Disseminating Military Facilities

Deputy Minister of Defense, Ryota Takeda, asked Governor of Saga, Yasushi Furukawa, to accept Japanese Self-defense force’s seventeen up-to-date transportation aircraft, MV-22 Osprey, in Saga Airport from 2019. Furukawa told that he would considerate, but gave no clear answer. It was obviously a reflection of political strategy of Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, which expected to lighten the burden of Okinawa and win the gubernatorial election in November to grip the island as preferable to central government. However, spread of Osprey will face firm protest from the public.

Takeda explained details of the idea of Ministry of Defense. “We want to build a parking apron next to Saga Airport and use the runway for Ospreys,” he told to Furukawa. The aircrafts will be used for transportation of amphibious mobile troops in charge of Southwest area, which are going to be deployed in Sasebo, Nagasaki. He also revealed a plan to relocate 50 helicopters from nearby JSDF base to Saga Airport. Total personnel in the airport will be 700 to 800. He meanwhile requested that Saga accept some Ospreys of United States Marine Corps in Futenma Airbase in Okinawa to reduce the burden of Okinawa. In short, the national government wants to make Saga Airport available for military use.

When U.S. Marine deployed twenty-four Ospreys in Futenma in 2012, it impressed great anxiety on the people in Okinawa, because the aircraft was thought to be dangerous with great risk of falling down. There was a large-scale protest in Okinawa and residents around Futenma still frustrated with low-frequency noises and violation of flight plan not to fly over private houses. Nevertheless, the government of Japan decided to introduce that aircraft to JSDF, as business deal with U.S. military industries.

Abe administration seems to believe that reducing burden will positively work for election in Okinawa. It is crucial for them to put preferable governor in Okinawa to promote relocation plan of Futenma to Henoko. After current governor, Hirokazu Nakaima, allowed landfill construction in Henoko last December, broad opposition against it spread all around Okinawa. Winning next election will still be hard for the group positive for the plan.

Tactics taken by the government is carrot and stick. To local community that accepts U.S. Force from Okinawa, the government prepares subsidy for the burden. It looks like expecting as many cities as possible for disseminating military facilities all over Japan. It will face broad discontents, if it fails in persuading public how those military facilities are crucial for security of Japan.