Achievement in U.S.Visit

One-week trip of Governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga, to United States gathered attention from U.S. public through the reports of newspapers or magazines. Although he could not persuade U.S. officials to abandon current relocation plan of Futenma Air Base to Henoko coastal area, his visit generated further acknowledgement of the Americans on existence of problem in Okinawa. It showed how the government of Japan has been lazy in introducing the voices of Okinawa to American public.

In his press conference in Washington, D.C., Onaga looked satisfied with the achievement in his visit to U.S. “When I stopped a taxi in Washington, the driver told that he knew me and problem of military base, when my colleague introduced me as Governor of Okinawa,” said Onaga. For him, it was a great achievement that the acknowledgement was spreading to American public.

In the meeting with the officials in Departments of State and Defense, Onaga faced huge wall of bilateral security agreement between the two nations. After the meeting, State Department issued a statement, which stressed that relocation plan of Futenma Air Base to Henoko was one and only viable solution. It must have been an expression of loyalty to Japanese Government.

However, Onaga still looked to be satisfied. “I told historical aspect and actual problem related to the relocation plan. Although they seemed to have gotten good understanding through Q&A session, there appeared a hard statement. I think it was because structure of a state overtook personal sentiment,” Onaga explained. He stressed that the response of the governmental officials was not beyond his assumption.

Onaga won further sympathy on the Capitol Hill. In the meeting with Senators and Congressmen, including Chairman of Senate Arms Committee John McCain, he received from a participant an offer of visiting Okinawa to see what was going on. “This kind of thing appears time after time,” told Onaga to McCain, based on the notion that repeating failure of baseless progresses would bring great risk to Japan-U.S. alliance.

Futenma relocation plan has been deadlocked for nearly two decades. Most people in U.S. do not know why it has been so. Onaga attempted to explain it in the homeland of the troops in Okinawa. Although it may not be attributed to the decision makers in Washington, the situation of concentrated military base is apparently excessive in terms of equality under law or human rights for having healthy life. He wanted U.S. people to realize deteriorated environment of the people in Okinawa. In that aspect, his visit was successful.