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Listen to residents saying 'No' to U.S. bases
Akahata editorial

The government plans to publish an interim report on the Japan-U.S. talks on U.S. military realignment in October after a long delay due to the general election. At the Japan-U.S. foreign ministerial talks on September 17, Foreign Minister Machimura Nobutaka expressed his intention of speeding up the talks.

The interim report will include plans for relocations and consolidations. However, residents and local governments of municipalities targeted for relocation to their cities are strongly opposed to the plan. If the Liberal Democratic-Komei government of Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro tries to force these municipalities to accept the realignment plan using their increased parliamentary strength as a lever to carry it out, opposition by local governments and residents will be stronger than ever.

Municipal heads at the forefront

Zama and Sagamihara cities in Kanagawa Prefecture are opposed to the plan to relocate the U.S. Army Ist Corps to U.S. Camp Zama because the relocation plan will enhance the role of Camp Zama from one of commanding logistics support to one of a command over ordering preemptive attacks. The government has already received signatures submitted by the two cities in opposition to the relocation on behalf of 60,000 Zama citizens, half of the city's population, and 200,000 Sagamihara citizens, one-third of the city's population. The government must cancel the relocation plan.

It is reported that the command of the Ground Self-Defense Force's central rapid response unit will be established at Camp Zama in FY 2006. This group will be made up of 230 command personnel, 1,800 men in the first airborne brigade, 300 men in special operation forces, 600 men in the first helicopter brigade, 150 men in the 101 special weapons defense corps, and about 80 men in the international activity education corps, making up a full-scale force of 3,200 men to operate abroad.

Setting up the Ground Self-Defense Force's rapid response unit headquarters at Camp Zama means further integrating Japanese and U.S. forces in preparation for future U.S. preemptive attacks so as to get the Self-Defense Forces prepared to fight war outside of Japan with the U.S. forces. Realigning Camp Zama has a grave bearing not only on Zama and Sagamihara cities but on the whole of the nation.

Japan and the United States are considering relocating a carrier-based aircraft unit to U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni Air Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture from the U.S. Atsugi Naval Air Facility in Kanagawa Prefecture. But this plan now faces strong opposition from heads of ten municipalities near the Iwakuni base, including Iwakuni City (Yamaguchi) and Etajima City (Hiroshima). Residents' opposition movements are growing, and about 60,000 signatures have been collected in Iwakuni City and Miyajima Town (Hiroshima) in opposition to the plan.

In Okinawa, the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Facility to the Henoko district of Nago City has stalled in the face of Okinawans' protests. Despite this, the government is sticking with its plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps facility to another location in Okinawa. Some call for relocation to a mountain area in U.S. Camp Schwab in Nago City and others say an alternative base can be constructed on a reef off Camp Schwab. Such relocations will only disturb the nearby residents with noise pollution and expose them to the danger of aircraft crashes.

The government must take into account the municipalities' opposition to relocations and consolidation of bases. To begin with, local governments are responsible for the protection of their residents' lives and living conditions. Maintaining peace is essential for enhancing public well-being as provided for by the Local Autonomy Law. If U.S. military bases in Japan are used for further U.S. wars abroad, local governments cannot fulfill their missions.

The need now is for the government to let the U.S. government know how strong local refusal to accept U.S. bases in their municipalities is and to call for the cancellation of the realignment of U.S. bases in Japan.

Let's drive the government into a corner

These anti-U.S. military base movements show that local governments and residents are no longer at the beck and call of the LDP-Komei Koizumi government.

The Japanese Communist Party, responding to these movements throughout the country, will do its utmost to stop the bases from being strengthened through realignment and will increase its call for the reduction and removal of U.S. bases. -- Akahata, September 21, 2005