Defeat of Anti-base Movement

People in the city where United States Force was building new military base elected a man close to Shinzo Abe administration for their mayor on Sunday. The candidate supported by Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, Taketoyo Toguchi, defeated incumbent Mayor of Nago city, Okinawa, with significant margin, 20,389 to 16,931. The result showed a sense of weakness of the movement against US base in Okinawa.

In the campaign, Susumu Inamine, Mayor of Nago in his second term and outstanding figure against building new Marine base in Henoko district, appealed the correctness of his handling of military base issue. The opposite parties, including Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan or Japan Communist Party, supported Inamine as the symbol on the frontline of protesting Henoko base.

Toguchi accused economic stagnation of the city under the leadership of Inamine, who had definitely been involved in the base issue. Backed by Abe administration, Toguchi proposed positive investment in regional development with subsidy from national government, which would be a sort of compensation for unwilling cooperation to the building of new base. Having put the base issue aside in his campaign, Toguchi elaborated his victory as approval to his welfare policy.

The leaders of Abe administration were apparently excited with the result. “Inamine was the strongest candidate for his third term,” told Abe to the reporters, “It was really good for us to win as we could not expect it.” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced his determination to promote the construction of new base. “From the viewpoint of the government, we are going to proceed the landfill with consideration to environment of people’s ordinary life,” told Suga. The outcome of the election may encourage starting of the landfill as early as this summer.

The most disappointed must be anti-base Governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga, who is facing his next election this fall. Although he supported Inamine’s campaign with speech in the rallies everyday, the voters did not give enough support for anti-base movement. “The people’s will of supporting my campaign in last gubernatorial election is still alive so far,” told Onaga. But the defeat in Nago will be a turning point for All Okinawa movement, in which Onaga is rooted.

Most people in Okinawa are aware of discriminative policy of Japanese government toward their islands. However, they look tired of protesting against unilateral pushing of burden by Abe administration. It is not strange for them to think it to be accepted, if the result would be the same. Security of Japan based on unwilling sacrifice of Okinawa is not a reasonable answer, anyway.