Receiving a request from the Shima Gurumi Association, the Citizens’ Diplomatic Centre for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples showed its intention to give Onaga an opportunity to address in UNHRC. It is common for nongovernmental organizations with special consultative status at the UN to give third parties an opportunity to address UN sessions.
A representative of the center and professor at Keisen University Hideaki Kamiura was optimistic about Onaga’s address. “If governor Onaga can address the UNHRC, which deals with human rights issues, UN members will be able to see that what he says is a consensus of Okinawan people. It could possibly put pressure on the U.S. and Japanese governments,” he said.
In order to enable Onaga to address the UNHRC, the Shima Gurumi Association has been working with a UN authorized NGO, IMADR. While IMADR is in charge of scheduling for this session, it is the Citizens’ Diplomatic Centre that has provided Onaga a space to speak.
UNHRC sessions are held three times every year. The next conference will be held from September 14 to October 2. The regular meeting of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly, which would normally be held in the middle of September, is unlikely to conflict with Onaga’s address because there will be five consecutive national holidays from September 19 to 23, making the governor’s schedule more flexible.
Prefectural assembly member Yoshikazu Tamaki who is also the executive director of the Shima Gurumi Association said he hoped the UN address would soon be confirmed.
“We will talk to Onaga about the schedule for addressing the UN after he comes back from Singapore. Although we cannot yet be sure whether we can lock in the schedule, we would like to make it happen,” he said.
July 20, 2015 Sakae Toiyama of Ryukyu Shimpo reports from Washington D.C.
On July 19, twenty-three Okinawan mayors, prefectural assembly members, national Diet representatives, and business leaders sent a document to United States Congress members asking that they remove from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY2016 NDAA) the statement that the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (MCAS Futenma) to Henoko is “the only option.” The NDAA provides an outline for US defense spending in the 2016 fiscal year.
The goal of the document was to prevent the NDAA, a final version of which is now being deliberated over by a conference committee made up of members from the armed services committees of both houses of Congress, from endorsing the Henoko relocation, which faces deeply rooted opposition from the Okinawan people.
The document explains how Governor Takeshi Onaga, Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine, and other Okinawan delegates traveled to Washington to express strong opposition to the Henoko relocation to U.S. Congress members and government officials.
It also explains that public opposition within Okinawa to the relocation plan is high, referencing the election of candidates who strongly opposed the Henoko relocation in last year’s gubernatorial election, national Diet lower house election, and Nago mayoral election, as well as the fact that some opinion polls show that more than 80 percent of the public opposes the Henoko plan.
The document was signed by twenty-three people including lower house member Kantoku Teruya; upper house member Keiko Itokazu; Nago mayor Susumu Inamine; prefectural assembly member Osamu Toguchi, leader of last month’s delegation to the U.S.; Kanehide Group chairman Morimasa Goya; and Rengo Okinawa leader Norio Oshiro.
On July 13, members of the think tank “New Diplomacy Initiative (ND)” met with staff working for US House of Representative members Hank Johnson (D) and Joe Courtney (D) and submitted the document to them. The staff said they would pass the information on to the Congress members.
The document was also submitted to all members of the conference committee made up of members of both houses of Congress.
In June, the group of Okinawan delegates who accompanied Governor Takeshi Onaga on his visit to the United States, made up of prefectural assembly members, national Diet members, business leaders and others, requested to members of U.S. Congress that they reconsider the language in the House of Representatives version of the FY2016 NDAA defining the Henoko relocation as “the only option.”
According to the data released by Okinawa Prefectural Government on July 16, Okinawa’s 2014 tourism revenue went up 19.3 percent to 534,172,000,000 yen in fiscal year 2014. It was second year in row the figure reached a record high, exceeding 500 billion yen.
Spending per person increased 9.5 percent to 74,502 yen and was the highest since 2006. Lodging expenses, which account for 30 percent of tourist spending, increased 21.6 percent to 22,317 yen, due to an increase in foreign tourists visited Okinawa.
The average stay increased 0.02 days to 3.48 days.
Webcam(Kokusai Street)
