100 km from Taiwan "Border Island" Yonaguni 9 months December 23 17:53

It was in April this year that I visited Yonaguni Island for the first time.

Since then, various changes have come to the island in quick succession, and we have been reporting each time.

2000 km away from Tokyo.

About 110 kilometers from Taiwan.

Recorded 9 months of "Border Island".

(Okinawa Broadcasting Station reporter Chisa Kotemori)

Call center and Self-Defense Forces

About 1 hour southwest from Naha Airport by propeller plane.

Shortly after passing over Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island, you will see an island with steep cliffs along the coast.

Yonaguni Island, the westernmost island of Japan.

The population is about 1,700.

It's a small island that can be circumnavigated in about an hour by car, but visitors can enjoy a variety of landscapes, such as the sea, mountains, and horses roaming the meadows.

It is also famous as the setting for popular dramas and movies about clinics on remote islands.

I visited in April to cover the topic of opening a call center on the island.

The only resort hotel on the island was closed due to the new corona, and it was a rare attempt to use the building as a call center.

The establishment of a call center will encourage the migration of young people who work as staff, and will trigger an increase in the population.

Strangely enough, the word "Self-Defense Forces" came to the minds of the islanders as they expressed their expectations.

to stop depopulation

Yonaguni Mayor Kenichi Itokazu, who attended the opening ceremony, was proud.

Kenichi Itokazu, Mayor of Yonaguni Town

“I thought Yonaguni needed two things. One was the Self-Defense Forces, and the other was optical fiber. deeply emotional."

There is also a restaurant clerk who pointed the microphone.

“We welcome the call center because it will increase the population. I hear that the number of members of the Self-Defense Forces will increase in the future, so I think it will be fun to have more members at festivals.”

In Yonaguni Island, "call center" and "Self-Defense Forces" were talked about in the same context.

When I looked into it, there was a reason for that.

The “Island Split” Argument

Yonaguni Island was once described as "an island protected by two handguns".

It means that the pistols of the two police officers assigned to the police station are the only weapons that protect the island.

It was in the latter half of the 2000s that a plan to deploy the Self-Defense Forces on the island was raised.

Residents were divided into pro- and anti-invitation groups, and an argument arose to divide the island in two.

At the time, proponents argued that the Self-Defense Forces were a means to stop depopulation.

At the time, the invitation of the Self-Defense Forces was seen as a catalyst for regional revitalization for the islanders, who had suffered from a constant population decline.

In the referendum held in 2015, junior high school students and above and five permanent foreign residents were also eligible to vote, and the result was 632 votes in favor and 445 votes against, which outweighed the opposition.

The following year, when a garrison was established on the island, the Self-Defense Forces steadily put down roots on the island.

Children of JOCVs began attending elementary schools on the island.

Local events also became lively, and with the passage of time, public debate over the Self-Defense Forces became less visible.

Anguish of fishermen

August 2nd, four months after the call center coverage.

On the night that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed at the airport in Taiwan, I was looking at Twitter at my home in Naha when a Chinese media account posted an image of a map.

It is said that China will conduct military exercises to surround Taiwan.

If you zoom in on the map, you can see that two training areas were set up to sandwich Yonaguni Island from the north and south.

I hurriedly decided to go on a business trip to the island.

We arrived on the island in the afternoon of the 3rd.

It's the day before practice starts.

When I first headed to the fisheries cooperative, I found Mr. Shigenori Takanishi, the head of the cooperative, holding his head with a fax paper in his hand.

According to a document that has just arrived from the Japan Coast Guard, the planned shooting drills will take place in two areas, 64 kilometers northwest of Yonaguni Island and 60 kilometers southwest of Hateruma Island.

One of them is only about 30 kilometers away from where fishing boats usually operate.

Shigenori Takanishi, head of the union

, said, "It's a matter of life and death not being able to fish, but the degree of danger is immeasurable. I don't know when to give instructions to stop fishing."

Mr. Takanishi did not call for people to refrain from fishing that day.

No information in town

At the town hall, the staff of the general affairs section were gathering information on the internet news.

Even in the evening, there was no provision of information from the national or prefectural governments.

Even Mayor Itokazu couldn't hide his frustration.

Kenichi Itokazu, Mayor of Yonaguni Town

“There is no information from the national government or the prefecture, and there is no instruction on what to do. to"

It is said that more than 40 companies, including foreign media, have visited the mayor of Itokazu to cover the risk of a “Taiwan emergency”.

The mayor, who is in charge of the safety of the residents on the "border island" that can be the front line, has a great sense of crisis.

The same thing could happen in a real "emergency" -- the chief of the fishermen's cooperative association and the town mayor shared their concern that the island would be left behind in terms of information.

On the 4th, I learned from a Chinese media report that the exercise had started.

As long as I'm on the island, I can't hear any explosions or smoke.

The scenery was the same as usual.

6 ballistic missiles were fired

Things moved into the night.

Shortly after 8:30 p.m., information came in that a Chinese ballistic missile had landed in Japan's EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).

In addition, although outside the EEZ, some fell about 80 kilometers from the island.

Six missiles were fired around the island.

Moreover, at the time of the announcement, about five hours had passed since the impact.

At an extraordinary board meeting of the fisheries cooperative held at dawn, participants continued to make remarks that could be interpreted as both anger and anxiety.

"I thought it was just to send a ship to the training area, but it's an exercise to land in the sea area."

"Isn't there a possibility that missiles will fall on the island if trouble is caused?"

"The fishermen's cooperative cannot compensate for their income. The only option is to 'self-restraint' from fishing."

