Fantastic Okinawa Henoko construction dispute Get ready, get set, and hit your favorite beach! Governor Onaga orders stop to Henoko seabed survey By Bill Charles W inter’s now simply a word in the diction- ary, as Okinawa’ s temperatures are now inviting short sleeve shirts, the water is getting warmer, and prac- tically everyone is ready for something new and adventurous. That, of course, means a trip to a beach! Good thing, because the beaches on Okinawa’ s main island are opening, and it’s time to break out the sun tan lotion, the beach towels and loungers, and recreational toys. Manza Beach Resort was first off the block, opening earlier this month. Manza Beach Resort was the season’s first to open its white sandy beach. So did Sun Marina, and Uppama Beach in Nakijin. Chura Sun Beach in Tomigusuku City opens Monday. Sunday’s the first really big day, though, as JAL Okuma Beach opens, as does Bibi Beach in Itoman. On April 1st there’s another spurt as Resonex Nago, Nabi Beach in Onna, and Zanpa Beach in Yomitan are ready for action, followed on the 4th by Kise Beach in Nago. Nishihara Marine Park in Nishihara opens on the 5th. Tropical Beach in Ginowan opens April 10th, as does Sunset Beach in Chatan. Zamami Beaches on Zamami Island open the 11th. On April 18th 21st Century Forest Beach in Nago starts having visitor feet on their sands, while Azama San San Beach in Nanjo, Ikei Beach on Ikei Island in Uruma City, and Aharen Beach on Tokashiki Island are open for business the 19th. For those who still aren’t quite ready, there’s plenty of time to get into some new swim togs or bikinis for the upcoming beach season, as Naminoue Beach in Naha City, and Miyako Maehama Beach Tokyu Resort open soon. Military beaches at Torii Station, Okuma Joint Recreation Center, White Beach and Oura Wan at Camp Schwab are open, but life guards will not be on duty until varying dates in April. Rental equipment hours on the base facilities are limited. There are numerous civilian and military beaches on Okinawa, many of which are extremely popular: Azama Beach hours are 9 a.m. ~ 6 p.m. until June 30th, and from July first 9 a.m. ~ 7 p.m. It has barbeque setups for rent. Foods are available to barbeque at Continues on page 2 U pping the ante over the dispute over the construction of the replacement facility to MCAS Futenma off Camp Schwab in Henoko, Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga has ordered the Okinawa Defense Bureau to stop all offshore work at the site including the seabed drilling survey. Onaga said at his Monday afternoon press conference that he issued a written order to the Okinawa Defense Bureau to halt the work by the end of March. He warned the bureau that he might revoke altogether the landfill permission given by the previous prefectural administration, if the government refuses to stop, and would take the case to the courts, if necessary. Onaga wants the work to stop until the pre- fectural government is able to asses the damage to the coral reefs at the site caused by several large concrete blocks that were dropped into the ocean floor to anchor buoys marking the construction area. And that’s exactly what seems to be happening as Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday in Tokyo that the government would not stop any part of the construction regardless of steps that the Okinawa Prefectural Government might take. The central government’s position is that it discussed the plan in detail and got permission from the previous prefectural government to install the blocks. On the U.S. side, State Dept. spokes- woman Marie Harf said at a regular press conference Monday that it’s the depart- ment’s understanding that the construction project “will proceed as planned.” She added that, "It's also a critical step toward realizing our shared vision for the realign- ment of U.S. forces on Okinawa." According to Jiji Press, she was also asked if the U.S. Government had any con- cerns about the environmental impact of the relocation, to which she answered, "To my understanding, we don’t." One after another Okinawa's public and resort beaches, like Manza Beach in this picture, open full-time for season's visitors. Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga is on a collision course with the central government in Tokyo over the Henoko construction. Mar. 26, 2015 - Apr. 01, 2015 www.japanupdate.com ¥150 Fantastic Okinawa Local News Classifieds Okinawan Culture Weather JU Weekly Raffle Events this week English Lesson Horoscope Recipe