The candidate backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party won Sunday's mayoral election in Ginowan a city in the southern Japan prefecture of Okinawa that hosts a U.S military base at the heart of controversy over its relocation within Okinawa located in a crowded residential part of the city and its move to the less populated coastal district of Henoko in Nago in line with former Mayor Masanori Matsugawa whose sudden death in July triggered the vote a former city assembly member who is opposed to the base's relocation to Henoko while also calling for its swift closure and return of the land it sits on to Japan Tobaru had the support of opposition parties and All Okinawa Kaigi an anti-relocation coalition of political parties and civic groups that also backs Okinawa Gov The central government has been pushing ahead with the relocation plan and in an unprecedented move late last year overrode the objections of local authorities and approved a modified landfill plan by proxy control in 1972 following the end of World War II in August 1945 Anti-base sentiment runs deep in Okinawa due to noise Residents have objected to the relocation plan instead calling for the base to be moved out of the prefecture to reduce the burden of hosting U.S down 10.22 percentage points from the previous contest U.S. Marine in Okinawa referred to prosecutors over sexual assault Okinawa protests central government not sharing U.S. troop sex crime cases Okinawa marks 79th anniversary of end of WWII ground battle To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible Okinawa — Teachers from a Defense Department school sampled Okinawa delicacies and explored Japanese teaching methods during a recent visit to a local elementary school English-speaking students at Shimashi Elementary led Wednesday’s tour for 10 fourth- and fifth-grade teachers from Bob Hope Elementary at Kadena Air Base The visit reciprocated a similar trip to Bob Hope in October by nine Japanese teachers from Ginowan schools The American teachers spent an hour Wednesday morning listening to presentations in English from Shimashi’s sixth-graders “It was all about Okinawan food and culture and we got to give them feedback in English,” said Bob Hope fourth-grade teacher Sara Wood teachers from eight Ginowan elementary schools learned how Department of Defense Education Activity educators use co-teaching models to plan and coordinate lessons before delivering them together in the classroom Those nine teachers were also present at Shimashi on Wednesday said she has tried to implement some of the co-teaching methods taught by Bob Hope educators in October we’re going to be busy,’ so that’s why we don’t have the planning,” she said Wood helped spearhead the exchanges along with Bob Hope Principal Kristopher Kwiatek and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs She noted similarities between her school and Shimashi which was built in 1982 and features open classrooms like Bob Hope’s the co-teaching has happened because the presentations are similar and they’re all doing similar things at least from what we’ve been able to be a part of in the classrooms,” she said Between presentations on sushi and delicacies like an Okinawan doughnut called sata andagi Bob Hope fourth-grade teacher Amy Russell said she was impressed with the Okinawan students’ English abilities and organizational skills Other presentations focused on Japanese holidays Okinawan glassmaking and other cultural touchstones “It’s been fabulous and really interesting to hear and see what different types of curriculum they have and the way they set up their classrooms,” Russell said Wood said she hopes to implement in her classroom some of the peer feedback she saw the Japanese students giving each other “Kids were looking at artwork at one position and they were giving feedback on a computer screen,” she said but that concept of sharing and circling through lots of different artwork and giving your feedback on it is something that I want to continue to grow in my classroom.” Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Okinawa Prefecture--Atsushi Sakima won the mayoral election here with his pro-stance over a massive central government project to relocate a U.S military base that has proved bitterly divisive The 60-year-old Sakima served as mayor from 2012 to 2018 8 poll but was endorsed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner This marks the fifth consecutive victory since 2012 for a candidate supported by the LDP and Komeito in a Ginowan mayoral election which is to be relocated to the Henoko district of Nago who called for closure of the Futenma base but opposed its relocation to the Henoko site was supported by Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan the Social Democratic Party and local entity Okinawa Shakai Taishu-to Tobaru’s defeat marked another setback for Tamaki who staunchly opposes the government’s plan and supports relocating the facility to another part of Japan The governor also suffered a blow following the June prefectural assembly election where the parties supporting him were reduced to a minority Sakima argued that the central government’s decision is paramount in the Futenma base issue calling for a clear timeline for the base’s relocation which the government now projects will be in the mid-2030s at the earliest Sakima urged the government to initiate a phased transfer of U.S aircraft from Futenma to the reclaimed Henoko site even before the new base is fully operational He also emphasized his close ties with former mayor Masanori Matsugawa Sakima highlighted his own previous experience as mayor from 2012 to 2018 “I am the only one who can continue Matsugawa’s legacy,” Sakima was fond of stating throughout the campaign citing delays going back years and substantial challenges associated with reinforcing the soft seabed at the reclamation site He argued that the coastal location could face decades of construction delays calling for the immediate closure of Futenma and the return of its land regardless of the development of the Henoko project followed by Tobaru with 16,195 and Takashi Higa The turnout rate was 53.27 percent out of 77,646 eligible voters This was 10.22 percentage points lower than the previous election which coincided with gubernatorial and municipal assembly elections (This article was written by Taro Ono and Satsuki Tanahashi.) Survey: Tamaki takes lead in Okinawa governor’s race Tamaki wins re-election in Okinawa; bad news for Tokyo LDP-backed candidate wins mayoral race in Okinawa capital Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Today's print edition Home Delivery The mayor of the city of Ginowan in Okinawa Prefecture was found dead at a hotel in the Akasaka area in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Friday According to the Metropolitan Police Department 70-year-old Masanori Matsugawa was in the Japanese capital on official business Police believe from the situation that he may have died from an illness.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); a Ginowan city government employee went up to the room where Matsugawa was staying after the mayor failed to turn up at the hotel's lobby at a prearranged time In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division The base relocation was a major issue in the recent mayoral election in Ginowan City. Moreover, former mayor Atsushi Sakima backed by the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito Air Station Futenma is considered the most dangerous US military facility anywhere in the world Military aircraft must take-off and land in what is now the heart of an urban area the governments of Japan and the United States agreed on the complete return of the current facility to Japanese control the return was also conditioned on relocating the facility elsewhere on Okinawa.  Despite the passage of 28 years since the agreement was reached a US military helicopter from Futenma hit a building on the nearby campus of Okinawa International University there were no casualties among the students and a major catastrophe was just narrowly avoided.  The only viable solution to this dangerous situation is to relocate the facility to Henoko. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi was absolutely correct when he reiterated this at a press conference on the day after the election He said that the national government would do everything in its power to complete a full return of the Futenma air base to Japanese control.  