Happy New Year from Henoko-Oura Bay

Happy New Year!

On New Year's Day 2019, some 360 people gathered at the Henoko beach to join the Hachi ukushi (first day of working or of rising) ceremony, celebrating the beginning of the year of the boar.

Traditionally, people in Okinawa hold the Hachi ukushi to pray for the safety and good health of farmers, fisherman, artisans, and community members and a good harvest, good catch, and good yielding in the year. We hold this traditional Hachi ukushi on the send or third day of the first month of the year in the lunar calendar.

The Hachi ukushi ceremony at Henoko is a little different from traditional ones, but it serves ultimately the same purposes. We prayed to the Nirai kanai no kami (gods of the outer world beyond the sea) that the U.S. military base would not be built in Henoko-Oura Bay so that the natural environment that provides us with food and livelihood would remain intact. We prayed that peace would prevail in the world without war so that people all over the world would enjoy a truly safe and healthy living.

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Report of 「ジュゴンでトレイン！」 (Ride on the train with Dugong!)

Many people sent the photographs and the messages to us

from Tokyo


Tokyo,Tsu(Mie),Takaraduka(Hyogo)


Honolulu(Hawaii),Okinawa,Henoko(Okinawa)


Miyako(Okinawa),Naha(Okinawa)


Thank you

Okinawa Governor's Visit to Washington DC: Our Analysis

from Okinawa Environmental Justice Project
February 15, 2017

Okinawa Governor's Visit to Washington DC: Our Analysis
From January 30 to February 5, Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga, accompanied by a delegation of “All-Okinawa Kaigi (conference),” visited Washington D.C. It was his third visit to the center of U.S. power since he took over the office of Governor in November 2014.

Just like in his previous visits, the purpose of his visit this time was to ask those on Capitol Hill to cancel the plan to relocate the U.S. Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City to Henoko and Oura Bay in Nago City. Throughout his visit, he emphasized that the people of Okinawa continue to oppose the construction a new base there (the Henoko plan) and that he would use all his administrative power and means to stop the construction.

How did Governor Onaga’s visit go? What would Governor Onaga and the people of Okinawa do next? Here are our reviews and analysis.

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WCC Report 2: Hawaii-Okinawa to the world: Friendship Formed

In addition to attending the congress, we interacted with the members of Hawaii Okinawa Alliance (HOA) based in Honolulu. HOA is a group which advocates justice, democracy and peace in Okinawa, Hawaii and the world. “HOA” means a friend or comrade in Hawaiian.

Sep1 A learning assembly was sponsored by HOA and other local organizations.
Our international director Hideki Yoshikawa made a presentation on the planned construction of a base at Henoko. (An Okinawan politician) Takuma Higashionna and
(A leader of sit-in protest) Hiroshi Ashitomi also talked about their activities. Furthermore, our representative Yutaka Umisedo livened up the meeting with his song performance.






Sep4 Dozens of people including HOA members gathered in front of the convention center, calling:“IUCN should bring up the issue of environmental destruction by militaries for discussion!” We ,SDCC members),also joined them with banners in our hands.

WCC Report :Call for Implementation of IUCN Resolution

SDCC members have attended 6th World Conservation Congress (WCC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We published the report collecttion of the WCC.
Next report is about IUCN Resolution.

Stop the Reclamation of Henoko & Oura Bay, Okinawa, Japan!
Call for Implementation of IUCN Resolution to Strengthen Provisions on Invasive Alien Species

At the 6th World Conservation Congress (WCC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the motion 17: Strengthening pathway management of alien species in island ecosystems, made by 6 Japanese environmental organizations (Note 1), was adopted on August 31 (Japan time). The vote was 80 ayes, 2 noes, and 74 abstentions among the government-related entities, and 459 ayes, 24 noes, and 204 abstentions among the NGO-related entities. The motion was adopted by a majority in both cases (Note 2). The Japanese and U.S. Governments abstained from voting. This is the 4th recommendation and resolution, following those made in 2000, 2004, and 2008. The governor of Okinawa Takeshi Onaga, commented: “The resolution is highly favorable” and “ I would like the governments to take the repeated recommendations seriously and to abandon the plan to reclaim the beautiful sea of Henoko.”

Introduction of Invasive alien species is a serious threat to biodiversity. Aichi Biodiversity Target 9 was decided in 2010 at the10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, hosted by Japan. It states that: “By 2020, prioritized invasive alien species are controlled or eradicated, and measures are in place to manage pathways to prevent their introduction and establishment.” In 2012, it was resolved at the 5th IUCN WCC, held in Jeju, Korea. The government of Japan proposed and decided Aichi Target. On the other hand, the same government is planning to transfer 17 million cubic meters of soil and rock from mainland Japan and two islands, Amamioshima and Tokunoshima, to the planned construction site of the United States Marine Corp Facility at Henoko. How can it be allowed?

The Ministry of the Environment acknowledges that the Argentine ant, one of the invasive alien species, is widespread in Hiroshima and Setouchi, planned sites of landfill materials’ extraction. It can affect the crops, such as pineapples and sugar canes. Okinawa Defense Bureau of the Ministry of Defense commented irresponsibly: “As for the measures against alien species, we leave it all to contractors”.
The resolution specifies the concrete measures such as follows:
a. requests the IUCN to strengthen capacity in early detection and monitoring of invasive alien species;
b. urges the Government of Japan to develop methods for early detection of alien species in landfill materials prior to their transfer to Henoko;
c. Invites the Government of the United States to minimize the impact of alien species establishing themselves in Okinawa, in collaboration with the Government of Japan.
Dr. Mariko Abe, the Nature Conservation Society of Japan, explains: ”This resolution is not only about the landfill materials. It is to prevent all kinds of alien species.”

The Government of Japan is contrary to the world opinion and commented: “The resolution of the IUCN is just an opinion of scientists”, and “We are not bound by the resolution”. At the IUCN World Conservation Congress, we have collected signatures of 1513 people from 82 countries to call for implementation of motion 17, which demands strengthening the measures against alien species, and the recommendations and resolution adopted 3 times previously .
Our planned activities include holding brief sessions, negotiations with the Prefecture of Okinawa and the Government of Japan, and submission of the signatures. We will prove that the reclamation of Henoko and Oura Bay is scientifically against Aichi Target.

Note 1: 6 organizations are: the Nature Conservation Society of Japan, Save the Dugong Campaign Center, WWF Japan, Wild Bird Society of Japan, Ramsar Network Japan, and Japan Wildlife Conservation Society.
Note 2: A motion is adopted when the vote achieves a majority in each of the government-related entities and the NGO-related entities. Abstentions are not counted as the votes cast.


Dr. Mariko Abe