August 31, 2010

The United States has welcomed the release of the report.

The US government has yet to issue an official statement, but officials say they are relieved that the 2 countries reached an agreement by the August 31st deadline they set in May.

The US is expected to pressure Japan to steadily implement the relocation plan and put the process on track by the time of President Barack Obama's visit to Japan scheduled for November.

2010/08/31 17:27(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)

August 31, 2010
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A report by experts on relocating the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa includes 2 options for runway construction off US Camp Schwab on the same island.

On Tuesday, Japanese and US officials disclosed the contents of the report on moving functions of Futenma to the area off Camp Schwab in Nago city.

The report proposes building two runways in a V-shaped formation or a single runway as recently requested by Japan.

The report says both ideas meet safety standards, but that building only 1 runway would require aircraft to fly near mountains, possibly interfering with the planes' instruments.

It says 1 runway would require 40 hectares less in reclaimed land and would thus have a smaller effect on marine life.

Construction work for 1 runway would take 6 months less than building twin runways but would require new designs and further environmental assessments, making the single-runway process 9 months longer.

The report did not refer to changes in helicopter flight routes as requested by the US, and the two sides are expected to continue discussions on this issue.

Japan's Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told reporters that both proposals have pros and cons that he hopes to discuss with local people. Kitazawa said he hopes to consider a new framework between the two countries so that the new facility can be used jointly by the US military and Japan's Self-Defense Forces.

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told reporters that the report is based only on technical aspects, and that the government will officially decide on a proposal after factoring in political judgments.

Okada said what's important is gaining the understanding of the people of Okinawa, and that progress on the issue is impossible if a decision is reached without such understanding.

He added solid efforts and communication with Okinawa are necessary.

2010/08/31 17:02(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)

August 31, 2010

Nago has refused to be briefed by the Defense Ministry on the report.

The ministry's Okinawa bureau offered such a briefing to the city by phone on Tuesday, before the Japanese and US governments released the report that day.

But Nago said it won't accept a government briefing premised on relocating the base in the city.

Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima told NHK that as the prefecture has not yet started formal negotiations on the matter with the central government, he's not interested in a briefing on a technical report.

Nakaima urged the government to explain to the people in Okinawa its about-face on its policy concerning the relocation, and said that without a convincing explanation, he won't start talks with the government.

2010/08/31 17:02(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)

August 31, 2010

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press) -- The Japanese government released a report on Tuesday that includes two runway options for a replacement facility for a U.S. Marine airbase in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan.

One of the two options calls for building two runways aligned in a V shape in the Henoko coastal area in Nago, also in Okinawa, as agreed by the Japanese and U.S. governments in 2006.

The other option is to construct a single I-shaped runway at the same location in order to reduce the size of the area to be reclaimed.

The report said the I-shaped runway will reduce the reclaimed area by 40 hectares and cut construction costs by 3 pct.

But the Japanese government is finding it difficult to introduce either option because the Okinawan public is increasingly opposed to the transfer of the Futenma base in Ginowan to the Henoko area.

(2010/08/31-16:21)

by Frank Zeller Frank Zeller –
15 mins ago / 4:08 PM Guam / CST

TOKYO (AFP) – A deadline to resolve the fate of a US airbase in Japan came and went Tuesday with scant progress on the toxic dispute, which has already claimed one prime minister and threatens to undermine another.

Washington and Tokyo started arguing over the Marine Corps base on Okinawa island after the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) came to power a year ago, ending a half-century of nearly unbroken conservative rule.

Tuesday marked the August 31 deadline by which both sides had aimed to come up with a workable plan to relocate the airbase within Okinawa -- but news reports said so far Washington and Tokyo have only agreed to politely disagree.

The base is located in the urban area of Futenma on the southern island of Okinawa, where residents have long complained about aircraft noise and the risk of accidents.

Kyodo News reported that a joint working group had submitted a paper that mentions two options for a new coastal site at Henoko -- with Japan proposing a single offshore runway, and the US favouring a larger, V-shaped runway.

The DPJ's first premier, Yukio Hatoyama, pledged to scrap a 2006 bilateral pact to relocate the base to Henoko and instead promised to move it off the island altogether.

But in the following months Hatoyama flip-flopped on the issue as Washington ramped up pressure for the base to stay on Okinawa.

Hatoyama, his approval ratings slumping, backtracked on his pledge in May and stepped down in June, taking Ichiro Ozawa, the DPJ's scandal-mired secretary general, with him.

Both nations reaffirmed in May they would move the base to Henoko as originally agreed, despite local opposition and concerns the offshore runways would spoil a fragile marine ecosystem.

Under the deal, 8,000 US Marines are set to be moved to the American territory of Guam to ease the burden on Okinawa, which has hosted Japan's largest concentration of US troops since the end of World War II.

Both countries are mindful of the electoral calendar on Okinawa, where a new governor will be chosen in November. An anti-base candidate could block any offshore runway construction.

In recent days another wild-card factor has emerged -- a bid to oust Kan as party leader and premier by Ozawa, the veteran party powerbroker who was widely seen as Hatoyama's puppet master.

The Mainichi Shimbun daily said Sunday that while "Kan is sticking to the Japan-US joint statement, Mr Ozawa is cautious about a relocation to Henoko".

