Okinawa Governor Shows Concern over Security Strategy Review

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Jan. 8 (Jiji Press)–Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki expressed his concern about the planned revision of Japan’s three key national security-related documents during a meeting with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in the southernmost prefecture on Thursday. It was the first meeting between Tamaki and Koizumi since the minister took office last October. The Japanese government aims to revise the documents by the end of this year. “I am very concerned,” Tamaki told Koizumi. The governor stressed that the revision should not lead to an increase in Okinawa’s burden of hosting U.S. bases. “The security environment is changing rapidly and intricately,” Koizumi said, calling for understanding of efforts to strengthen the defense of the Nansei Islands in southwestern Japan. “China has increased its activities in the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and Russia continues its active military activities,” Koizumi added. Tamaki also said that Japan’s three nonnuclear principles should be maintained in connection with the revision of the three documents. Koizumi reiterated the central government’s request for the prefecture’s understanding of the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air base from the city of Ginowan to the Henoko coastal area in the city of Nago, both in Okinawa. Tamaki responded that the relocation would “solidify the gap” in the burden of hosting U.S. bases between Okinawa and the rest of Japan. He also called on the central government to ask the United States to allow the prefectural government to conduct an on-site investigation into the detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, organic fluorine compounds suspected to be harmful to health, near U.S. military facilities. Prior to the meeting, Koizumi visited the Futenma base and met with Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima. Sakima urged the central government to make all-out efforts for the return of the base site as soon as possible. Koizumi also met with mayors of municipalities related to the base, including the town of Kadena and the city of Uruma. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]