Despite COVID-19 dominating headlines, the decision on where to place Aegis Ashore in Japan once again made the news this month.

Reports surfaced that the Abe administration had scrapped the idea of deploying the land-based ballistic missile defense system to Akita Prefecture. However, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga quickly refuted those claims as rumors, stating that the government was still exploring options within the northwestern prefecture. Thus, the saga over Aegis Ashore continues in ways that may seem inexplicable to many outside observers.

Why doesn’t the national government just pick another location? Who is managing this process with the local community, and why are they having so much trouble? Will they ever find a resolution?