普天間飛行場、米国が「返せない」と見解…なぜ？　30年の経緯がわかる5要点 #2210

·1 hr 1 min·5 clips

A U.S. audit document reveals the Pentagon says it won't return Futenma Air Station unless a key condition is met.

The episode opens with the news that a U.S. Government Accountability Office document shows the Department of Defense stating Futenma Air Station will not be returned unless a condition is met: securing a runway elsewhere that matches Futenma's 2800-meter length. The planned replacement runway at Henoko is only 1800 meters. The host, Yasutake Eiko, and reporters Kimura Tsukasa and Kaneko Kazufumi then unpack the 30-year saga. The push for return began in 1996, triggered by the 1995 assault on a schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen, which highlighted Okinawa's disproportionate burden. Futenma is located in the densely populated city of Ginowan, with homes and schools adjacent to the runway, leading to constant noise, safety risks, and incidents like falling helicopter parts. The agreement to return Futenma was conditional on building a replacement facility within Okinawa Prefecture, which became the first major obstacle. The chosen site was Henoko in Nago City, agreed upon around 1999 after local resistance. A second obstacle arose when key conditions agreed with local governments, like a usage time limit and dual civilian-military use for the new base, were later revoked by the Japanese government in 2006, breaking trust. The third obstacle was the 2009-2010 Hatoyama administration, which promised to move the base outside Okinawa but then reverted to the Henoko plan, deepening Okinawan distrust of mainland Japan. The episode details the current Henoko construction, which is plagued by a soft seabed requiring 70,000 piles for ground improvement; after over a year, less than 10% are in place. The project cost has soared from an initial 370 billion yen to 930 billion yen. Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki has strongly rejected the U.S. stance on conditional return. The reporters express concern that the future may see a half-built Henoko base, Futenma remaining, and increased militarization of Okinawa, contrary to the original goal of reducing the burden. The episode concludes by noting the 30th anniversary of the return agreement is in April.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from ニュースの現場から