November 13, 2025

Work to “improve” the soft ground as part of the construction project for a new U.S. military base in the Henoko district of Nago City in Okinawa has been suspended for around five months.

Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, in response to a question from Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira in the House of Councillors plenary session on November 6, stated, “The construction is possible without any problems.” However, the reality is that the project is facing a serious impasse.

The soft-ground improvement work involves driving piles into the seabed to solidify it. When the typhoon season started in June, all six sand compaction pile (SCP) ships working to improve the soft seafloor on the north side of Oura Bay withdrew from the bay.

In an interview with Akahata, one of the four contractors operating the SCP ships revealed that during the typhoon season, sea conditions deteriorate, causing the ships to rock violently and making it “virtually impossible to drive the piles into the seafloor.”

Meanwhile, the Okinawa Defense Bureau responded to an Akahata inquiry, stating, “By its judgement based on information regarding weather and sea conditions, it ordered the contractors to shelter their ships to ensure safety.”

According to Defense Ministry materials, approximately 71,000 piles are scheduled to be driven into Oura Bay within the next four years. However, as of June of this year, only about 2,900 have been put into place.

Past related article:
> Only 9 piles have been driven into the soft seafloor on Henoko base project [September 8, 2024]