the government must work with the relevant local governments to complete the relocation as soon as possible The relocation site, Henoko, is in a sparsely populated coastal area. However, opponents are against "construction of a new base at Henoko," they say. But actually, the project involves land reclaimed from the sea next to an existing US base, namely Camp Schwab Relocating the base there would also greatly alleviate the noise pollution problem.  Both the Japanese and US governments have repeatedly confirmed that there is no viable alternative solution other than relocation to Henoko The nation must be determined to maintain the deterrent power of the Self-Defense Forces and US forces in Okinawa it must reduce the burden on the people of the prefecture The threats posed by China and North Korea are fast increasing. In particular, China aims to take control of the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. There are also strong concerns that a Taiwan contingency could easily escalate into a Japan emergency We must not turn a blind eye to the reality that the deterrent power of Japan and the United States is essential for maintaining peace.  In reducing the burden on Okinawa Prefecture's residents ensuring the safety of Ginowan residents around Futenma is extremely important the relocation will be completed sometime around 2036 Cooperation from the local governments concerned will be essential to accomplish this goal.  Governor Denny Tamaki and the "All Okinawa" party saying they represent "all Okinawa," have been adamantly opposed to the relocation they should reflect on their actions and move to accept the relocation plan aren't the residents of Ginowan Okinawans too?  (Read the editorial in Japanese.) Author: Editorial Board You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " was found unresponsive on Friday morning in a business hotel room in Akasaka The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the death which is believed to be the result of illness please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent Matsugawa was in Tokyo to make a request regarding the use of the site of the Futenma air station which is located in a dense residential area of the city and is said to be “the most dangerous in the world.” His trip was scheduled to last from Wednesday to Friday and he met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday was first elected mayor in September 2018 with the support of the ruling parties that promotes the relocation of the Futenma air station to Henoko and was reelected in September 2022 on a platform of supporting the relocation and was currently serving his second term Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Marines in Okinawa Prefecture to Guam has started Japan's Defense Ministry said Saturday aimed at reducing Okinawa's burden of hosting U.S troops and maintaining deterrence in the region at the same time began about 19 years after an initial agreement was reached in October 2005 at a meeting of the two countries' foreign and defense ministers.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); made up of about 100 logistics members of the Marine Corps' III Marine Expeditionary Force National Report More than a decade has passed since a panel of experts first proposed ways to use the vast green space occupied by the U.S Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture once it is returned to Japanese sovereignty The base takes up 476 hectares and is home to 58 aircraft It is situated in the middle of a densely populated residential area of Ginowan city It is often called “the world’s most dangerous base” because of the 167 accidents involving Futenma-based aircraft since Okinawa’s return to Japanese sovereignty in 1972 One notable incident was a helicopter crash in the grounds of Okinawa International University in Ginowan in 2004 In contrast to the packed residential area surrounding the base Aerial photographs suggest that 70 percent of the area is covered in greenery Trees with thick trunks grow in the southeast and northwest and a forested area has remained untouched since the ferocious Battle of Okinawa raged in 1945 governments reached an agreement for the land occupied by the U.S base to be returned to Japan within five to seven years the relocation plan has been repeatedly postponed partly due to delays in land reclamation work for an alternative site in the Henoko district in Nago in the prefecture It now looks likely that the relocation won’t happen before the late 2030s The prefectural and city governments drew up an “interim plan” in 2013 on how to utilize the Futenma base’s greenery after the site is returned The plan was revised in 2022 to include the creation of a large park on the vacant plot focusing only on housing development and commercial facilities,” said Takayuki Ikeda professor emeritus at the University of the Ryukyus who took part in the committee studying the future use of the Futenma site “We reversed the order of that priority and chose to utilize Futenma’s greenery gave a 32-fold jolt to the local economy after it was developed following the return of the site it did not fully utilize the site’s obvious appeal its sloped terrain was flattened to make way for buildings became a giant shopping mall operated by Aeon Co the centerpiece of the Futenma plan revolves around a large park covering more than 100 hectares The vision of a vast green space interspersed with residential areas and research centers embodies a centuries-old Okinawan philosophy “Bankoku Shinryo,” meaning bridge between nations Those involved in the planning say other parks in the southern prefecture were also created with certain ideas in mind while Shurijo Castle Park reflects the history of the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom that existed until 1879 when it was formally annexed and dissolved by the Meiji government to form Okinawa Prefecture Planners want the Futenma park to symbolize peace “We want this to be the culmination of (our) postwar resolution,” Ikeda said that Okinawa would forever remain free of military bases given that Okinawa hosts about 70 percent of all U.S an issue that has deeply divided islanders The Ginowan city government has also stated it hopes “the site will become a national park.” The Futenma site sits on terrain that also serves as a natural water reservoir Impermeable mudstone lies beneath Ryukyu limestone “Futenma’s terrain is like a sponge sitting on a tilted cutting board which allows water to seep in and flow down,” said Hiroko Ono a professor of engineering architecture at the University of the Ryukyus who was a member of the committee studying what to do with the Futenma site Multiple groundwater channels cut through a 40-meter-high slope from east to west creating a cluster of natural springs at the western edge The remaining greenery at the Futenma site helps to create groundwater an inevitable outcome will be that the spring water will flow less,” Ono said She said it was imperative to preserve green spaces to maintain current water levels The plentiful spring water is still used for agricultural purposes and daily life farmers use the spring water to cultivate “taimo,” a type of root vegetable High levels of PFOS detected at Okinawa school next to U.S This work, U.S. military, local Okinawa communities participate in 43rd Annual Ginowan Traffic Saftey Relay, by LCpl Zachary Larsen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito who opposed the relocation of the air base to Nago in the prefecture Former city assembly member Tobaru was backed by the All Okinawa camp Tobaru also was backed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party The election was held after the sudden death of Ginowan Mayor Masanori Matsugawa in late July The base’s relocation was not a major issue in the election as the prefecture’s legal battle against the central government over the issue appears to have ended is believed to have gained ground by calling for a gradual reduction of base-hosting burdens before the relocation is completed and for redevelopment projects on the returned land in cooperation with the central government In the June Okinawa prefectural assembly election With its win Sunday in the first mayoral election since the June election the national ruling coalition has built momentum for the next House of Representatives election and the Okinawa gubernatorial