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Monthly Archives: January 2012

Futenma Relocation: The View From Henoko

January 30, 2012 by CTB Team
The University of Hawaii's East-West Center in Washington is holding a talk featuring Mayor Susumu Inamine of Nago City. Mayor Inamine will speak about the D.C.-Tokyo plan to build a new U.S. Marine base in Henoko ("Futenma Relocation") from an Okinawan perspective.

Washington Post Op-Ed Features Okinawa Newspaper

January 23, 2012 by CTB Team
In conjunction with the Okinawa delegation, and as means of showing solidarity with their work, an Okinawan newspaper has submitted an op-ed to the Washington Post online. The piece highlights the ongoing dangers, complications and substantial needs to close Futenma, and will be featured daily from Jan 23 until Jan 26, so be sure to check it out here: http://www.okinawaiken.org/washingtonpost.

Okinawan Delegation Visits DC for Base Closure Press Release

January 20, 2012 by CTB Team
PRESS ADVISORY Contact: John Feffer, Institute for Policy Studies For Immediate Release 202.234.9382 (English) Ryota Moriki, delegation member, 81-90-9782-7823 (Japanese) Okinawan Delegation Visits DC for Base Closure Washington, DC – A delegation of politicians, lawyers, activists and students from Okinawa, Japan, will travel to Washington, DC, from January 21 to January 27 to advocate for [...]

Busboys and Poets Event Featuring Delegation from Okinawa

January 12, 2012 by CTB Team
*Location*: Langston Room @ Busboys and Poets, 14th & V st  N.W. Washington D.C. *Date*: January 23, 2011 *Time*: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events.php *Speaker*: The delegation from Okinawa including Ms. Keiko Itokazu (Japanese Diet member) and Mr. Hiroshi Ashitomi (Sit-in protester for nine years at the U.S. construction site in Okinawa) etc.. *Moderator*: [...]

Delegation to Arrive from Okinawa

January 12, 2012 by CTB Team
Announcing the January 2012 Washington Delegation from Okinawa: “Making Okinawan Voices Heard in America”   Purpose of Visit: To promote awareness of enduring military base problems on Okinawa, Japan, and to propose the closure and consolidation of the 34 military installations on Okinawa as part of Congressional deficit-reduction plans to reduce defense spending by $1 [...]

Makoto Arakaki: Photographs of the Okinawa Prefecture Office Sit-in

January 3, 2012 by CTB Team
Mark Selden, editor of The Asia-Pacific Journal, notes that Okinawans have created the most vibrant and sustained grassroots movement for democracy and peace in the Asia-Pacific, comparable only to the Korean movement in intensity, longevity, and creativity. Makoto Arakaki's photographs of the late December sit-in at the Okinawa Prefecture's administration building captures the intensity of not only this latest moment in history, but also of the breadth and depth of the entire Okinawan Movement, now in its sixth decade. Okinawans, including prominent elected political leaders and journalists, successfully engaged in a 24/7 sit-in at the Okinawa Prefecture administration building to prevent the delivery of the proposed U.S. Marine Base Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before January 4, 2012 to the Okinawan Prefectural officials. Part of the EIA did reach the office in a surreptitious 4 a.m. backdoor delivery a few days before the end of the year, but not the entire document. According to sociologist Masami Mel Kawamura, the Japanese government wanted "to rob the Okinawa prefectural government of precious time for preparation of "Governor's Comments" on the EIS while distracting the media's attention. According to the EIA law and ordinance, Governor's Comments for the airport plan should be issued within 45 days after the submission of EIS while for the reclamation plan they should be issued within 90 days." The EIS alleges that the destruction of Oura Bay and Henoko to make way for offshore runways for military aircraft would not result in any significant environmental impacts to Oura Bay's biodiverse sea life, including the federally protected Okinawa dugong.