This website is dedicated to the reporting of the ongoing
destruction of Mageshima Island and the surrounding
environment. The death of a beautiful island due to
corporate greed, Japanese and American government
corruption, and dishonesty by the Japanese Ministry of
Defense and the United States Department of Defense.
A very sad story of how this island, once a thriving
community of over 500 people, was slowing turned into an
airstrip with now confirmed plans to convert the island into a
military base. These pages expose those who contributed and
continue to contribute to the demise of this gem of Japan.
The facts, which will be listed in reverse chronological
order, show the events which led to this tragedy and should
serve as a wake up call to the inhabitants of neighboring
islands. The military is headed for your neighborhoods as
well.
The situation on Mageshima Island highlights an alarming,
and growing trend, towards establishing military bases along
the southern islands of Japan. The real push behind these
bases is, of course, the United States Government and the
United States Department of Defense, with the Japanese
government and the Japanese Ministry of Defense as willing
accomplices.
This website is new, debuted March 2022, with much
information to follow. The fight to save this island is most
likely lost but both governments and military agencies have
their eyes on Tanegashima Island next, which can still be
saved.
Military
Presence
After only a couple of years in our new home, we began to
notice many changes. The first, and most obvious change was
the decision by the Nakatane Town elected officials to allow
the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to be stationed at
the local community center, only a mere 2 miles from our
home. We could listen to the intermittent sound of JSDF
vehicles driving along the roads close to our home. From that point,
something told us that Tanegashima was not ever going to be
the same again. Then one after another, decisions were made
to transform Mageshima Island into a military base, allow
military training on beautiful pristine Tanegashima
beaches, and most recently, to build military facilities in
the towns of Nakatane, and Minamitane. We realized the
simple and peaceful way of life on Tanegashima was not ever
going to be the same again.
Mageshima
Base Already Decided
For Mageshima, the fight is already over. The plan to build a military base
there was already decided by the American and Japanese governments many years
ago. The residents of Tanegashima were originally told the island would only be
used for Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) even though plans for a military
base were on file with the Japanese Ministry of Defense. The residents of
Tanegashima wasted months doing sound checks, protesting with signs and marches,
and believing an environmental impact study of Mageshima would be completed,
which was cancelled as of January 2022. The plans to build a base
on Mageshima island will continue regardless of the desires of Tanegashima
residents. A new threat is looming, the building of military bases and
facilities on Tanegashima. This is now the fight that Tanegashima residents
should be fighting.
Message
to Tanegashima Friends and Residents
Many of our friends on the island were born, and grew up on Tanegashima. Many of our other friends moved to this island
to escape the hectic cities of the north, to enjoy the
incredible beauty of this island, to ride the fantastic
waves, to be self-sufficient, or to simply be in a great
place to raise a family. All of these things are going to go
away unless all of you act now. Do not be one of the sheep
controlled by wolves. The Japanese and American
governments have lied to you and will continue to do so
until they achieve their goals. Do not give up your honor by
allowing yourself to be bought. The result
of your inaction now will be the destruction of your way of
life on this island. Please read all the information on this
page to get the real story. Following is a
list of contacts and groups involved in keeping the American
military off this island. Please join in this cause before
it is too late.
What
can you do?
Please support our effort to keep the military off Tanegashima Island. A link to
our support page will be set up soon. Please continue reading to learn more
about this terrible threat to the Tanegashima way of life. The following video
is a great overview of the present situation.
Watch Protect the Island
The video, "Protect the Island" was produced by Takashi Kawamura, a man we met at a
dinner party during the Summer of 2020. He strongly opposes the addition of a
military base on Magashima Island and he made the "Protect the Island" video to
explain events leading up to the creation of this base. Please watch the video and then visit
the Protect the Island page for more information and to learn what you can do to
keep the military from destroying Mageshima and Tanegashima.
Please visit the Protect the Island
page
Recent
Mageshima Base News
This page has updated news information about the progress of the military and
efforts of Tanegashima residents against the building of U.S. military
facilities on Mageshima listed in reverse chronological order.