election two years from now Tobaru failed to win support for shaking up the city’s government which has been led by conservatives for 12 years A total of 77,646 people voted in the election This work, Ginowan City, U.S. military leadership foster cooperation, understanding, by Sgt Jessica Collins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright A new medical center equipped with advanced instruments has opened at the site of the former West Futenma Housing Area in Okinawa Prefecture "This is one of the visible results of reducing Okinawa's base-hosting burden," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at the opening ceremony for the facility in the city of Ginowan in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday "The government will make best efforts to realize the reduction of the burden."googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Ryukyus and its affiliated hospital have moved to the new medical center Denny Tamaki and Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima Okinawa Prefecture--Civic groups held a rally here Aug Participants raged against revelations that information on these incidents was not shared with the prefectural government until much later They also called for a resolution of the thorny issue of Okinawa Prefecture shouldering so many U.S The event was organized by a group called “All Okinawa Kaigi” and residents involved in lawsuits about noise pollution at the U.S Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and Kadena Air Base A series of incidents of sexual violence by U.S soldiers have been uncovered in Okinawa since June airman who belongs to the Kadena base was indicted in March on suspicion of abducting and sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 16 last December But neither prefectural police nor the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office made a public announcement and the central government did not report the incident to the prefecture based on a 1997 Japan-U.S It was also disclosed that a case of nonconsensual sexual assault resulting in bodily injury occurred in May The central government later also revealed that there had been three other incidents of sexual assault by U.S Okinawa insists on revisions of SOFA after rash of U.S Hayashi reveals 3 more sex crime cases in Okinawa kept from public Tamaki outraged for being kept in the dark on U.S military forum proposed after assaults escalate While protesters demand the cancellation of full-scale U.S base relocation work on the Oura Bay side of the Henoko coastal district in Nago some residents have expressed helplessness Students and citizens' groups staged their protests as the Japanese Defense Ministry's Okinawa Defense Bureau on Tuesday launched the work which is part of the project to build a new facility in Henoko in the city of Nago to take over the functions of the U.S Marine Corps' Futenma air station in Ginowan also in the southernmost Japan prefecture.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); I hope the government will review the work." "There's nothing we can do," Masayoshi Kyoda While showing expectations that the government will hold further discussions with local communities A Henoko resident in her 50s said: "It's difficult to persuade them to stop the work now But there is a gap between the ideal and the reality." who has continued to express her opposition to the Futenma base relocation to Henoko "The number of locals protesting (against the project) has been declining with age." Okinawa — Japanese police have arrested a U.S Marine on suspicion of attempted assault and robbery of a convenience store on Okinawa Thursday in the parking lot of a Lawson in the Nodake district of Ginowan city an Okinawa prefectural police spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday Torres is assigned to III Marine Logistics Group at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma Police said a man in black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt carried a knife into the store between 12:53 a.m went behind the counter and attempted to open the cash register The clerk ran from the store and called police from his cellphone who was in the parking lot running from the store No customers were in the store at the time Some government officials in Japan may speak to media only on condition of anonymity Police are investigating a possible connection between this incident and another convenience store robbery in Ginowan on April 3 the robber threatened the store clerk with a knife and stole about $840 worth of yen “We are fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities for the investigation no further information is available at this time,” Faffler said The police spokesman said Torres’ case would go to prosecutors Friday “III Marine Expeditionary Force remains committed to fostering positive relationships with our local community and the vast majority of Marines and Sailors assigned to III MEF uphold our values of honor and respect in an exemplary manner,” Faffler said Okinawa — Japanese police on Okinawa are looking for the driver of a car with license plates assigned to U.S which identify the private vehicles of U.S service members and Defense Department civilians in Japan collided with a gray Daihatsu Move at 3:40 a.m Saturday on Route 58 in south central Okinawa a spokesman for the Ginowan police said by phone Tuesday He declined to provide the car’s make or model Police found the sedan a short distance from the crash site and watched its driver flee on foot a backseat passenger — an Okinawa man in his 30s — suffered a broken hip; two women up front received minor injuries The sedan’s passengers belong to Marine Air Support Squadron 2 at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma No details were immediately available about the driver Some government officials in Japan speak to the media on condition of anonymity as a requirement of their employment Police followed the speeding sedan southbound on Route 58 but lost sight of it until coming on the crash scene The sedan had apparently rear-ended the Daihatsu The three people injured in the Daihatsu were treated at a local hospital and released The Marines were treated for minor injuries at U.S A spokesman for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing acknowledged an emailed inquiry from Stars and Stripes seeking comment Tuesday but did not immediately respond This work, Marines host Ginowan Fire Department for firefighter rodeo, by GySgt Stephen Himes, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright If JavaScript is not enabled on your browser 2022 - DAIKYO INCORPORATED (“DAIKYO”) announced that it will commence sales of Lions Ginowan Bayside City a condominium completed construction in Ginowan Lions Ginowan Bayside City is a 24-minute drive from Naha Airport and is located between Urasoe West Coast under development as a resort district and including the San-A Urasoe West Coast PARCO CITY which opened in 2019 where the exotic American Village is located Ginowan Tropical Beach and the Okinawa Convention Center the largest MICE facility in the prefecture and the opening of the West Coast Road in 2018 has made access from Naha Airport more comfortable It is a property that offers both residential life and a resort environment that can accommodate anything from daily life to business and leisure The building has 15 above-ground floors and consists of 3LDK units with areas from 67.75m2-74.00m2 It is designed with two units per floor to protect privacy and achieves 100% corner units with daylighting on three sides by placing the building close to the front road open views from all balconies have been ensured The outdoor level parking lot on the premises also allows for smooth entry and exit DAIKYO has supplied more than 180 buildings with approximately 6,500 units in Okinawa since 1980 and is currently selling three properties It is responding to not only demand within the prefecture for convenience of living and commuting in Naha but also demand for second houses and moving from out of prefecture primarily from the Tokyo metropolitan region DAIKYO will continue to offer comfortable housing in harmony with the local community An area filled with the charm of Okinawa’s West Coast Lions Ginowan Bayside City is surrounded by a variety of commercial facilities located close to resort areas such as Ginowan Tropical Beach (1.3km) which is loved by city residents