There have been sightings of vessels believed to be Chinese.

Still, experienced fishermen were shaken by the missiles flying over Taiwan from the mainland.

One day, their workplace is suddenly exposed to danger.

On the island, rising sea tensions directly affect people's lives.

On the 7th, four days of military exercises ended.

After that, no more missiles came flying, and fishing returned to normal.

American troops came to the island

In autumn, the movement on the island became hectic.

In late October, the Japan-U.S. Joint Committee approved the use of Camp Yonaguni by U.S. forces.

It is said to be part of the Japan-U.S. joint exercise "Keen Sword".

I heard from a US military official that the military wanted to train on Yonaguni Island.

Still, I didn't expect it to surface so quickly.

In the training that began in early November, about 40 U.S. Marines landed on GSDF helicopters at the garrison and practiced setting up a command post.

On yet another day, the Self-Defense Forces maneuver combat vehicles were driven on public roads.

Military vehicles equipped with heavy weapons advanced on the road in front of the store, where only light vehicles were usually running.

This is the first time for both of these to happen on the island, which until just a few years ago had "two guns."

Upheaval felt by residents

Many of the residents who were able to hear the story expressed their confusion.

Several people said, "Even those who were in favor of attracting the Self-Defense Forces are shaken by the rapid change in the situation."

Another resident said, "When the garrison was built, I said to the opposition, 'It's much better than the Americans coming.' I never thought it would turn out like this." .

At the end of November, immediately after the Japan-U.S. drills, the first evacuation drill was scheduled to simulate a ballistic missile attack.

However, according to the person in charge of the town, participants did not gather as expected.

It is said that the residents withdrew due to a series of exercises.

On the other hand, November was also the time when Yonaguni Island held a festival called "Machiri" to pray for the continuation and prosperity of the island.

Town officials say they were hesitant to openly publicize the "missile drill" during the sacred festival.

In the end, the scale of the training was reduced from the original plan, with more than 20 people from some districts participating.

how to protect yourself from missiles

Residents received a lecture on how to protect themselves from missiles that day.

Many of the participants said, "I was able to confirm what to do in an emergency."

On the other hand, there were many residents who had doubts about its meaning.

“For example, we have time to prepare for a typhoon, but a missile is like a powerful typhoon coming in 10 minutes.

"I'm not saying I'm against or in favor of the training, but I don't think we can protect the townspeople even if we do things like this now."

It was only a few months ago that missiles flew around the island.

There are no shelters on the island.

Can you protect yourself when a missile comes flying?

This is a real question for residents.

A wish common to the islanders

How do residents perceive the changes taking place on the island?

We listened carefully to both positive and negative stances.

Hirotoshi Ogimi, a fisherman, was interviewed as a positive faction.

Mr. Ogimi, who has been in the position of promoting the attraction of the Self-Defense Forces garrison, expressed his concern that the island would once again be divided in two.

Mr. Hirotoshi Ogimi, a fisherman:

“What I want to say to the government is to explain the information to the islanders. I don't want the island to be divided in two like it was when the Self-Defense Forces were invited.I want the islanders to feel safe."

On top of that, he says he understands the feelings of those who are increasingly concerned about the strengthening of defense capabilities.

Mr. Hirotoshi Ogimi, fisherman:

“The reality is that many people died in the Battle of Okinawa. However, I believe that it is precisely because of the presence of the Self-Defense Forces that Japan has maintained its deterrence, and because of the presence of the U.S. military, we are able to live peacefully without going to war.”

On the other hand, Mr. Ryuzo Ikema, a former teacher, interviewed as a negative stance.

Measures to avoid war, he says, have not been sufficiently discussed.

Ryuzo Ikema, Former Teacher:

“I don’t think defense capability is unnecessary. It is said that strengthening power will protect the country, but if tensions rise, the residents will have to leave. I am thinking"

Ikema emphasized that all the islanders are in the same position when it comes to wanting peace.

Former teacher Ryuzo Ikema:

“I think we all have the same goal. We may be walking in different ways, but we all have one thing in common: no one wants to go to war. I think it's important for everyone to share their wisdom."

Looking back, on the island, people rarely hear loud voices of "for" or "against."

Even though I felt a concrete threat in front of me, I was moved by the thought of the residents, who said that they should search for points of commonality rather than confrontation on a small island.

Changing island scenery

December 13th, when the interview ended.

When I arrived at Yonaguni Airport, the Self-Defense Forces transport helicopter was about to take off.

It is said that the members of the Self-Defense Forces who participated in the Japan-US joint exercise "Yamasakura" that had been held until this day are on board.

In the departure lobby of the airport, a foreign man believed to be related to the US military was seen off by a member of the Self-Defense Forces.

On December 16, the government approved three documents on security.

In relation to Okinawa, the 15th Brigade of the Ground Self-Defense Force, which is headquartered in Naha City, will be reinforced and reorganized into a "division", and the troops on Miyako Island and Ishigaki Island (a garrison will be established in 2023) will be attacked by the enemy. It includes the deployment of missiles.

Yonaguni Town is making its own preparations.

The parliament has enacted an ordinance to set up a fund that could be used to support the livelihoods of those evacuated off the island when tensions rise.

As with disasters, preparations have begun to regard emergencies as something that could actually occur.

Over the past nine months, I have witnessed a steady stream of change on Yonaguni Island.

Will the speed increase further?

Okinawa Broadcasting Station reporter

Chisa Kotemori joined the station

in 2017.

After working at Gifu Broadcasting Station, she has been in charge of reporting on the economy and the US military

since September 2020 .