An Incident that an American Soldier Raped a Girl Boiled up Okinawans’ Anger
Japan-U.S. SACO Agreement
September 4, 1995
Two marines and a navy man raped a 12 year old elementary school girl. The Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement protected 3 US soldiers. They were not transferred to a Japanese authority, which erupted anger in Okinawa. It triggered a movement toward reduction and withdrawal of US military bases.
↑October 21, 1995
All Okinawa Meeting to protest the rape incidents was held and attended by 85,000 people.
↑April 12, 1996
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and the American Ambassador to Japan, Walter F. Mondale, made the announcement about the return of Futenma
April 15, 1996
The SACO (Special Action Committee on Okinawa) interim report said that Futenma Air Station would be fully returned to Okinawa within 5-7 years and that a helicopter port would be built within Okinawa as a Futenma replacement facility (FRF).
December 2, 1996
The final report of SACO stated that Futenma Air Station would be returned after a replacement facility becomes operational and that the replacement facility would be located at offshore of Camp Schwab in Henoko, Nago City.
December 21, 1997
A local referendum on a helicopter port construction in Nago City was held. The result showed that 54% was against the helicopter port construction.
November 16, 2003
US Secretary of Defense Ramsfeld came to inspect Futenma Air Station and said that it was “the most dangerous airport in the world”.
A Sit-In Protest Started – A Petition Was Sent to the Prefectural Government and the Administration
↑April 19, 2004
A sit-in protest opposing a boring examination in Henoko started
↑August 13, 2004
A large helicopter of a marine corps stationed in Futenma Air Station crashed to the campus of Okinawa International University
September, 2005
The citizens’ persevering opposition forced the Defense Bureau to give up the boring examination. On the 1st of November, it was officially announced that the boring examination was stopped.
January 13, 2007
The 1000th day since the start of the sit-in protest on the beach
January 24, 2008
In U.S.A., an interlocutory judgement on dugong lawsuit was delivered. The U.S. Dept. of Defense lost the case.
July 18, 2008
Okinawa Prefectural Assembly decided “to retract the FRF construction in Henoko”.
January 24, 2010
Mr. Inamine Susumu who was against the FRF construction in Henoko, won the election for Nago City Mayor.
April 25, 2010
Approximately 90,000 people attended the Prefectural meeting to petition to move Futenma Air Station out of Okinawa. The head of all 41 municipalities in the Prefecture attended the meeting.
July 4, 2012
The 3000th day since the start of the sit-in protest on the beach
↑September 9, 2012
Over 100,000 people gathered to protest against disposing Osprey at Futenma Air Station.
October 1, 2012
Twenty-four Ospreys were forcibly disposed at Futenma Air Station.
↑January 28, 2013
The head of all 41 municipalities in Okinawa Prefecture directly petitioned Prime Minister Abe 1) to close down Futenma Air Station, 2) not to locate a FRF within Okinawa, and 3) to retract disposition of Osprey.
December 27, 2013
Governor Nakaima broke his campaign promise to locate a FRF outside Okinawa Prefecture and approved reclamation of the Ohura Bay with a provision that Futenma Air Station is closed within 5 years. (The last day of Futenma Air Station in operation: February 18, 2019)
January 19, 2014
Mr. Inamine Susumu who was against the construction of the FRF in Henoko, was re-elected to be the Mayor of Nago City.
The Start of Governor Onaga –
A Candidate Supported by “All Okinawa” Was Elected to the Diet.
↑July 7, 2014
The sit-in protest in front of the Gate to Camp Schwab began.
August 18, 2014
Okinawa Defense Bureau resumed the boring examination.
↑November 16, 2014
In Okinawa gubernatorial election, Mr. Onaga Takeshi who opposed the FRF in Henoko won by 100,000 votes over Governor Nakaima who was then in active service but had broken his public promise.
December 14, 2014
The candidates who opposed the FRF in Henoko and were supported by All Okinawa won the lower house general election in all 4 small electoral districts in Okinawa.
May 27, 2015
Governor Onaga, Mayor Inamine of Nago City and a group of Diet members went to U.S.A. to appeal for not locating the FRF in Henoko and closing down Futenma Air Station.
Okinawa Prefectural Government Retracted its Permit for Landfill –
A Battle in Court Began
October 13, 2015
Governor Onaga notified the Defense Bureau that the permit issued by the former Governor Nakaima for landfill was retracted.