"Futenma is expected to be an issue in the leadership race," it said.

However, Kan and Ozawa were expected to meet later on Tuesday, with speculation swirling about whether they will go head-to-head next month or reach a deal under which Ozawa would withdraw his candidacy.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a politics professor at Aoyama Gakuin University, predicted that, whatever happens within the DPJ, there will be little progress on Futenma until the Okinawa governor's election in November.

"Domestic politics... inevitably plays a role in this issue," he said.

Aug 31 12:48 AM US/Eastern

TOKYO, Aug. 31 (AP) - (Kyodo)—The following is a chronology of major events related to the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture.

Sept. 1995 -- 3 U.S. servicemen rape local schoolgirl in Okinawa, fueling anger among local residents.

April 1996 -- Japan, U.S. agree on return of Futenma base within 5 to 7 years.

Dec. 1996 -- Japan, U.S. agree to build heliport off east coast of main Okinawa Island, move Futenma's heliport functions. Sea off Nago's Henoko district near U.S. Marine Corps Camp Schwab considered as possible relocation site.

Dec. 1997 -- Majority of Nago residents vote against relocation plan in referendum. But then Mayor Tetsuya Higa says city would accept it, offers to resign.

Dec. 1999 -- Japanese government endorses plan to move Futenma to coastal area of Henoko, after Nago announces city would accept military facility on several conditions, such as limiting its use to 15 years.

July 2002 -- Central government agrees with Okinawa prefectural government, local municipalities on basic construction plan to reclaim land off Henoko to build runway.

Aug. 2004 -- Marine helicopter crashes in Okinawa International University in Ginowan.

April 2006 -- Tokyo agrees with Nago to construct 2 runways in V-shape formation on Camp Schwab's shores.

May 2006 -- Japan, U.S. agree on road map for realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, featuring plan to build V-shaped runways in coastal area of Camp Schwab, move Futenma, transfer 8,000 Okinawa-based Marines to Guam, both by 2014.

Dec. 2006 -- Hirokazu Nakaima assumes Okinawa governorship, demands runways be built further offshore than planned.

July 2008 -- Democratic Party of Japan unveils "Okinawa Vision 2008," seeking to move Futenma functions out of Okinawa, eventually outside Japan.

2009

Sept. 16 -- DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama becomes prime minister, launches 3-party coalition government.

Sept. 25 -- Hatoyama shows willingness to move Futenma out of Okinawa.

2010

Jan. 24 -- Susumu Inamine, who opposes Futenma relocation to Nago, wins mayoral election.

April 12 -- Hatoyama meets with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, promises conclusion of Futenma issue by end of May.

April 25 -- About 90,000 people rally in Okinawa, calling for Futenma to be moved out of Okinawa.

May 23 -- Hatoyama notifies Nakaima of state's plan to move Futenma to area near Henoko district in Nago, offers apology for giving up on earlier vow to move Futenma out of prefecture.

May 28 -- Japan, U.S. reach fresh accord on Futenma relocation, which is effectively on par with existing plan under 2006 Japan-U.S. accord.

June 2 -- Hatoyama offers to resign following departure of Social Democratic Party from ruling coalition in opposing accord with U.S. on Futenma relocation.

June 8 -- The Cabinet of new Prime Minister Naoto Kan is launched.

Aug. 31 -- Japan, U.S. agree on technical details such as location and construction methods for Futenma replacement facility.

Aug 31 12:30 AM US/Eastern
Aug 31 2:30 PM Guam/CST

TOKYO, Aug. 31 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Japan and the United States unveiled Tuesday an experts' report on technical details of the planned replacement facility for a key U.S. Marine base in Okinawa that presents two options for its design -- either two runways in a V-shaped formation or a single runway.

The document on the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station from a crowded residential area to a less densely populated area in the southern Japanese prefecture also avoids reference to aircraft flight routes to and from the replacement facility.

The Japanese government briefed the Okinawa prefectural government about the report before releasing it. Japan and the United States are expected to continue talks on technical details of the base relocation amid local opposition to moving the Futenma base within Okinawa.

The two countries agreed in May to transfer the base within the prefecture and aim to finalize the relocation plan at the next bilateral meeting of foreign and defense chiefs under the "two-plus- two" framework.

The government of Prime Minister Naoto Kan plans to defer a decision on a specific scheme for the relocation until after the Okinawa gubernatorial election slated for November, judging that reaching a bilateral accord before the election would fuel local opposition further.

Japan and the United States differ on the design of the replacement facility and aircraft flight routes, issues that are linked to the degree of impact on the local marine environment and noise pollution.

Washington maintains a V-shaped formation is "the best" option based on operational and other factors. Tokyo prefers a single runway, saying it is advantageous from the environmental viewpoint.

The length of the runways would be 1,800 meters for both the V-shaped and single-runway proposals. The total area of reclaimed land would be smaller under the single runway plan, posing a smaller risk to the marine environment, according to the report.

As for the flight routes, the United States has proposed a major change during bilateral negotiations, saying that U.S. aircraft will fly closer to onshore areas than Tokyo had earlier expected under visual flight rules using two runways in the V-shaped formation.

Japan is opposed to the U.S.-proposed routes on the grounds that it would worsen noise levels and pose greater risks of accidents to local residents.