The Futenma-Henoko Stalemate and Okinawa’s Gubernatorial Election: Why Okinawa Must Look Beyond U.S. Hegemony
The Futenma-Henoko Stalemate and Okinawa’s Gubernatorial Election: Why Okinawa Must Look Beyond U.S. Hegemony Director, Okinawa Environmental Justice Project Hideki Yoshikawa Abstruct The people of Okinawa confront the unsettling prospect that the long-awaited closure and return of U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station may never materialize. Technical issues have delayed construction of Futenma’s replacement facility at Henoko and have raised serious questions about the project's feasibility. The prospect that the U.S. military may use Henoko while Futenma remains operational has become more plausible. The Futenma-Henoko stalemate is a focal point of the September gubernatorial election. To resolve the stalemate and U.S. base issues, the people of Okinawa must recognize and leverage the vast geopolitical and economic shift from U.S.-dominated unipolarity to multipolarity. Our votes must reflect this crucial awareness. Introduction The people of Okinawa today confront t...