November 17, 2015
The Administration took a political action done by proxy to appeal to the higher court that “the retraction of the permit for landfill be cancelled”.
March 4, 2016
Three cases of lawsuit between the Prefecture and the Administration in regards to the FRF construction in Henoko were settled, and the related construction works were stopped.
↑April 28, 2016
In Uruma City, a former marine and a civilian employee then in service, killed a woman for rape and abandoned the body.
↑July 11, 2017
In the upper house general election in Okinawa district, Mr. Iha Yoichi won by 100,000 votes over Ms. Shimajiri Aiko who was then in service as the Minister in charge of the development of Okinawa.
July 22, 2016
The Administration appealed to court to “confirm that it is against the laws of Japan” that “Okinawa Prefectural government does not cancel its retraction of the permit for landfill”.
↑October 17, 2016
Mr. Yamashiro Hiroji who has led a movement to oppose a helicopter port construction in Takae was arrested illegally by Okinawa Police for the charge of damage to property.
November 29, 2016
In addition to Mr. Yamashiro who had already been detained, 3 persons were arrested for the charge of forcible obstruction of business. Later, 2 were indicted and had to bear an unreasonably long detention; Mr. Yamashiro for over 150 days and Mr. Inaba Hiroshi for over 100 days.
↑December 13, 2016
An Osprey crashed to the offshore of Abu beach and broke into pieces. It happened only 800m away from a civilian residence.
December 20, 2016
The Supreme Court ruled against Okinawa Prefecture, and the Prefectural government cancelled “the retraction of the permit for landfill”. The construction works were resumed in January, 2017.
↑April 1, 2017
The 1000th day since the start of the sit-in protest in front of the Gate to Camp Schwab
April 25, 2017
The seawall construction along the beaches of Camp Schwab was started.
October 11, 2017
A CH53 helicopter of Futenma Air Station made a crash landing and burnt up on a private grassland at Takae in Kunigamison.
↑December 26, 2017
The 5000th day since the start of the sit-in on the beach
Frequent Helicopter Crash Accidents by US Forces /
An Untimely Death of Governor Onaga
December 7, 2017
A CH53 helicopter, a large air transporter that belongs to Futenma Air Station, dropped parts of the helicopter to the ground of Midorigaoka Nursery,
December 13, 2017
Onto the schoolyard of The 2nd Futenma Elementary School, a window frame (about 8kg) of a CH53 helicopter that belongs to Futenma Air Station was dropped while a gym class was in session in the schoolyard.
February 4, 2018
Mr. Inamine Susumu who was in service as the Mayor, lost the Nago City mayoral election.
↑July 27, 2018
Governor Onaga announced that the permit for landfill was retracted.
↑August 8, 2018
Governor Onaga passed, and 4500 people attended his funeral.
Okinawa Prefectural Government Retracted the Permit for Landfill –
The Administration Forcibly Continues Dumping Dirt and Sand
↑August 31, 2018
Deputy Governor of Okinawa completed the procedure to retract “the permit for landfill”, and the landfill works were stopped.
↑September 30, 2018
In Okinawa gubernatorial election to fill the position vacated by the death of Mr. Onaga, Mr. Tamaki Denny was elected. He was supported by “All Okinawa” and got over 396,000 votes that was the largest ever. He won the election gaining 80,000 votes over the opponent who was for the FRF in Henoko.
October 17, 2018
Okinawa Defense Bureau, as a private person, petitioned to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport that a review be conducted to cancel the retraction of the permit for landfill.
October 26, 2018
Okinawa Prefectural Assembly adopted a Prefectural Ordinance “to conduct a prefectural referendum on the pros and cons of the landfill in Henoko”.
October 30, 2018
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport announced suspension of execution of the permit retraction issued by Okinawa Prefectural Government.
November 1, 2018
The landfill works were resumed.
November 10-18, 2018
Governor Tamaki visited U.S.A. to appeal for stopping the FRF construction in Henoko.
November 16-18, 2018
Mr. Inaba Hiroshi attended the “International Conference Against US/NATO Military Bases” and received a large support.
December 14, 2018
Dumping dirt and sand was resumed. The citizens of Okinawa strongly oppose to illegal shipping of dirt and sand from the Pier of a private business, Ryukyu Cement, in Awa.
(Prepared: February 2, 2019)
