GINOWAN, Okinawa Pref. — A new rub, or possibly an incentive, has been stirred into the mix of opinions, debate, politicking and posturing that is the pressure-cooker of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa.
Amid the tug-of-war over where to move the base and what to do with the land it now occupies, a concerned citizens' group unveiled plans Wednesday to pay ¥8 billion for the current base site in Ginowan and turn it into a theme park dedicated to a famous Western novel popular in Japan.
And to help with front money and to diversify the themes to cover as many mood bases as possible, a Scandinavian consortium wants to add nostalgia, camp and kitsch.