The planned reclamation area off the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, on Dec. 11. Reclamation in the central portion is completed. The soft seabed lies in the area to the right. (Eiji Hori)
In his policy speech at the opening of the extraordinary Diet session on Oct. 26, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged to reduce the burden of the heavy U.S. military presence in Okinawa Prefecture.
Suga promised to do so in a way that “shows sympathy and solidarity” with people in the prefecture.
This phrase was repeatedly used by Suga’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, when he talked about issues related to U.S. military bases in the prefecture.
Reclamation work continues off the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, to build a new U.S. military base to relocate the functions of the U.S. Marine Corp Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, also in the prefecture. (Kosuke Hamana)
The future of a massive land reclamation project in Okinawa Prefecture for a new U.S. military base looks increasingly murky as construction work entered its third year on Dec. 14.
The project pushed by the central government is not only fiercely opposed by local residents, but also plagued by uncertainty due to the porous nature of the seabed off the Henoko district of Nago. It has been described as having the consistency of mayonnaise.