GINOWAN, Okinawa Pref. -- On some 480 hectares of land in the heart of this subtropical island prefecture, a futuristic urban center, touted as an Asian hub for international exchanges, has been envisioned.
The city center is designed as a place for recreation, social welfare services, urban industries, information services, international conventions and research. On its outskirts will sit schools and parks.
Such is the rudimentary blueprint by the Ginowan Municipal Government, which recently erected a scale model of its vision of the future of Futenma, currently the site of a U.S. Marine Corps air station. The base is to be relocated according to an agreement reached last year by the Japan-U.S. Special Action Committee on Okinawa.