Can you say "Henoko"?

Most people don't even know where it is, but it is probably the keystone to Japan's future as a peaceful, prosperous country where everything works and quality of living is reasonably good for almost everyone. Or, Japan can follow the US down the slippery slope of militarism to become an environmental and moral junkyard. Henoko, on Okinawa Island, has been tossed to the military machine like a bone to a rabid dog: take this! stay away from the rest of us!

Here is what The Japan Times Online reports about the people's reaction to the Henoko deal:



Thousands march on Henoko base site

by Jon Mitchell

Special To The Japan Times




Aug 23, 2014

NAGO, OKINAWA PREF. – More than 3,500 demonstrators marched to U.S. Marine Corps Camp Schwab in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, on Saturday in the largest show of anger to date against the new American base being built off Henoko Bay to replace Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in crowded Ginowan further southwest.

Lining the road four deep for 700 meters and crowding the hillsides, the protesters chanted “Stop construction” and “Save the Bay” after assembling in the morning. Some came from as far as Hokkaido, many with their children in tow.

Okinawan legislators and peace campaign leaders gave impassioned speeches against what they called Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s re-militarization of Japan and railed at the perceived discrimination of Okinawans.

The largest welcome was given to anti-base Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine, who was re-elected in January on a strong anti-military platform. Wearing a cape decorated with multicolored dugong, the endangered mammal threatened by the project, he greeted the crowd in Okinawan.

Inamine likened the situation on Okinawa to World War II, when more than a quarter of the civilian population died, saying that this time, the island was not under attack by the U.S. military, but by the Japanese government.

“We all need to work together to save Henoko Bay,” he said. “You can all help. We’ll never give up.”