During his party's campaign for last year's elections that swept him to power, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama had promised to relocate US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station off Okinawa, perhaps even out of Japan.
But he has recently conceded the government will be going back to an earlier plan, or a slightly modified version of that plan, chiseled by the former governing party: Building another base on Okinawa, but in a coastal area less crowded than the residential sector where Futenma is now located.
“The relocation of Futenma will have to stay in Okinawa,” Hatoyama said in a meeting with Okinawa prefectural chief Hirokazu Nakaima. “I apologize from the bottom of my heart for the confusion that I have caused the people of Okinawa in not being able to keep my promise.” Many local leaders, including Nakaima, are opposed to keeping the military base on the semitropical island.
“I must tell you that your decision is extremely regrettable and very difficult to accept,” Nakaima said.
Residents have long complained about the noise, jet-crash dangers and worries about crime that come from housing more than half of the 47,000 US troops in Japan, stationed under the bilateral defense alliance. Washington has insisted Japan keep its side of the deal.
Hatoyama's visit to Okinawa's prefectural office was met with angry protesters, many of them holding big signs with the Japanese character for “anger” plastered across it.
“The way he has dashed our hopes is such a disappointment. We need a solution to be worked out,” Nakaima told reporters.
Later in the day, Hatoyama met local leaders from Nago in northern Okinawa, where the new base is being planned.
Hatoyama apologized again and pleaded for their understanding.
“We cannot accept what is a clear betrayal of the desires and feelings of the people of Nago,” Mayor Susumu Inamine told Hatoyama. “We don't need a new base.”
Hatoyama has seen his popularity ratings plunge in recent months as voters increasingly are disenchanted with his failure to act on a number of campaign promises, including the Futenma issue as well as toll-free highways and cash payments for babies.
His biggest political ally, Ichiro Ozawa, the head of Hatoyama's Democratic Party, has been the target of allegations involving campaign fund abuse. Ozawa has denied any wrongdoing and Japanese prosecutors have repeatedly said he will not face charges.
Hatoyama, nicknamed “space alien” by the Japanese public, had basked in nearly unanimous popularity at start, but is now being lambasted even for his taste in gaudy shirts, including a checkered one he wore to a recent party. For his Okinawa trip, he wore a pale blue shirt without a tie.
The failure to appease Okinawans is likely to be Hatoyama's biggest problem as Japan heads into nationwide elections, which must be held sometime in July or close to that time.
Minoru Morita, who has written several books on Japanese politics, says the recent problems highlight the immaturity of the Democratic leadership that seized power after almost incessant post-World War II rule by the Liberal Democrats.
“The Okinawan people are outraged. They feel Hatoyama betrayed them,” Morita said. “The Democrats didn't think through what they could change and what they couldn't change. The base issue is an international agreement. They are ignorant and irrational.” The plan on Futenma's relocation, worked out between Japan and the US, was scheduled to be formally announced by Hatoyama on Friday, according to Japanese media reports.
The new plan is still vague on details, but is clear that Henoko, the coastal area that was chosen in the 2006 original plan, will house the new base, the reports say.
Hatoyama had initially said he would make a decision by the end of this month. On Sunday, he said more talks would be needed with Okinawa to work out an agreeable deal.
Speculation is rife Tokyo would want to have a solid deal in place before a meeting with President Barack Obama expected in November.
Japanese government offices were closed over the weekend and officials were not available for comment on the reports.
