Regarding the April 9 article "U.S. defense chief says new guidelines will 'transform' U.S.-Japan alliance": The stronger Tokyo and Washington say the Japan-U.S. alliance must be, the more viciously Okinawa will have to take the brunt of it all.
The central government has repeatedly said Futenma must be relocated to Henoko, a less populated area in northern Okinawa for two reasons: One is to eliminate the danger Futenma poses to the densely populated residential area where it is located, and the other is to maintain the deterrence the U.S. Marines provide by being deployed in Okinawa (which many pundits regard as not so important).
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter much the same. Carter expressed his appreciation for the efforts the Japanese government is making to implement the relocation plan, adding that Washington is trying to do its own part to reduce Okinawa's burden by returning land to Japan and transferring 15 KC-130 refueling tankers from Futenma to Iwakuni. He didn't elaborate any further, according to a media report, but it's clear what he meant. Futenma's functions must be relocated to Henoko as agreed upon bilaterally.
It's true that 15 KC-130 refueling tankers have been transferred from Futenma to Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture on mainland Japan. But in their place 24 MV-22 Ospreys were deployed to Futenma.
On April 4, a part of Camp Zukeran (West Futenma Housing Area) was returned with pomp and circumstance. The return of the land was quite exceptional in that no strings were attached to it. All other areas south of Kadena that have been promised for return are to be returned on the strict condition that replacement sites be provided in Okinawa.
Area-wise, the returned West Futenma Housing Area is about 51 hectares. The land U.S. bases occupy south of Kadena is 1,629 hectares and so the genuine, unconditional return of land accounts for only 3 percent. This is the real picture of the ballyhoo Washington is making, saying 70 percent of the land south of Kadena Air Base will be returned. And this is what Carter told Nakatani, that Washington is trying to do its part by returning land to Japan and transferring refueling tankers from Futenma to Iwakuni to reduce the burden of Okinawa.
But has Okinawa's burden been reduced? Or will it be? Never at all.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.