A rather different take

After the alien (aka Hatoyama) insisted on trying to renegotiate the military base move in Okinawa, it’s interesting to see a politician from a potentially major political party say something entirely different. I suspect his ideas were not wholeheartedly welcomed by the residents of Okinawa, given all the past hubbub and outcry against the US military presence there, but he’s definitely not afraid to say something that runs against the mainstream. Is it odd that I as an American am getting strangely excited by the election next week? It shivers me timbers just a bit to think politics in Japan just might change drastically. Not likely, but still an entertaining possibility to think about.

橋下氏「辺野古移設 後に負担軽減」 結 党後初の沖縄訪問

日本維新の会の橋下徹代表代行は１１ 日、結党以来初めて沖縄県を訪れ、米軍普 天間飛行場（宜野湾市）や、日米が移設先 として合意した名護市辺野古周辺を視察 した。その後、那覇市内での街頭演説で「 維新の会として代替案を持っていない」 と、辺野古に移設したうえで沖縄の負担軽 減策に取り組む考えを示した。 橋下氏は大阪府知事時代の２００９年、 普天間飛行場の関西空港への移設について 「（議論を）拒否しない」と言及。本土へ の訓練移転にも前向きな考えを示した。 しかし、関空と大阪空港の経営統合が進 み、１０年に移設先を辺野古とする日米共 同声明が出されると「日米安保は絶対必 要」と辺野古容認論に転じた。 橋下氏は１１日の演説で「現状では沖縄 県に一定の米軍基地が必要だ。まず辺野古 に移設し、その後に沖縄の負担軽減をやる ロードマップを考えたい」と主張。観光 客に消費税を免除する特区やカジノ誘致の 構想も紹介した。演説終了後は再び名護市 に入り、地元住民との意見交換会を開い た。 http://www.asahi.com/politics/update/1211/OSK201212110089.html

Hashimoto – “Reduce the burden to Nago city after base moving” - First visit to Okinawa since establishing party

Japan Restoration Society’s acting representative Toru Hashimoto visited Okinawa Prefecture on the 11, his first since Restoration’s establishment. While there, he visited the US military base at Futenma (Ginowan City) and also the new location jointly agreed upon by the US and Japan in Henoko in Nago City. Afterward, in a street speech in Naha City, he said that “Restoration has no alternative suggestion,” but indicated that they would look to reduce Okinawa’s burden related to the move of the military base to Henoko.

During Hashimoto’s mayorship of Osaka in 2009, he referred to a proposal to move operations from Futenma Airbase to Kansai Airport saying, “I won’t refuse to discuss it.” He was also positive toward discussions to move training operations to the main islands. That said, in the midst of integrating the operations of Kansai and Osaka Airports, the Japanese and US governments agreed on Henoko as the preferred location in 2010 and Hashimoto gave his approval, saying “Japan-US security is of utmost necessesity.”

Hashimoto said in his speech on the 11 th , “At the present, the US military presence in Okinawa is a fixed necessity. First, let’s make the move to Henoko, and then define a roadmap toward reducing the burden on Okinawa.” He also introduced proposals to establish special zones for tourism exempt from consumption tax and plans to lure casinos. After the conclusion of his speech, he returned to Nago City and had a Q&A session with the public.