Visit the Mageshima base news
page
In
The News
The following news stories are in reverse chronological order and represent a
timeline leading up to the present situation regarding the military presence on
Tanegashima and Mageshima islands. Please check this page often to see the
latest updates and to stay informed.
Japan to Purchase Tomahawk Cruise Missiles
November 30, 2022
Tokyo, Nov. 30 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government is in talks with the United
States to purchase up to 500 U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles by fiscal 2027,
Japanese government sources said Wednesday. Japan in Talks with U.S. to Purchase Tomahawk Cruise Missiles
Mageshima
Island SDF Base Approved
November 29, 2022
Kagoshima, Nov. 29 (Jiji Press)--Kagoshima Governor Koichi Shiota on Tuesday
expressed his tolerance of a project to build a Japanese Self-Defense Forces
base on Mageshima in line with the planned relocation of U.S. military aircraft
drills to the island in the southwestern Japan prefecture. Governor Tolerates Plan to Build SDF Base in Mageshima Island
Tanegashima
Military Facilities Already Approved
January 13, 2022
The Defense Ministry presented a draft construction plan on Tanegashima island,
near Mageshima island, for the project at the end of last year. The plan showed
SDF facilities would be built at Nakatane and Minamitane towns, which both have
effectively approved the relocation plan. Ministry tells island city it will host SDF base, U.S. drills
Tanegashima,
The Next Okinawa
April 16, 2021
In 2016 it was reported the US military had polluted Okinawa’s drinking water –
later believed to have affected a third of the population – following the
discharge of tens of thousands of liters of firefighting foam (which was blamed
on a malfunctioning sprinkler system). The ingestion of the chemicals in
question, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), is linked to a litany of
maladies, from cancers of the internal organs to severe immunological defects.
Despite that, as of last year, Japanese government officials were still waiting
for permission to inspect the offending Kadena Air Base. The story typifies the
worrying nature of the US military’s ability to self-police in Japan, and
highlights their continued exertion of soft power.
Takeshi Kawamura echoes this sentiment: “The US military has rights to
unregulated flight courses and has the right to arrest and convict their
personnel when crimes such as sexual assault are committed upon Japanese soil.
The US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement is heavily in favor of the US military,
but the Japanese Government is a compliant partner,” he says. “Our Government is
putting the requests of the US military above that of its own citizens”. Opposition Increasing for New US Training Site on Mageshima
New
training site for U.S. military aircraft
October 8, 2020
The ministry is proceeding with the project to set up a Self-Defense Forces
facility on Mageshima island in Nishinoomote to relocate the U.S. military’s
landing practice site from Iwoto island, also known as Iwojima, south of Tokyo. New training site for U.S. military aircraft opposed by local mayor
The United States, believing its Asian allies - and Japan in particular - must
help contain growing Chinese military power, has pushed Japan to abandon its
decades-old bare-bones home island defense in favor of exerting its military
power in Asia. Japan's Far-Flung Island Defense Plan Seeks to Turn Tables on China
What
America Really Wants
The basic thinking of American military strategy is to keep
all fighting off American soil. This obviously makes sense
in order to avoid loss of American life, destruction of
American property, and negative economic impacts that a war
often brings to a country. The two main adversaries of the
United States of America at the present time are China and
Russia. Both countries have formidable military
capabilities, along with huge arsenals of nuclear weapons.
Any military confrontations in this generation ultimately
leads to a huge loss of life along with widespread
destruction. Because of this, America is taking steps to
ensure that any fighting with China or Russia be confined to
locations close to those countries. Japan is the perfect
buffer zone for America. Placing military installations in
Japan creates a first line of defense for America. Any
fighting between America and China would undoubtedly be
fought on Japanese soil. Since WWII, America has always used
Japan like a puppet and this situation is no different.
