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On March 29 and 30, President Banri Kaieda paid a visit to Okinawa Prefecture. On the first day of his visit he held a meeting with Governor Hirokazu Nakaima of Okinawa Prefecture. On the second day of the visit he engaged in a vigorous round of visits within the prefecture, including to the National Cemetery for the War Dead, the region surrounding Futenma Air Station, and Naha Port and Airport, which together serve as an international logistics hub. He was accompanied on the visit by Chair of the Administration Committee Koichi Takemasa.
In the meeting with Governor Nakaima, in his opening remarks the governor stated “On behalf of the people of Okinawa I would like to thank you for the efforts made during the DPJ Administration, which resulted in approximately 300 billion yen being allocated for the promotion of development in the prefecture, as well as efforts to promote the use of land returned from U.S. bases and to reform the taxation system. We would like to continue to seek your cooperation towards improving and resolving issues relating to U.S. bases in Okinawa.” In response, Kaieda stated “Although we are now the opposition party, our desire to help and support Okinawa remains unchanged. We will continue to make every effort to resolve the various issues that Okinawa faces.”
After meeting with Governor Nakaima and visiting various locations around the prefecture, Kaieda was asked by members of the press for his impressions following the visit. Kaieda stated “With regard to the issue of the relocation of Futenma Air Station, the DPJ believes that this issue must be achieved without delay. Henoko has been mentioned as an appropriate site for relocation, but we must make efforts to gain the understanding of the local community and residents.” Also, with regard to the fact that although the prefecture has a growing younger population it still faces a number of economic challenges, Kaieda noted that “The lump-sum subsidies system for Okinawa was introduced during the DPJ Administration. Even though the administration has now changed, this system remains in place and the governor has expressed his appreciation for it. Although we are currently the opposition party we will continue to work to ensure that this system is robust and well-developed in terms of its content.”
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