“Benefits of nature, a national park” 
Protecting the equal rights that our people should enjoy.
Who owns the sea?


We have filed an administrative lawsuit against Okinawa Prefecture to cancel the development authorization. 
The Okinawa Prefecture's development permission regarding the hotel development (Halekulani Okinawa / Mitsui Fudosan) carried out in the National Park of Onna Village in Okinawa Prefecture is wrong (if it were under the jurisdiction of the Environment Agency, the latter responded it would not permit it). We call for the cancellation of illegal development approvals. In Okinawa, which boasts one of the richest natural environments in Japan, the nature to be protected is being destroyed daily by over-exploitation of Okinawa Prefecture. 
The benefits of “Japanese nature” are equally entitled to the people. Why is there illegal development despite the fact that nature protection is regulated by law? 
Though Okinawa tends to hide the impact of US military related news, hotel development issues are very serious. We want you to know the actual situation.





Why did we sue Okinawa Prefecture?

How this administrative lawsuit came about 
This development project was announced to the residents one month before the construction started.
We went to the Onna Village public office and the Okinawa prefecture several times to ask for discussion and explanation, submitted a written opinion to the Okinawa Prefecture Governor through our lawyer, etc., did anything we could. We even submitted to Okinawa Prefecture a request for reconsideration.In case the request for reconsideration is dismissed, we can obtain the right to file a suit. 
The request for reconsideration, which usually takes about half a year to finish, was abnormally prolonged. The Okinawa Prefecture delayed the answer, thus our lawsuit was delayed, whereas the development advanced. 
How come it is so hard for us to protect our living environment and claim our rights... 
The situation was already difficult from the beginning.


Illegality of development authorization, infringement of people's rights
<The illegal points> * Refer to the letter of complaint for details. 
The development approval does not correspond to the “housing” business within the national park, that it does not meet the authorization requirements, and violates the view.

If we do not start a trial, Okinawa Prefecture will continue to grant the wrong authorization as this time. 
Although Okinawa Prefecture has the authority to grant development approval in the national park which should be preserved, which the Minister of the Environment designated as "National park", it doesn't mean that Okinawa Prefecture can issue a development permit according its own law different from that of the Environment Agency. This interpretation does not work.
It would be then possible to construct hotels without limit. The coastline becomes more and more crowded with hotels, blocking the sea like a wall, and companies and only a small number of individuals monopolize Okinawa's natural benefits.

Primarily, development needs to be linked with the area and be understood by people who live in the area. The administration did not pay attention to the area and did not respect the rights of people living in the area that would be affected by the development. It was not fair. 
Not all developments are wrong. It is important to listen to the voices of the area to maximize the possibility of revitalizing the area and making it better.

Protecting the national park, environmental destruction
Quasi-National Park is an outstanding natural landscape area that is representative of the landscape of our country, and is an area designated for conservation by the Minister of the Environment. 
In Onna village, all coastlines are national parks (※ except for a part of Minami Onna. Onna communication site of Minami Onna should have been designated as a national park when it was returned from the US Army to Okinawa in 1995 but it was not). The beautiful coastline is a national property that Okinawa boasts.
The purpose of use is limited by the law called the Natural Park Law, and we must strive in each position to ensure the excellent protection of nature and its proper use. It is not permitted to do illegal development that violates the law or deviates from its authority. 
We need to think more about how to protect the natural environment destroyed by development, such as carrying out drainage business, having consideration for air pollution, taking measures against noise and so on.

High risk of "Bubble tourism industry"
Efforts focused on attracting tourists only, development left to speed without sufficient verification, all of these development aspects involve a variety of risks. 
Last year in Okinawa Prefecture, one staff member has approved more than 80 developments , and according to the person in charge, with this huge amount of work it is difficult to see the details of all the developments one by one.

Are Japanese laws not as good as foreign countries'?
The trial of a national park related development was the first one in the country, and it was also the first time that Okinawa prefecture was administratively sued for development. 
These problems are not limited to Okinawa. Although many people try to protect rich nature, landscapes and cultural assets from illegal development, it is extremely difficult to protect their rights.
Quasi-national parks exist all over the world. Overseas national parks are protected by the law and respected for their existence. 
We do not think that the Japanese law is worse. Quasi-National Park can be protected by the present law. But the problem is that it is not respected. We think this failure to respect the present law is a much more serious problem than the fact the law is not revised.

Why can't Japan protect national parks by law? 
Why are foreign countries able to protect Quasi-National Park with the same laws as Japan? 
How could we make the law obeyed and make the development a democratic thing?


We hope that Quasi-National Park will be recognized as having a role such as stipulated by the law and giving equal benefits to our people.

Okinawa Prefecture Naha District Court
Heisei 30 (Woo) fourth park business content change authorization cancellation request lawsuit
▼ Trial dates
First date: June 28, 2018
Second date: September 21, 2018
Third date: November 7, 2018
Fourth date: January 16, 2019
Fifth Date: February 27, 2019
Sixth Date: April 19, 2019
Seventh Date: May 29, 2019
Eighth Date: July 10, 2019