Japan extends from approximately 20° north (Okinotorishima)
latitude to 45° north (Benten-jima) latitude. This is a
distance of about 2,735 kilometers (1,700 miles). Beginning
at the top of Japan and heading southwest, the actual
distance is over 3,000 kilometers (1860 miles). The current
plan is for America to extend their military influence along
the entire west coast of Japan with emphasis being placed on
the islands stretching from Okinawa to Tanegashima.
Target
Tanegashima
The red circle on the map shows the location of Tanegashima
with the smaller dot next to the island showing the location
of Mageshima.
The installation of a military base on Mageshima and future
bases on Tanegashima will turn Tanegashima into a a first
strike target in the event of a war with China. Rockets used
in modern warfare are still not that accurate and the
bombing of Tanegashima military bases will result in a
tremendous loss of life and widespread destruction of
properties and infrastructure. The tactic of destroying the
defensive capability of a country is known as Suppression of
Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) and was first used during the
Second World War and then was used in virtually every war
thereafter. If a war occurs between Japan and China the
question will not be, will Tanegashima be bombed, the
question will be when.
Save Tanegashima Island
before it's too late. The Japanese military is already
making its way into everyday life on Tanegashima with the
American military soon to follow. The
elected officials who control Nakatane Town are very
PRO-AMERICAN and have sold out for the promise of
money and are already allowing the Japan Self-Defense Forces
(JSDF) to occupy the main community center, located a mere
two kilometers from our home. The
elected officials of Minamitane Town are also PRO-AMERICAN
and allowed the largest Japanese amphibious training drill
(see picture) since 1945, on Maenohama Beach. Both communities have
already approved plans for JSDF bases.
Tanegashima....the
Next Okinawa
The United States maintains American military bases in Japan
as part of the U.S and Japan alliance since 1951. Most U.S.
military are in Okinawa Prefecture. In 2013, there were
approximately 50,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in
Japan with 40,000 dependents and 5,500 American civilians
employed by the United States Department of Defense. About
26,000 U.S. military personnel are on Okinawa Island.
There are 13 United States military bases on Okinawa Island
(shown in red on the map). Approximately 62% of all United
States bases in Japan are on Okinawa. They cover 25% of
Okinawa island. The major bases are Futenma, Kadena, Hansen,
Torii, Schwab, Foster, and Kinser. There are 28 U.S.
military facilities on Okinawa. They are mainly concentrated
in the central area. At one point, Okinawa hosted
approximately 1,200 nuclear warheads. There were several
nuclear weapons incidents on Okinawa and in the sea near the
islands.
Okinawans argued for land and private property rights, as
farmers were limited by the military presence. They also made
antiwar arguments, arguing that they did not want their
island used as an instrument to prepare for war and result
in the death of more people. The U.S. argued that the military
presence in Okinawa is helpful for economic stimulus for the
citizens. During the Vietnam War Okinawans echoed even more
antiwar sentiment, and protested nuclear weapons being
stationed in Okinawa.
The residential area surrounding the Kadena Air Base has
been subject to dangerously loud noise exposure from
aircraft. During the Vietnam War, sound levels were
dangerous enough to cause hearing loss for residents.
Studies from noise recordings over the decades have allowed
for the risk of hearing loss among Okinawans
in the area.
The 1971 Okinawa Reversion Agreement officially ended the
U.S. military occupation on Okinawa. The bases primarily
exist to serve Japanese and American strategic interests and
are unpopular with most local residents, with recent
efforts to move the bases out of core areas following
incidents involving military personnel and resultant
protests (including the 1995 Okinawa rape incident).
In 2012, an agreement was struck between the United States
and Japan to reduce the number of U.S. military personnel on
the island, moving 9,000 personnel to other locations and
moving bases out of heavily populated Greater Naha, but
10,000 Marines will remain on the island, along with other
U.S. military units. Attempts to completely close bases on
the southern third of the island, where 90% of the
population lives (all but about 120,000 people) have been
impeded by local Okinawan opposition to any suggested
locations on the island (who demand no U.S. troops at all
anywhere on the island).
