Balance Sheet of Approval

The Governor of Okinawa, Hirokazu Nakaima, finally approved the request of the Government of Japan to start the process of landfill in Henoko coastal area in Nago City, Okinawa, for constructing alternative facilities of Futenma Marine Air Base, which is to be removed for reducing burden of the people in the island. While Ministry of Defense was extremely delighted with this progress in Futenma relocation, Nakaima showed cynical smile indicating the process not to be so easy. It is unclear who is the winner.

In the negotiation with Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, Nakaima get some possible benefits for Okinawa. They were shortening the time for removing Futenma from nine and a half years to five years, returning Camp Kinser within seven years, negotiating new agreement for environmental investigation inside U.S. military bases with reviewing U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, and future efforts to accumulate the budget for Okinawa development. Nakaima appreciated those promises as outstanding effort by the national government.

However, it is U.S. who decides when Futenma and Camp Kinser will be closed. Abe only promised Nakaima to make effort to have a talk with U.S. for that, with no actual perspective of getting those happen. As for review of SOFA, U.S. has been dismissing any possibility of revising provisions of the agreement. There is no reason that Abe can do what a number of former prime ministers tried and failed. As long as SOFA is not changed, it is always possible that U.S. officials reject fulfilling new agreement. Future financial support for Okinawa will be assured only when it is actually done.

From the perspective of politics, Nakaima paid a high price by accepting the landfill request. Most people in Okinawa were furious about governor’s decision, because it would encourage the governmental plan to locate Futenma alternative facility on Henoko. Campaign promise of Nakaima in 2010 was that he would remove Futenma Base from Okinawa. Hundreds of people surrounded the office of Okinawa local government, accusing Nakaima’s decision as a betrayal.

Because of deteriorating health condition, Nakaima will not run for next election. So, it is ok for him to be criticized by his former supporters, if he does not care about his legacy as the governor. However, politics is sometimes said as the supreme moral. Even if next governor will finally decide whether Futenma will be ousted from Okinawa, it is morally irresponsible for Nakaima to escape from his duty to assure the way how the island can get rid of excessive burden.