the Okinawa Convention Center (1.1km) and American Village (6.7km from the condominium) located 500m from the San-A Ginowan Convention City grocery store Ginowan City is currently undergoing a land readjustment project to improve public facilities and create excellent residential and commercial areas and new urban development is anticipated in the future Providing open layouts with daylighting on three sides through achieving 100% corner units The entrance approach is lined with palm trees to create a comfortable The entrance is elegantly designed with a calming color scheme The building is located close to the front road to ensure that the distance from the balcony of each unit to neighboring land is secured All units are corner units with two residences per floor making it easy to ensure ventilation and daylighting while creating a bright and open living space All parking spaces are level and there are 37 spaces in 28 lots (including nine parallel parking lots) Providing open layouts with daylighting on three sides through achieving 100% corner units Three types of 3LDK layouts are available including one with a convenient pantry for organizing small items around the kitchen and another that has ensured storage space throughout the unit By taking advantage of the features of corner units and installing openings in the bathrooms an open floorplan that allows for more ventilation and daylighting throughout the units has been ensured the adoption of elements such as walk-in closets and open counter kitchens in all units gives consideration to ease of living Sales in the Tokyo metropolitan regionThe “Lions Tokyo Information Center”* was opened in October 2020 and has been conducting sales activities in Shibuya-ku to respond to the increasing demand for second homes and moving to Okinawa from the Tokyo metropolitan region Approximately 30% of customers who signed contracts for Lions Naha Mihara Masters Gate are from outside of Okinawa (with about 70% of them living in the Tokyo metropolitan region) DAIKYO is currently selling three properties (including this property) in Okinawa * For further information, please refer to the news release: “DAIKYO Opens the Lions Tokyo Information Center” (October 9, 2020) <Reference> Condominium development in Okinawa ■Lions Naha Mihara Masters Gate (Completion: June 16 102 units) Located 18 minutes away from Naha Airport Station by Yui Rail and within walking distance of Kokusai Dori a full range of convenient facilities and leisure activities can be enjoyed and the entrance is made of Ryukyu limestone to create a high-quality space ■Lions Ginowan Grand Terrace (Completion: August 10 30 units) Located a 12-minute walk from Ginowan Port Marina in an area that combines the charm of Okinawa's West Coast with the convenience of living Utilizing the open roadways on three sides all lots are equipped with level parking lots and open living spaces Contact Information:Investor Relations and Sustainability DepartmentORIX CorporationTel: +81-3-3435-3121 Caution Concerning Forward Looking Statements:These documents May contain forward-looking statements about expected future events and financial results that involve risks and uncertainties Such statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to uncertainties and risks that could cause actual results that differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements Factors that could cause such a difference include those described under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and under “(4) Risk Factors” of the “1 Summary of Consolidated Financial Results” of the “Consolidated Financial Results April 1 2022 News Releases List Okinawa Prefecture--Incumbent Masanori Matsugawa won his second term in the Sept defeating his rival who had fiercely campaigned against the U.S.-base relocation plan which is to be moved to the Henoko district of Nago ran as an independent and was endorsed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner Matsugawa supports relocating the base and insisted during the campaign that he will pave the way for the return of the land currently used for the Futenma base was a former head of the federation of parent-teacher associations for the prefecture’s high schools He was backed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan the Social Democratic Party and the local Okinawa Social Mass Party Nakanishi was also supported by the All Okinawa group a political alliance of groups that support Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki who was re-elected in the gubernatorial election held on the same day The group opposes the central government's planned relocation of the U.S Matsugawa campaigned in tandem with former Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima who ran in the gubernatorial election against Tamaki Matsugawa garnered 29,664 votes while Nakanishi received 18,458 votes The two had also faced off in the previous mayoral election four years ago Okinawa Upper House campaign a preview for fall race for governor Okinawa – Okinawans heading to the polls Sunday have three gubernatorial candidates to choose from each with a different message about the U.S military presence on the island prefecture Denny Tamaki seemed vulnerable due to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and Okinawa’s economic stagnation but recent polling suggests his opposition to the U.S military presence on the island resonates with many of Okinawa’s approximately 1.2 million registered voters Tamaki has spent four years trying to halt the relocation of Marine air operations from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in a densely packed urban area in Ginowan to Camp Schwab in rural Henoko Tamaki favors shutting down MCAS Futenma altogether “I would like to remove the Futenma air station as soon as possible,” he said in an Aug 23 interview posted to his Twitter account “It is possible to close (Futenma) without having Henoko.” who is backed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party would hasten the Marine aviators’ move to the airfield under construction at Camp Schwab a former member of Japan’s House of Representatives favors moving Marine air power off Okinawa to nearby Mageshima in Kagoshima prefecture “The polls suggest that Tamaki looks like he might win professor of Asian studies at Temple University’s Tokyo campus “But I guess his position on the bases wins him support across the island.” A telephone survey Saturday and Sunday by The Asahi Shimbun The Okinawa Times and Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting Corp found Tamaki leading Sakima but with 20% of voters still undecided The outlets did not report each candidate’s margin of support The election may be much closer than reported associate professor of international politics at Meio University in Nago He said both Tamaki and Sakima are flawed candidates and that voters will be looking beyond Henoko “The election held four years ago was about a single issue but now there are many issues,” he told Stars and Stripes at his office on Aug “Okinawans must think about the economy and how to protect Okinawa and Japan from threats like China or North Korea.” born in Uruma city to an Okinawan mother and a U.S leveraged a career as a popular radio disc jockey into a successful 2002 run for Okinawa City Council He ran unsuccessfully for Japan’s House of Representatives in 2005 but won a seat four years later Tamaki held the post until he was elected governor in 2018 died in August that year of pancreatic cancer Tamaki continued Onaga’s opposition of the Henoko project Tamaki’s administration has filed six of 11 lawsuits by the prefecture aimed at stopping the relocation the prefecture cited the ballooning budget the soft seabed beneath the new airstrip and environmental concerns such as the presence of endangered coral as reasons to jettison the project “We must stop it,” he said in his campaign Twitter post accuses the incumbent of failing to address day-to-day issues while focusing on the fight against the Marine air station 14 interview posted to his Twitter account The conservative vowed “communication over conflict” when it comes to base issues and said protecting the lives of the Okinawan people is his top priority Sakima was born in Ginowan and elected to Ginowan City Council in 2001 Okinawa Prefectural Assembly in 2006 and Ginowan mayor in 2012 a post he held until 2018 when he lost the governor’s race to Tamaki Sakima openly