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most distant and poorest prefecture.  Japan as a whole

enjoys the benefits of being defended by America (a multi-

billion-dollar financial savings to Japanese taxpayers)

while Okinawa bears the burden.  The two countries have,

consciously or not, colluded against the island.

In the aftermath of the 1995 rape incident, the

American and Japanese governments did feel sufficient pres-

sure to create the Special Action Committee on Okinawa

(SACO), which developed 28 separate initiatives to ease

the burden of America's military presence.29   But the most

important measure, land reversion (in theory, Washington

agreed to return 21 percent of the property under its con-

trol), will result in only modest changes even if it is

implemented.  Worse, most of the measure remains stalled

because of the difficulty of finding alternative facili-

ties.  The reality is that no one in mainland Japan wants

more American bases there.30

Ota complains: "Most of the Diet members have little

concern for the people of Okinawa.  They would never

accept military bases in their hometowns."31   Okinawa sends

only 8 people to a Diet of more than 500 members.  Many

Okinawans believe former prime minister Hashimoto hoped he

could wish away the problem by simply rearranging the

bases on the island.  For instance, his government pro-

posed replacing Futenma--over the next five to seven

years--with a floating heliport off the city of Nago.

The Heliport Nonsolution

In an attempt to influence Nago city residents in

last December's referendum on the project, Hashimoto

offered substantial economic aid and promised lucrative

construction contracts; building firms flew employees back

home to vote.  The government put out a fancy professional

propaganda brochure in favor of the proposal, and

Okinawan-born members of the Self-Defense Agency went door

to door to promote the plan.  Hashimoto simultaneously

threatened to end $150 million in aid to Okinawa and

warned that "nothing will change," that is, Futenma will

not close, if voters say no.32   Professor Kimiko Miyagi of

Meio University calls that an "attempt at blackmail."33

The city also attempted to obscure the issue by offering

four instead of two choices.  The measure raised a host of

issues, including environmental concerns.  Citizen

activists waged a fierce campaign against the heliport,

even producing an inexpensive parody of the government's

brochure.