There has been continued civil unrest from Okinawans for the
removal of the condensed military presence on the island.
Accidents and crimes against Okinawans by Americans for
years are the main factors for the Okinawan opposition.
The US has been continuously
unwilling to remove troops from Okinawa because of
its strategic location for surveillance and deployment for
Pacific-Asian foreign affairs.
With such a strong focus of US Forces in Okinawa,
residents face economic problems including the highest unemployment
in Japan as well as a struggle for investment from outside
businesses. Okinawa is being taken advantage of
by mainland Japan and forced to cooperate with US forces. Immense
public opposition in Okinawa is still met with difficulty to
make changes for Okinawan citizens, while 25,000 American
troops remain in Okinawa.
U.S. Bases Destroyed the Economy of
Okinawa
At the time of Okinawa’s Reversion to Japan in 1972, US
Forces-related revenue was 15.5% of the gross prefectural
income. In 2008, this ratio decreased to 5.3%. In contrast,
the tourism revenue increased from 6.5% in 1972 to 10.9% in
2008, which is more than twice the US Forces-related
revenue.
U.S.
Bases Destroyed Okinawa
There are an average of 23 incidents or accidents per month
in Okinawa,
including traffic-related. In addition, there are daily
aircraft noise emissions (at times exceeding 100db!) and
other adverse environmental impacts associated with the US
Forces training. For 66 years since the end of WWII, the
excessive weight of the vast US military bases on
Okinawa, and the numerous issues associated with them,
continue to weigh down heavily on the shoulders of the
citizens. These issues are challenges faced by the local
population every single day, in various aspects of their
daily lives.
Japan became a pacifist country with the 1947 constitution,
so America was obligated to protect Japan against foreign
threats. During the American military occupation of Japan
(1945–1952), which followed the Imperial Japanese surrender
on September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay, the United States
controlled Okinawa Island and the rest of the Ryukyu
Islands. The Amami Islands were returned to Japanese control
in 1953. The remaining Ryukyu Islands were returned to Japan
on June 17, 1971. America kept numerous U.S. military bases
on the islands. There are 32 United States military bases on
Okinawa Island by the U.S. and Japan alliance since 1951.
U.S. bases on Okinawa played critical roles in the Korean
War, Vietnam War, Laotian Civil War, Cambodian campaign, War
in Afghanistan, and Iraq War. Okinawa served as a prime
staging post for the aforementioned wars. Its ports and
airports were used to transport supplies. The base at Camp
Chinen, Nanjo City was used by the CIA for covert
operations.
Intense use of the island by the US military caused damage
to the environment and residents. There were oil and fuel
spills. Exposure to toxic substances caused illness of
service members such as a nerve agent leak in 1969. Aircraft
crashes, hit-and runs and murders killed residents. The
perpetrators were often unpunished, since they could not be
prosecuted in Okinawa Courts. The 1970s and 80s also had
severe pollution of waterways and wells with PFAS toxic
chemicals in foam used by fire fighting training at US
facilities such as Kadena Air Base.
The following is a PARTIAL LIST of
problems, in reverse chronological order, which occurred in
Okinawa as a direct result of the U.S. military bases or
American military personnel. This list represents a possible
future for Tanegashima.
Present
- Japan and the US reached an agreement
that 9,000 marines stationed on Okinawa will soon leave.
The marines will be moved to Guam, Hawaii, or Australia
to other military bases. Though the realignment has not
happened yet and is speculated to take place in 2024.
It is speculated the marines will
be moved to Mageshima Island.