supports relocating the Futenma air station to Henoko he stayed mostly silent on the subject and focused instead on social issues “I want to achieve the reversion of Futenma airbase by 2030,” he said relocate training and shorten the construction period of Henoko.” Sakima has pledged to invest 100 billion yen connect the southern capital of Naha with the northern city of Nago by rail and provide free daycare school meals and medical care for children was born and raised on the island of Miyako The former LDP member was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 a position he held until 2021 except for terms he lost He ran unsuccessfully for governor against Onaga and Nakaima in 2014 He served as minister for Postal Service Privatization and minister of State for Disaster Management from October to December 2012 Shimoji plans to stop the construction at Henoko and push to relocate MCAS Futenma to another island “We have to think how to end the Futenma issue as soon as possible and Mageshima is the solution,” he said in a clip posted to Twitter on Aug the southernmost of Japan’s four largest islands Okinawa Prefecture--Extremely high levels of a suspected carcinogen were detected in the grounds of an elementary school next to the U.S rekindling persistent health concerns over the handling of dangerous chemicals at U.S A reading of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) at one site of the Futenma No 2 Elementary School was about 29 times that of PFOS levels deemed under U.S environmental guidelines to carry risks in containing the contamination an associate professor of health and environmental sciences at Kyoto University saying they underlined the need for on-site inspections at the Futenma airfield “The findings showed extremely high levels of the PFOS even on the ground surface where the contaminant tends to be washed away by rainwater,” he said “The only way to resolve this problem is to open an investigation to identify the source of the contamination given the high likelihood that soil lying deeper from the surface is polluted along with the groundwater.” A waste pipe that is believed to originate in the Futenma base is located near the school premises An expert organization commissioned by a civic group that calls itself Ginowan Churamizu Kai (society working to maintain clean water in Ginowan) went ahead with an investigation of its own saying it suspected that wastewater containing PFOS was released from the base through the pipe Its experts collected soil samples several centimeters below the ground surface at three sites on the school premises on Aug the municipal education board notified parents and other concerned parties Sept 7 that children will be prohibited from entering the area where figures are high restrict the combined presence of PFOS and other substances to under 50 nanograms per liter of water as the preliminary limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s soil screening guidance sets 38 nanograms per kilogram of soil as a level requiring more detailed examination for safety assessment The experts’ study turned up readings of 1,100 nanograms at one site The level was so low at a third site that the gauge did not show a specific figure PFOS do not degrade in the natural environment and thus pose a threat to humans and ecosystems The chemical is widely used at military bases as well as the petrochemical industry as firefighting foam to quell fuel fires a flurry of reports have emerged in Okinawa Prefecture since 2016 about high concentrations of the chemical in rivers and other sites near U.S The prefectural government has stated that it believes U.S military facilities are the source of the contamination But the Japanese government and authorities in the southernmost prefecture have been denied access to the bases to carry out studies of their own despite repeated requests under the Japan-U.S City officials placed safety cones at the sites where high levels of PFOS were detected to keep children away Children were told to wash their hands and gargle carefully after playing in the school grounds Boring survey to check carcinogen found outside Futenma base PFOS exceeds state-set levels at 38 sites near U.S PFOS in tap water of town that co-hosts U.S base deemed at fault for high levels of PFOS in Okinawa sewage Tokyo apologizes over dumping of tainted water by U.S Marines in Okinawa dump contaminated water into sewer This work, Futenma land return project good for community, Marines, by Sgt Daniel Jean-Paul, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Okinawa — Japanese police have arrested a civilian employee of the U.S Marine Corps on Okinawa on suspicion of possessing marijuana a spokesman for the Ginowan Police Station said by phone Friday Some Japanese officials may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity Police searched Battles’ home based on a tip that he may have the drug in his possession Police found 0.77 grams of dried marijuana less than one-fifth the weight of an American nickel Marijuana possession can bring up to five years in prison under Japan’s Cannabis Control Act told police it was “for his personal use,” the spokesman said Police are trying to determine Battles’ source for the drug spokesman for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing confirmed that Battles is a civilian who works with Marine Aircraft Group 36 at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma Battles was still in Japanese custody as of Friday afternoon “The alleged behavior does not reflect the core values of the U.S nor does it represent the conduct of the vast majority of Okinawa-based Marines or civilians,” he added “We do not have any further information as this case is ongoing.” decide charges under the Japanese justice system Battles’ case was referred to prosecutors on Wednesday a spokesman for the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office said by phone Friday This work, Americans, Okinawans share local tradition, by Sgt Erik Brooks, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright military helicopter crashed and burned at the campus of Okinawa International University here 18 years ago expectations were high that the incident would bring about a sea change in the way U.S university president Eiken Maetsu decried the lack of progress in the situation “The deadline for the return of land for the Futenma base passed years ago,” Maetsu said in recalling the accident involving a helicopter attached to the neighboring U.S Tokyo and Washington tentatively agreed on the return of the land occupied by the base to Japan within five to seven years But that has been postponed repeatedly as a replacement facility to take over Futenma’s functions has yet to be built Maetsu noted that aircraft deployed to the Futenma airfield have continued to cause problems citing emergency landings at private-sector airports around Japan Other incidents involved objects falling from helicopters flying overhead “But nothing has changed and the situation surrounding the base is getting worse,” Maetsu said The incident that initially raised expectations involved a CH-53 heavy-lift transport helicopter that crashed shortly after 2 p.m No students or university staff were hurt as the school was closed for the summer break the wall of a school building was badly charred by the burning wreckage The commemorative event was attended by students school staff and local residents to push yet again for the closure of the Futenma facility once and for all Even the central government has acknowledged that the Futenma base located in a densely populated residential area reclamation work off the Henoko district of Nago has been going on to build a replacement facility a freshman of the university who hails from Saitama Prefecture outside Tokyo said a fresh opportunity should be created to thrust the U.S base issue into the nationwide public spotlight “With memories of the last war fading fast I am afraid that people on the main islands may forget accidents caused in postwar years by the U.S 5-year quest to trace Okinawan roots pays off for U.S.