The government on Jan. 10 began a new phase of land reclamation work in Okinawa Prefecture for a controversial project to relocate a U.S. air base within the prefecture, ignoring strong and persistent local opposition.

The reclamation work in Oura Bay in the city of Nago is part of the project to build a replacement facility for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, also in Okinawa, off Nago’s Henoko district.

However, Oura Bay is known to contain a wide swath of extremely soft seabed.

We strongly protest the government’s forcible move, which disregards many serious questions about such issues as the self-determination rights of local governments, serious environmental impacts and safety concerns about the construction.

Even if the construction goes as planned, the relocation will not be realized until the mid-2030s or later.

The government has estimated the total construction cost at about 930 billion yen ($6.4 billion), 2.7 times the original cost projection, but the tally might balloon further due to necessary ground improvement work and other factors, and the construction period could also be extended.

The fundamental question of why so much time and money should be spent on this controversial, problem-plagued project is becoming increasingly difficult to answer.

Above all, the primary goal of removing the safety threat posed by the Futenma base to local communities as soon as possible cannot be attained.

From a military standpoint, the completed runway at Henoko will be about 1,800 meters long, significantly shorter than Futenma's runway, which is approximately 2,700 meters.

The new runway will also face topographical challenges, including restricted visibility due to being surrounded by mountains.

In addition and more importantly, the U.S. military's East Asia strategy has changed significantly since Japan and the United States agreed to relocate Futenma over a quarter of a century ago.

In response to China's growing missile capabilities, the U.S. military is now pursuing a strategy of "dispersion" and “miniaturization."

In this context, there is no convincingly reasonable case for building a new, large base beset by a raft of serious problems, which the government still argues is the “only solution.”

Okinawa Prefecture was reportedly notified of the start of the reclamation work just before it was launched. Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki expressed his natural and righteous resentment at the national government’s "extremely rough and crude” action.

In recent years, the government has established multiple Ground Self-Defense Force camps in the southwestern islands, centered around Okinawa. The operation of these facilities requires local understanding and cooperation.

The government should ask itself how it can ensure the stable security of the nation while deepening its conflict with Okinawa Prefecture, which is vital for its security strategy.

The administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has a responsibility to build a relationship based on mutual trust with the prefecture.

The reclamation work will inevitably have a negative impact on the globally precious ecosystem in and around Oura Bay.

Due to the strong opposition of the prefectural residents and doubts about the unprecedented work involving the driving of over 70,000 piles into the seabed for soil solidification, Asahi Shimbun editorials have consistently opposed the project to relocate the Futenma base to Henoko.

This stance remains unchanged even after construction has started.

U.S. senators once questioned the feasibility of the Henoko project, calling it “unrealistic, unworkable and unaffordable” because of the tremendous costs and other factors.

Recently, a Japanese private think tank has proposed relocating the Marine Corps bases in Okinawa outside the prefecture. The government should not remain fixated on the Henoko option and discuss realistic alternatives with the United States.

Some criticize Tamaki for failing to map out a new strategy to deal with the issue from the viewpoint of the prefecture’s future. The start of construction represents a crucial test for the governor.

Other local administrations also need to think together about solutions from the perspective of the issues posed by Henoko, such as respect for local autonomy and independence and the burden of hosting military bases, as challenges also facing them.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 12