November 8, 2022 - Since the
construction of the first American base in April 1945,
numerous issues have arisen in Okinawa about its adverse
environmental impact. Sexual assault allegations involving
military personnel have also set off alarm bells. The bases
have contaminated Okinawa’s drinking water with per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). If exposed, the substance
causes harm to the body’s immune system and hormones and
increases risk of cancer and cholesterol levels. Three main
sources have been linked back to the military bases-
firefighter training, aqueous film forming foam (AFFF)
leaks, and disposal of AFFF. There are traces of PFAS in
Okinawa’s water supply, exposing many Okinawans to the
substance. Along with environmental issues, residents in
Futenma have reported debris falling from the sky and
destroying their rooftops. Rowdy military drills disturb
residents across the island. Loud noise regularly comes from
planes and helicopters constantly flying. There have been
instances of helicopter and plane crashes on campuses and an
elementary school; one in 1959 where a jet crashed and
killed 18 people. Another occurred in 2016 when an Osprey
crashed off the coast of Abu, Nago City.
September 7, 2022 - Bill
Clinton promised to close the base in 1996. But plans for
more construction and a heightened focus on the Pacific put
the islands and their unique biodiversity at risk
indefinitely. ONE APRIL AFTERNOON in Tokyo, the U.S.
president made a welcome promise to reduce his military’s
presence in Okinawa. Three U.S. service members had raped a
12-year-old Okinawan girl the previous September, and
enraged locals had spent months protesting the Japanese
prefecture’s dense network of U.S. bases.
“When the Prime Minister asked us to consider the concerns
of the people of Okinawa and I became acquainted with them,
as a result of some of the unfortunate incidents that you
know well about,” said President Bill Clinton, standing side
by side with Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, in
the April 1996 speech, “it bothered me that these matters
had not been resolved before now, before this time.” His
administration agreed to close the Futenma Air Station, a
major Marine Corps base in the populous Okinawan city of
Ginowan, within five to seven years.
On Tuesday evening in Washington, 87 Okinawan and
international civil society groups will send a letter to the
House and Senate Armed Services Committees, urging the
Democratic Congress under President Joe Biden to at last
close the base. It has been more than 26 years since Clinton
promised a swift end to the Futenma Air Station, and the
Japanese and U.S. governments have spent the decades pushing
environmentally destructive plans for construction and
moving goalposts for their completion. As the years dragged
on, the likely timeline for Futenma’s closure pushed from
the original 2001-03 estimates to 2025, to 2035, to 2040, to
— as the letter’s authors argue — realistically, never.
2020
- In 2020, a water quality study by the Ministry of the
Environment found cancer inducing toxins (FOS, or
perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, and PFOA, or
perfluorooctanoic acid) at 37 water sources near U.S.
military bases and industrial areas which exceeded
national targets.
February 2019 - In February,
2019, a referendum for the citizens of Okinawa, over 70% of
voters - about 434,000 people - voted against the
construction of the new Henoko base. Following the results
of the referendum, Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe pushed
for an understanding by Okinawan citizens for the relocation
of the base. Some Okinawan voters have claimed to feel their
voices do not feel heard in Tokyo as the central government
still pushes for the move of the base to stay committed to
the security alliance between the US and Japan.
August 11, 2018 - About
70,000 individuals gathered in Naha, the Okinawa
Prefecture's capital in opposition to the moving of the
Futenma US Marine base to the Henoko Bay, a less populated
fishing village compared to Ginowan. The citizens of Okinawa
wanted the base moved entirely off of the island rather than
across. Environmental groups oppose the relocation to the
bay due to the potential harm to coral and dugongs in the
bay.
June 11,
2018 - F-15C from the 44th Fighter Squadron crashed
into the sea off Okinawa. The pilot was rescued by the JASDF
Air Rescue Wing Naha Detachment.
May 2016 - 20-year-old Rina
Shimabukuro, is raped and murdered by Kenneth Franklin
Gadson, a former Marine and civilian contractor who worked
at Kadena Air Base. This case prompted renewed protests
against the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. Gadson is
sentenced to life in prison.
May 28, 2013
- F-15C of the 44th Fighter Squadron crashed into
the ocean off Okinawa. The pilot ejected and was rescued by
the Air Rescue Wing Naha Detachment of the Japan Air
Self-Defense Force.
