Japan Govt OKs U.S. Base Project Design Change by Proxy
Tokyo/Naha, Okinawa Pref., Dec. 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese land minister Tetsuo Saito on Thursday approved by proxy a design change for a U.S. base relocation project in the Henoko coastal area of Okinawa Prefecture, after the governor of the southern prefecture refused to approve it.
The approval of the design change, which was requested by the Defense Ministry in 2020, marked the central government's first-ever proxy execution under the current local autonomy law.
Following the approval, the ministry will start ground improvement work off the northern side of Cape Henoko in the city of Nago as early as Jan. 12.
The work is part of the project to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air base, currently in a densely populated area in the Okinawa city of Ginowan, to Henoko.
Speaking to reporters at the prefectural government office in Naha, the prefecture's capital, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki criticized the proxy execution as "a gross violation of (the governor's) authority."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters at the prime minister's office that the central government "will make every effort to realize the full return of the Futenma air base (site to Okinawa) as soon as possible and reduce the burden of hosting (U.S.) bases."
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara separately told reporters that the proxy execution was "a milestone toward the full return" of the Futenma site, indicating that the government will steadily proceed with the base relocation work.
In the planned relocation site, reclamation work has been completed for a roughly 41-hectare area south of Cape Henoko, but has yet to begin for an approximately 111-hectare area north of the cape, where soft ground exists.
The Defense Ministry plans to reinforce the soft ground by driving some 70,000 piles into the seabed, while proceeding with revetment and reclamation work.
The relocation work is expected to be completed 12 years later, and the return of the Futenma base site will come even after that.
On Dec. 20, the Okinawa governor was ordered by the Naha branch of Fukuoka High Court to approve the design change.
The proxy execution came after the governor rejected the order.
"Unilaterally depriving the governor of authority in the name of a national policy violates the will of the people and undermines the spirit of local autonomy," Tamaki argued on Thursday.
"Even after an enormous amount of money has been spent, it is still uncertain when the base will be completed," he added, urging the central government to engage in dialogue with the prefecture.
On Wednesday, the prefectural government appealed the recent ruling to the Supreme Court.
However, the ground improvement work cannot be halted unless the top court overturns the ruling.
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