Okinawa Likely To Lose Henoko Landfill Lawsuit
Japan's highest court is likely to rule against Okinawa Prefecture in a lawsuit over a landfill project that is needed for the relocation of a US base there.
The prospect emerged as the Supreme Court's First Petty Bench now says it will issue a ruling on March 26 without holding a hearing. Hearings are needed when the top court reverses lower court rulings.
Okinawa's prefectural government is opposed to the relocation of the base and has filed lawsuits seeking to stop landfill work off the Henoko district of Nago City.
The purpose of the landfill work is to build runways that would replace the US Marine Corps Air Station in Futenma, which is located in a densely-populated area of Ginowan City in Okinawa.
In 2013, then Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima approved the landfill project, but his successor, Takeshi Onaga, revoked the approval in 2015.
The central government then filed a lawsuit against Okinawa and won the suit.
In 2018, Okinawa again cancelled approval for the reclamation work. After the central government's land minister invalidated that step, Okinawa filed a lawsuit, arguing that the minister's decision represents a judgment of a member of the Cabinet that is not neutral and is illegal.
Last October, the Fukuoka High Court's Naha branch dismissed Okinawa's argument, saying it cannot be said that the land minister abandoned a neutral position.
It also said the case is not subject to legal action, citing the rule of the local autonomy law. Okinawa appealed to the Supreme Court.
Okinawa has filed a separate suit, arguing that it was illegal for the land minister to nullify its cancellation of its approval for land reclamation. The Naha District Court is handling the suit.
In 1996, the governments of Japan and the United States agreed to close the Futenma air station once alternative facilities became available.
