Commentary / Japan Jan 17, 2020
Who benefits from the Henoko delay?
by Robert D. Eldridge
Most people in Okinawa Prefecture in fact do not truly desire a solution to the so-called Okinawa problem.
National Jan 8, 2020
The Okinawa Prefectural Government plans to cull more than 1,800 pigs at the farm in the city of Uruma and another farm where infection is suspected.
National / Crime & Legal Jan 6, 2020
Nippon Ishin lawmaker Mikio Shimoji admits taking money in casino scandal
The Lower House member says he may resign from his political party.
National Dec 29, 2019
Okinawa's Shuri Castle to rise from ashes in virtual resurrection
by Reito Kaneko
Rei Kawakami was on a train to the airport after a conference in Seoul in October when she heard about the fire engulfing Shuri Castle in Okinawa. "I've been to Shuri Castle and I knew that for the people of Okinawa, it was part of ...
Editorials Dec 29, 2019
The government needs to assess whether the Futenma replacement project — with the substantial delays, cost overruns and local opposition — is still a viable project.
National | Regional Voices: Okinawa Dec 27, 2019
Okinawa residents live in fear of stray munitions from U.S. practice range
The proximity of Okinawa Prefecture's Igei Ward in the town of Kin to a U.S. Marine Corps live shooting range puts residents at constant risk of stray bullets and other munitions landing on private property, ripping through roofs or even injuring civilians. In the latest ...
National Dec 26, 2019
Work on U.S. base at Henoko in Okinawa to cost nearly triple initial estimate
Building the replacement facility is now expected to cost ¥930 billion, far exceeding its initial ¥350 billion estimate, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
National Dec 25, 2019
Top U.S. official ruled out deploying nuclear weapons in Okinawa after its return to Japan in 1972
A former senior U.S. official ruled out deploying nuclear weapons in Okinawa after the territory's return to Japanese administration in 1972, saying there was no strategic value in doing so, according to diplomatic records declassified Wednesday. As part of the arrangements for Okinawa's return, Prime ...
National Dec 23, 2019
Land reclamation for U.S. base at Henoko in Okinawa to take five years longer
The government has concluded that the period for landfill work must be extended to about 10 years from the initially planned five years for a project to relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, informed sources said Monday. The expected extension ...
National Dec 23, 2019
Japan to boost protection of cultural properties after Okinawa and Paris blazes
The culture agency decided on a five-year plan to enhance the protection of cultural properties against fire, following a blaze that destroyed Okinawa’s Shuri Castle.
National / Politics Dec 21, 2019
Japan's top government spokesman pledges full support for Shuri Castle restoration
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga visited fire-hit Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, on Saturday, pledging the central government's all-out efforts toward reconstruction of the key landmark. Suga inspected the burned-down main hall and other heavily damaged buildings at the UNESCO World Heritage site while ...
National / Crime & Legal Dec 17, 2019
Court nixes compensation claim over dispatch of Tokyo riot police to Okinawa
The Tokyo District Court rejected a claim on Monday for compensation over the Metropolitan Police Department's dispatch of anti-riot officers to guard construction work at a U.S. military facility in Okinawa Prefecture. Presiding Judge Takao Furuta dismissed the claim by some 180 Tokyo residents over ...