-born man military flights into Okinawa anger residents Yuko Obuchi tries to get Tokyo to care about Okinawa Nothing has changed in Okinawa in 50 years Survey: 41% in Japan OK with Okinawa bearing U.S Okinawa Prefecture--Extremely high levels of a suspected carcinogen detected in the city's sewage system apparently resulted from dumping of contaminated water by the U.S Ginowan municipal government authorities announced the finding on Sept 10 and said further studies would be carried out to clarify if the base in the center of the city was indeed responsible for the high levels of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) base began releasing the water into the Ginowan sewage system around 9:30 a.m city officials collected water samples at a site outside the base where sewage passes through A check of water quality found 670 nanograms of PFOS per liter of water Water quality guidelines for drinking and river water restrict the combined presence of PFOS and other substances to under 50 nanograms per liter of water City officials said they were unable to determine a direct causal effect because sewage at the site where the water was collected also contains wastewater released from the base But in checks of water quality levels conducted at the same site in 2020 and 2019 the level of PFOS detected was 13 nanograms per liter and 25 nanograms per liter Before the water was released into the sewage system military officials said it had been processed so that the level of PFOS was brought under 2.7 nanograms per liter “I am just staggered at the extremely high concentration level,” Ginowan Mayor Masanori Matsugawa told a Sept 10 news conference after the latest finding we cannot definitively say the results were due to the release by the base but because the Okinawa prefectural government is also conducting its own study we want to assess the problem after their results are released.” Another check of water quality will be done on a sample collected from the same location on Sept The Okinawa prefectural assembly convened a plenary session on Sept 10 and unanimously passed a resolution of protest over the release of water by the U.S military as well as an opinion paper addressed to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga The document called for an explanation of the U.S military's decision to go ahead with the water release while discussions on the issue were continuing between Japan and the United States It also called on the central government to conduct a study within the premises of the Futenma base The protest resolution said the assembly found the situation intolerable at a time when local residents had still not overcome their concerns about the leakage of firefighting foam containing PFOS from the Futenma base into a nearby river in April 2020 Another opinion paper was also passed that unanimously called on the U.S military to suspend flights of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft until measures are taken by the Japanese and U.S governments to prevent a recurrence of an Aug 12 incident in which parts of an Osprey based at Futenma fell off in flight It originally described PFOS as perfluorooctane sulfonate Woman shows Okinawa’s plight with photos of U.S military’s distancing from rape case suspect riles Okinawa helicopter’s emergency night landing alarms Okinawans there’s a field — now largely overgrown but once home to numerous farms — boxed in by highways military base and various residential complexes Amid the tall grass sits a high-end audio recording device with a small which is used to record the surrounding landscape might seem like an unlikely candidate for something that could provide insights into climate change’s ecological impact — especially next to a steady stream of birds of a different sort: noisy helicopters and planes going to and from U.S Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); But combined with devices at 22 other sites spread across Okinawa’s main island and backed by advancements in artificial intelligence the recorder is giving scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology the data they need to track how the species that call it home are being affected by climate change causes and effects of climate change have been measured by everything from multimillion-dollar satellites to the humble thermometer but increasingly scientists are turning to sound to track warming’s troubling roles in the biodiversity crisis and collapse of ecosystems a growing number of “passive acoustic monitoring” projects are feeding scientists with data about changes to ecosystems and their biodiversity broadening research beyond that targeted at individual species And as that data covers ever greater stretches of time and encompasses extreme weather events the more it can tell us about the impact that climate change is having Passive acoustic monitoring provides the foundation for soundscape ecology which quantifies soundscapes and investigates how they change depending on the surrounding environment over time With these increasingly hardy and long-lasting devices scientists can now gather sonic data for longer and across larger areas than they realistically could before as well as in places that are inhospitable for field work the resulting information can also shed light on the impacts of land-use change as well as the success of conservation and rewilding projects which are part of OIST’s Okinawa Environmental Observation Network (OKEON) they enable the gathering of data around the clock from across the island capturing everything from the heavily urbanized south through to parts of the relatively untouched stretches of forest in Yambaru National Park and these also incorporate weather stations and insect and camera traps (after an aviary was installed nearby one of the stations became unusable for audio purposes) People have been recording animals and natural soundscapes for decades feeding into a variety of disciplines such as bioacoustics but soundscape ecology has been galvanized by two things: agenda-setting papers in 2011 that took key steps in mapping out the possibilities of the field and advancements in technology that enable both the acquisition and processing of tremendous amounts of data “The field is moving insanely fast right now,” says Nicholas Friedman curator of ornithology at the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change in Hamburg who previously worked at OIST and added the acoustic monitoring to OKEON “I think it's really hitting its stride.” The fundamental building block of soundscape ecology is and these have seen significant shifts since 2007 The OKEON project currently uses recording devices costing $900 each although those costing about $100 are now viable as well depending on the project The more expensive models can potentially operate out in the field for as long as eight months Researchers can program recording patterns — for OKEON it is currently one minute every 30 minutes — and leave them to do their thing The utility of these devices has been bolstered by improvements in somewhat prosaic tech such as batteries and SD cards allowing scientists to record more and for longer lies with how the resulting data is processed with machine learning allowing researchers to identify and group sounds in the recordings The OIST team has used supervised machine-learning tools such as Wildlife Acoustics’ Kaleidoscope Pro which entails helping the system identify sounds correctly — at one point one researcher had to manually listen to about 100 hours of crows But even more advanced capabilities are coming online such as “convolutional neural networks” and “transfer learning,” the latter being where a model used for one task is reapplied to a related one are helping researchers process data faster and in greater detail “That (supervised machine learning) is almost a fossil by now,” says Samuel Ross a postdoctoral scholar at OIST whose research focuses on ecological resilience and stability “These deep learning approaches are really revolutionizing how we think about the soundscape.” While soundscape ecology touches on the technological sublime with this playing a key role in not only collecting data but also linking the analysis of the sounds with real-world observations the OIST team is now measuring forest canopy cover using a special camera strapped to a person’s head in order to better tie post-typhoon soundscapes to forest conditions The efforts of citizen scientists play a role too with information uploaded to platforms such as eBird helping to identify birds The OIST field work is also an altogether messier enterprise And for the insects that inhabit the Okinawan jungle the recorders are valued for a different reason every ant and moth in the whole forest decides it wants to live