October 2012 - Two U.S.
military personnel, Seaman Christopher Browning of Athens,
Texas, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Skyler Dozierwalker of
Muskogee, Oklahoma, were found guilty by the Naha District
Court of raping and robbing a woman in her 20s in a parking
lot in October. Both admitted committing the crime. The case
outraged many Okinawans, a number of whom have long
complained of military-related crime on their island, which
hosts thousands of U.S. troops. It also sparked tougher
restrictions for all 50,000 U.S. military personnel in
Japan, including a curfew and drinking restrictions.
November 2009 - In November
2009, Staff Sgt. Clyde "Drew" Gunn, a U.S. Army soldier
stationed at Torii Station was involved in a hit-and-run
accident of a pedestrian in Yomitan Village on Okinawa.
Later, in April 2010, the soldier was charged with failing
to render aid and vehicular manslaughter. Staff Sgt. Gunn,
of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was eventually sentenced to
two years and eight months in jail on 15 October 2010.
August 13, 2004 - A US Marine
Corps CH-53D helicopter crashed into the Okinawa
International University. Although there were no injuries
involving the students and local residents in this
particular incident, the communities surrounding the Air
Station live with the constant anxiety of another aircraft
incident.
November 2, 2002 - U.S.
Marine Corps Major Michael Brown attempted an indecent
assault on a Filipina bartender in Okinawa, Japan. The
bartender accused Brown of attempting to rape her and of
throwing her cell phone into a nearby river; Brown denied
the rape charges.
September 4,
1995 - The 1995 Okinawa rape incident (Japanese:
沖縄米兵少女暴行事件) occurred on September 4, 1995, when three
U.S. servicemen, U.S. Navy Seaman Marcus Gill and U.S.
Marines Rodrico Harp and Kendrick Ledet, who were all
serving at Camp Hansen on Okinawa, rented a van and
kidnapped a 12-year-old Okinawan girl. They beat her,
duct-taped her eyes and mouth shut, and bound her hands.
Gill and Harp then raped her, while Ledet claimed he
only pretended to do so due to fear of Gill.
November 2, 1987 - RF-4C 66-0416 (15 TRS / 18 TFW) entered a
spin at 16,500 feet in a Whiskey area approximately 95 miles
Northeast of Kadena. Both crewmembers ejected. One
crewmembers body was never recovered. The other crewmember
survived.
December 20-21, 1970 - The
Koza riot (コザ暴動, Koza bōdō) was a violent and spontaneous
protest against the US military presence in Okinawa, which
occurred on the night of December 20, 1970, into the morning
of the following day. Roughly 5,000 Okinawans clashed with
roughly 700 American MPs in an event which has been regarded
as symbolic of Okinawan anger against 25 years of US
military occupation. In the riot, approximately 60 Americans
and 27 Okinawans were injured, 80 cars were burned, and
several buildings on Kadena Air Base were destroyed or
heavily damaged.
November 19, 1968 - B-52 of the 4252d Strategic Wing broke up
and caught fire after the aircraft aborted takeoff on an Arc
Light bombing mission to South Vietnam. 2 crewmen died of
their injuries.
June 11, 1965 - a six-ton
trailer was parachute dropped outside of the Yomitan Air
Base and resulted in the death of a young girl. This
incident was followed by a protest of 10,000 Okinawans
calling to stop all military activities on the island.
June 30, 1959 - An F-100 from
the wing crashed on Okinawa during a training flight after
suffering an engine fire. The pilot successfully ejected and
suffered no harm, but the aircraft crashed into a local
elementary school, killing 11 students plus six residents of
the nearby neighborhood, and injuring 210.
September 3,
1955 - The Yumiko-chan incident was the rape and
murder of six-year-old Japanese girl Yumiko Nagayama
(sometimes reported as Yumiko Arakaki) by American soldier
Sergeant Isaac J. Hurt in Kadena, Okinawa on 3 September
1955. Nagayama's body was found near Kadena Air Base during
the U.S. occupation of Okinawa, and an investigation led to
the conviction of 31-year-old Sergeant Hurt on charges of
murder, rape, and kidnapping.
