As readers know, voters in Okinawa Prefecture went to the polls on Sunday to express their stance on the planned relocation of the functions of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the waters offshore Camp Schwab, located in the Henoko district of the city of Nago. As expected, opponents won by a large majority (72.1 percent), adding a new level of political pressure to the central government as it tries to move forward with the problematic plan.
Indeed, the 434,273 voters who opposed the relocation actually numbered more than those who chose Denny Tamaki last Sept. 30 in the gubernatorial election held early due to his predecessor's passing. This may be the most significant interpretation (among many important other aspects) of the results, which are legally nonbinding on the central government but obligate the governor to respect them and to relay them to the two governments.
This was the fifth referendum on bases in Japan (with four being held in Okinawa) to date. Four of the five have concerned U.S. facilities, and one (Yonaguni, in February 2015), dealt with the deployment of a Ground Self-Defense Coastal Observation Unit to the otherwise unprotected island. There will likely be more to follow.
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