In his speech to the U.S. Congress, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reaffirmed the U.S.-Japan alliance. He thanked the U.S. armed forces for "rushing to Japan to the rescue" during the 2011 tsunami. Abe, however, continues to neglect the disproportionate representation of the U.S. armed forces on Okinawa. It is a controversy he can't continue to ignore.
The island is 0.6 percent of the Japanese land mass, and home to 75 percent of military facilities solely used by the U.S. armed forces in Japan. Some economic perks come with this, like the 8,000 Japanese employed on bases and the ¥10 billion Tokyo pays the prefectural government for accommodating the American military. Yet, after 70 years of playing host, Okinawa is still the poorest prefecture in Japan. It makes you wonder whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
At the heart of the controversy is the U.S. Marine Air Station Futenma where training flights create noise, pollution, and endanger residents in heavily populated Ginowan City. The plan is to move the base north to less populated Henoko, but Okinawans voted against this plan in November when they ousted the gubernatorial incumbent and elected Takeshi Onaga on his strong, anti-base position. Onaga promises to reverse approvals to move the base.
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