there,” says Friedman and there'd be an entire ants nest in there It’s also not as simple as sticking up some mics across a landscape “It can be quite easy to misuse some of these methods,” says Ross “You do need a kind of basic understanding of a little bit of sound physics there are other concerns around soundscape ecology namely whether you can identify a species’ abundance from a recording or whether the recordings really reflect the biodiversity of the area Ross concedes that they don’t really know or can’t be sure advances in machine learning and other technologies may partially or even fully address those worries by helping to better identify species in recordings and differentiating between sounds scientists believe the recordings can usefully track changes in biodiversity That means they can tell us things about how ecological communities respond to extreme weather or climate change or change in the number of species present you are quite likely to get a change in the soundscape,” Ross says The OKEON project is designed to track the natural and human factors affecting Okinawa’s main island but climate change was not an explicit focus within that it loomed in the background as an inescapable part of that anthropogenic influence and as time has gone on the OIST researchers have been able to tackle issues related to it “Increasingly now we have people who would consider themselves ecologists .. who are interested in questions about climate and we now are coming at this from a different angle we can use all these acoustics methods as a tool to ask questions about climate change,’” Ross says “Climate change acts on quite a long time scale and so increasingly as we get year after year after year of this data coming in we're more and more able to ask questions that are of relevance to climate change.” Climate change’s relationship with biodiversity is twofold biodiversity can help shore up the natural processes that absorb carbon biodiverse places are more resilient — which helps maintain the ecosystems that humans depend on for everything from medicine to food while warming is not the main driver of biodiversity decline — that would be land use particularly for food production — it has a role to play by changing ecosystems are also really fragile and susceptible to climate change,” says Friedman “For the animals that are endemic to Okinawa if climate change moves their optimal range to the north they can't swim up to Amami Oshima,” he adds referring to the Kagoshima Prefecture island northeast of Okinawa The OIST team has already begun to test the impact of extreme weather on the impact of super Typhoon Trami and Typhoon Kong-rey in 2018 the monitoring sites saw diverging responses which in Ross’ view suggests “spatial insurance” — where island-wide ecosystem health is maintained because differences between local sites cancel out as animals emigrate from more sheltered sites to those worse affected by Although climate change has not been linked to the severity or likelihood of Trami or Kong-rey more intense and destructive storms are occurring more often due to warming And warming is increasing the chance and intensity of other forms of extreme weather — events that the OIST team plans to incorporate into their work that means the observed resilience might not hold most climate-relevant data will be obtained after passive acoustic monitoring projects have been running for decades Ross hopes that scientists will be able to say how changes in temperature and climate affect the soundscape But with the world already having warmed roughly 1 degrees Celsius compared with the preindustrial era — and having crossed the important 1.5 C threshold last year by some measures — it is crucial for researchers to obtain the data on soundscapes of different environments now thereby enabling studies such as the one on Trami and Kong-Rey “If we want to use soundscape data to inform climate action and the urgency of climate policy and so on then we need these immediate baseline data,” says Ross “The most valuable datasets will be those that span 30 but before then what we can do is we can compare to baseline This work, Japan Air Self-Defense Force hosts annual concert, by Sgt Brandon Saunders, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright The rumble of Osprey transport aircraft was heard again over Japan on March 14 military resumed flights after lifting a suspension imposed following a fatal crash in Kagoshima Prefecture in November Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan governments said the tilt-rotor aircraft has no flaws with its design and structure following an investigation a conclusion that failed to alleviate the concerns of local officials The Defense Ministry had informed local governments on March 13 of the U.S Air Force crashed off Yakushima island in Kagoshima Prefecture on Nov military investigated the accident and retrieved wreckage from the sea A failure was found in a specific component but it was determined that the defect is not common to other Ospreys military and the Ground Self-Defense Force will fly their Ospreys only around bases for the time being and plan to gradually regain their mission capabilities because the flight suspension lasted for about three months The ministry said it has provided explanations to 11 prefectural governments that host U.S and GSDF bases and 28 municipal governments concerned But some local government leaders questioned the resumption of flights “The explanation was insufficient concerning the specific cause of the accident,” Ginowan Mayor Masanori Matsugawa said “We will continue to demand that the deployment of the Osprey which is considered to be extremely dangerous and defective be withdrawn immediately,” Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said referring to serious accidents that have occurred in the prefecture Forces Japan stationed 32 Ospreys at the Futenma base and the GSDF deployed 14 Ospreys at Camp Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture expected to give green light soon for restart of Osprey flights halts flights of CV-22 Ospreys in Japan after fatal crash to halt Osprey flights after fatal crash in Kyushu Okinawa Prefecture--Central government bureaucrats apologized to the mayor here on Sept military dumping of water contaminated with a dangerous chemical into the city sewage system The bureaucrats from the Defense and Environment ministries in Tokyo met with Ginowan Mayor Masanori Matsugawa and apologized for causing concerns among local residents Marines dumped the water contaminated with perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) into the local sewage system from U.S military officials have claimed the level of PFOS in the water was safe but Japanese officials said the water could not be considered as such Ginowan city officials requested the Tokyo ministries explain the dumping as staff working on behalf of the ministries in Okinawa Prefecture had no details about what the U.S It is highly unusual for bureaucrats from Tokyo to visit Okinawa to deal with problems related to the U.S “We extend our deepest apology," Makoto Ikeda the head of the environmental policy division within the Defense Ministry during the first few minutes of the meeting "We also consider it extremely regrettable that the water was dumped so suddenly.” military would be asked to not release such contaminated water in the future and that discussions would be held with the United States to deal properly with the issue Matsugawa met with reporters after his meeting with the two bureaucrats and said he was "able to confirm that the central government also did not have any information about (the release of the water) and that it also did not think the water was safe.” water quality guidelines were established for drinking and river water that called for the combined presence of PFOS and other substances to be kept at under 50 nanograms per liter of water military was criticized for unilaterally dumping the water into the sewage system because discussions were ongoing between Japan and the United States about how to handle the matter at that time military officials subsequently explained that they proceeded with the release since storage tanks on the base were close to capacity and there was the possibility of spillage in the event of heavy rainfall military announced that the 64,000 tons or so of water released contained less than 2.7 nanograms of PFOS per liter of water