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

Winter’s now simply aword in the diction-ary, as Okinawa’ stemperatures are now

inviting short sleeve shirts, thewater is getting warmer, and prac-tically everyone is ready forsomething new and adventurous.

That, of course, means a tripto a beach!

Good thing, because thebeaches on Okinawa’ s mainisland are opening, and it’s timeto break out the sun tan lotion, thebeach towels and loungers, andrecreational toys. Manza BeachResort was first off the block,opening earlier this month. ManzaBeach Resort was the season’sfirst to open its white sandybeach. So did Sun Marina, andUppama Beach in Nakijin. ChuraSun Beach in Tomigusuku Cityopens Monday.

Sunday’s the first really bigday, though, as JAL OkumaBeach opens, as does Bibi Beachin Itoman. On April 1st there’sanother spurt as Resonex Nago,Nabi Beach in Onna, and ZanpaBeach in Yomitan are ready foraction, followed on the 4th byKise Beach in Nago. NishiharaMarine Park in Nishihara openson the 5th.

Tropical Beach in Ginowanopens April 10th, as does SunsetBeach in Chatan. ZamamiBeaches on Zamami Island openthe 11th. On April 18th 21stCentury Forest Beach in Nagostarts having visitor feet on theirsands, while Azama San SanBeach in Nanjo, Ikei Beach onIkei Island in Uruma City, andAharen Beach on TokashikiIsland are open for business the19th.

For those who still aren’t

quite ready, there’s plenty of timeto get into some new swim togs orbikinis for the upcoming beachseason, as Naminoue Beach inNaha City, and Miyako MaehamaBeach Tokyu Resort open soon.

Military beaches at ToriiStation, Okuma Joint RecreationCenter, White Beach and OuraWan at Camp Schwab are open,but life guards will not be on dutyuntil varying dates in April.

Rental equipment hours on thebase facilities are limited.

There are numerous civilianand military beaches on Okinawa,many of which are extremelypopular:

Azama Beach hours are 9a.m. ~ 6 p.m. until June 30th, andfrom July first 9 a.m. ~ 7 p.m. Ithas barbeque setups for rent.Foods are available to barbeque at

Continues on page 2

Upping the ante over the disputeover the construction of thereplacement facility to MCASFutenma off Camp Schwab in

Henoko, Okinawa Governor TakeshiOnaga has ordered the Okinawa DefenseBureau to stop all offshore work at the siteincluding the seabed drilling survey.

Onaga said at his Monday afternoonpress conference that he issued a writtenorder to the Okinawa Defense Bureau tohalt the work by the end of March. Hewarned the bureau that he might revokealtogether the landfill permission given bythe previous prefectural administration, ifthe government refuses to stop, and wouldtake 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 causedby several large concrete blocks that weredropped into the ocean floor to anchorbuoys marking the construction area.

And that’s exactly what seems to behappening as Chief Cabinet SecretaryYoshihide Suga said Monday in Tokyothat the government would not stop anypart of the construction regardless of stepsthat the Okinawa Prefectural Governmentmight take.

The central government’s position isthat it discussed the plan in detail and gotpermission from the previous prefecturalgovernment to install the blocks.

On the U.S. side, State Dept. spokes-woman Marie Harf said at a regular pressconference Monday that it’s the depart-ment’s understanding that the construction

project “will proceed as planned.” Sheadded that, "It's also a critical step towardrealizing our shared vision for the realign-ment of U.S. forces on Okinawa."

According to Jiji Press, she was alsoasked if the U.S. Government had any con-cerns about the environmental impact ofthe relocation, to which she answered, "Tomy 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 acollision course with the central governmentin Tokyo over the Henoko construction.

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Manza Beach Resort has something for everyone

ANA Intercontinental ManzaBeach Resort offers a huge beachattraction called “Ocean Park”, afun playground for kids through

adults, as well as a huge number of marinesports activities including Jet Skis, DragonBoats, pleasure cruises, and a movingaquarium.

Submarine Jr. is a very good experi-ence for kids and a good study of oceanlife. There’s also the popular Flyboard,which offers much, much more fun! Someactivities require reservations in advance,and details are available on the resort web-site http://www.anaintercontinental-manza.jp/.

Yoshio Kaneko the marketing chiefsays, “We welcome all regardless ofnationality to enjoy all of our facilities andequipment. Just come and have fun at thebeach, pamper your palate with a delicious

meal, relax in the spa or just have a goodtime at the poolside. We are happy to beable to help you relax and have a good timeat our resort. I’m looking forward to yourvisit for a special time with us!”

Manza Beach Resort has available anumber of overnight or longer-term stays,and features restaurant cuisines that include

Salvatore Cuomo & Bar, which servesfresh oven Napoli Pizza, Ryukyu style din-ing, and local delicacies. The Urumo Spa isdesigned for making relaxation time, andthe beach side Bar Wavy also creates a spe-cial relaxing atmosphere.

ANA Intercontinental Manza Beach athttp://goo.gl/maps/ Nqqak.

Get ready for beach seasonContinued from page 1a cost of ¥1,000~¥1,200 per person. Reservations are requiredtwo days in advance. To visit Azama Sun Sun Beach, fromKadena Air Base get on the Okinawa Expressway at OkinawaMinami and head south to the Haebaru Minami IC. It’s a simple20 minutes by car from there, and signs are posted.

Naminoue Beach is Naha’s pride and joy, located betweenthe city’s two primary seaports. There are actually two beach-es—one city owned, one private—available for use. The city’sNaminoue Beach is small, but safe and secure. Swimming areasare roped in and protected from water sports enthusiasts, jet skisand kayaks. Lifeguards are on duty daily from sunrise to sunset.Food stands are available within a few meters of the beach.Restrooms and showers are available, and both beaches havesmooth, sandy beach. Travel south on Highway 58 to Naha,looking for signs for the right hand turn to Naminoue Beach in

the heart of the city.Araha Beach is open daily 9 a.m. ~ 6:30 p.m. this season.

It’s located in Araha Park Chatan, close to Hamby areas famousfor weekend night markets. Beachside promenades and a luxuri-ous field are well maintained, and exactly what’s good for chil-dren playing beachside. It’s a popular beach both with familiesand couples. A full-scale sailing boat is placed in front of thebeach, where white sands continue about 600 meters.

Tropical Beach is located at Ginowan Seaside Park, justsouth of Camp Foster. It sits next to the Okinawa ConventionCenter, and offers a clean beach and breakwaters area, as well aspicnic tables. Barbeques are allowed, and the beach facilityoffers grill rentals, as well as a host of other beach necessities andtents. Restrooms are available. Opening hours are 9 a.m. ~ 9:30p.m. with swimming 9 a.m. ~ 7 p.m.Travel south on Highway 58to the Okinawa Convention Center bypass (or north, from CampKinser). The ANA Laguna Garden Hotel and the ConventionCenter are landmarks for the nearby beach. Parking is limited atthe beach, but ample parking is available about two blocks away.

Manza Beach Ocean Park is a floating playgound for kids and adults alike.

Manza Beach Resort has long been alandmark at the Onna coast.

The atrium lobby of the hotel is uniquelyshaped to resemble a cruise ship.