Photo/Illutration The planned relocation site for a U.S. military base in the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, in December 2021 (Eiji Hori)

In a 2012 interview, Takeshi Onaga (1950-2018), who would become the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in 2014, repeatedly expressed his deep disappointment with the central government.

Onaga lamented that not only the Liberal Democratic Party, but also the Democratic Party of Japan, which was in power at the time, continued forcing U.S. military bases on his prefecture.

“We don’t have any hope left,” he said. “We’ve been forced to conclude that all people in mainland Japan are the same.”

His grievance was directed at the judiciary, too. He probably remembered, at the back of his mind, the time when Okinawa Prefecture lost its court battle to Tokyo over the use of a military land.

Onaga reportedly shared his frustration with his wife then, telling her, “The court wouldn’t side with us.”

Onaga’s agonized face in his final years flashed in my mind as I listened to a court decision on Dec. 20.

The Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court ordered Governor Denny Tamaki, Onaga’s successor, to approve the Henoko reclamation project for the planned relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

The judiciary repeatedly approves the policies of the central government. This is the weighty reality, and I accept that.

But when I think of the objections the people of Okinawa have voiced for more than 20 years, I feel the utter coldness of the political decisions backed by the judiciary.

No matter how outdated the project has become and how exorbitant its price tag has grown, whatever the government has decided for the Japan-U.S. security cannot be rejected. And that was exactly what the Dec. 20 court verdict was all about.

The government is beefing up the nation’s defense capabilities with China in mind. And this is a policy that applies to the entire nation, not just to Okinawa.

There is a small hill just north of Henoko. From the top of it, one can get a sweeping view of the bay that is said to have areas of soft ground.

The bay still glistens a deep blue, but the latest court order will make that disappear. I feel I can hear something breaking in the hearts of Okinawans.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 21

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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