which they claimed meant the water was safe There are no rules at the central or local government levels about releasing water containing PFOS into the sewage system so the central and municipal governments have no way to evaluate the U.S PFOS is incinerated by a company specializing in the procedure “99.999 percent” of the PFOS can be broken down when it is heated at temperatures in excess of about 850 degrees military had turned to such specialist companies in the past to handle the PFOS military officials explained that one reason the water was to be dumped directly into the sewage system was because of the excessive financial burden of that treatment process The contaminated water released from the Futenma base will flow into the ocean untreated because the prefectural government sewage processing facilities are not equipped to reduce the concentration of PFOS Okinawa prefectural and Ginowan officials are also concerned the PFOS could accumulate in fish because the chemical does not break down significantly in nature (This article was written by Mika Kuniyoshi and Maho Fukui.) BBQ triggered leak of hazardous foam from base into local river 1 nuclear plant wastewater looks headed for ocean OLYMPICS/ Swimmers struggled with Tokyo Bay’s heat Suga government unlikely to budge on Okinawa base relocation issue Protests over Henoko base project move into their 3rd year Okinawa Prefecture--A new method has been introduced for the central government disposing of unexploded ordnance left behind from the bloody Battle of Okinawa near the end of World War II will greatly reduce the evacuation scope of nearby residents in case of an accidental explosion during the work The new method was introduced at the Ginowan seaside park site on Jan The Ground Self-Defense Force stored unexploded ordnance in a special steel container The container is about 1 meter in diameter and is called an “explosion-proof container.” The GSDF personnel then remotely destroyed the fuse The unexploded ordnance were found at the park in December 2023 during construction work The physical sensation of noise and vibration were “considerably reduced” with the new method said an official of the Cabinet Office’s Okinawa General Bureau Officials will further verify the effects in the future unexploded ordnance had been eliminated in a shelter surrounded by a protective barrier called a “liner plate,” which was up to 3 meters in diameter and 6 meters high Because the top of the protective barrier was open there was a risk of flying debris in the event of an accidental explosion Navy ship shells will be processed using the new method A trial period for the method will continue until March it is expected that the evacuation area for residents will be reduced from the current 88-meter radius to an approximately 25-meter radius which is expected to reduce the impact on residents’ daily lives and economic activities approximately 200,000 tons of ammunition were used in what was known as the “typhoon of steel” of U.S leaving behind large quantities of unexploded ordnance According to the prefectural government’s estimates military and residents did away with about 5,500 tons before Okinawa’s reversion to Japan in 1972 About 17 tons have annually been eliminated in recent years it will take over another 100 years” to dispose of all unexploded ordnance new unexploded bombs are being created due to exercises conducted at U.S Since Okinawa’s reversion to Japan in 1972 there have been 18 cases of personal injury caused by unexploded ordnance an explosion during sewer construction near a kindergarten in Naha killed a toddler and three workers and seriously injured 34 others military bomb exploded while excavation work was being carried out with heavy machinery at a water pipe construction site in Itoman in the prefecture A worker was seriously wounded and about 100 windowpanes at a nearby nursing home were shattered Okinawa landfill base project still a white elephant JR West to halt services on July 24 for disposal of U.S Okinawa told to approve Tokyo’s reclamation plan for U.S Tokyo pushes Henoko issue as opponents reel from new setback The 11th Japan Beach Soccer Championship starts in Ginowan Friday 14 October saw the start of the 11th Japan Beach Soccer Championship in Ginowan who ended in third place last year and were representing the host city this time met Kochi University Football Club (Shikoku/Kochi) in the 1st Sec The experienced Sol Mar Praia initiated a counter attack from the goalkeeper’s throw in the fifth minute in the 1st Sec Although each player of Kochi University put pressure on to defend solidly in front of goal the team struggled to prevent the opponent from scoring Sol Mar Praia won their first game 6-1 with four gaols from star player Victor Yuri Watari The team beat Loewe Yokohama (Kanto 3/Kanagawa) 2-1 in the 2nd Sec. which has a number of Japan national players and Fusion (Hokushinetsu/Niigata) were in Group B After tasting defeat at the hands of Kumamoto 3-0 in the 1st Sec. Aomori Stallions (Tohoku 2/Aomori) faced a strong Fusion in the 2nd Sec Aomori struggled against the Japan national players the Tahitian national player and the Most Valuable Player of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Portugal 2015 followed by Kumamoto in second place with nine goals after two wins Vamos a la Casa (Kanto 1/Chiba) played against Belle Equipe (Chugoku 2/Okayama) in the 2nd Sec Although Belle Equipe took the initiative at the beginning Dorsole Kitakyushu (Kyushu 3/Fukuoka) with Japan national players AKAGUMA Takuya and OBA Takaaki won their first game 3-1 followed by a sweeping victory 12-0 over La conquista (Hokkaido) in their second The team are currently sitting in first place in the group Avante Osaka (Kansai/Osaka) played the 2nd Sec match against Tokyo Lequios BS (Kanto 2/Tokyo) Both teams won their first game in the 1st Sec. and played exciting matched in the 2nd Sec The game went into the final period at 1-1 YAMAUCHI Shusei struck the opener for Tokyo Although Osaka’s goalkeeper SUMITANI Usuke saved the penalty SAWADA Shuhei scored the equaliser in the 30th minute TOMA Masahito scored to build a one-goal lead for Tokyo for the third time followed by another scored by SUZUKI Masato from a penalty kick and got one step closer to the final round the coach of Beach Soccer Japan National Team attended the championship along with other beach soccer-related staff in order to enjoy the annual nationwide tournament The quarterfinalists will be decided in the final Sec of the 1st Round in the morning of Saturday 15 October to play the quarterfinals in the afternoon SAITO Takumi (Sol Mar Praia Okinawa)As we were confident with our team’s tactics I did it just as I had been doing in practice sessions Although we struggled a little against the opponent’s rapid pressure We ended up in second place in 2013 and 2014 Since the championship is held in our local region we’re determined to become the strongest in Japan as some of my teammates were selected to play in the national team I expect there will be an opportunity for me to join the team as well OGAWA Daisuke (Loewe Yokohama)I established Loewe Yokohama with my friends with whom I have been playing football since I was a kid After experiencing consecutive defeats in the fourth straight year in the final of the Kanto qualifiers we finally managed to grab a spot in the nationwide tournament Our aim in Okinawa is to reach the quarterfinals and to enjoy the championship Although we let the opponent turn the game around after scoring three goals in the first game So I’d like to work on them for the coming games MORI Ryo (Aomori Stallions)Since the opponent in the 2nd Sec we faced the game trying to see how much we could display what we’d been practicing in Aomori We did struggle against exceptional strength I’d like to learn from this experience – playing against world-class players KOBAYASHI Takeshi (Avante Osaka)Although we performed as we planned until the second period of the 2nd Sec Since we have to go home if we lose tomorrow’s game fix our problems and focus on the coming game I struggled to attack due to the strong wind I could hold on strongly on the firm ground to fire a shot 2016-10-14(Fri.)-16(Sun.)Okinawa Prefecture/Ginowan Tropical Beach More Information JFA Youth & DevelopmentOfficial Partner JFA Youth & DevelopmentOfficial Supporter JFA Youth & DevelopmentOfficial Provider Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version