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▼ Extended Pier to Draw Cruise Ships to Northern Okinawa
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The Yomiuri Shimbun
The government plans to extend the pier of Motobu Port in northern Okinawa Prefecture to enable large cruise ships to dock there, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The prefecture is a popular tourist destination among Chinese visitors to Japan, and a number of requests have been made to allow large cruise ships to call. However, as the infrastructure to accept such large ships at the port is currently insufficient, it has reluctantly turned down many such requests.
The construction project is also aimed at supporting the promotion of the northern district of the island and mitigating opposition to the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station there from Ginowan, according to sources.
Only small cruise ships of the 20,000-ton class can call at the 220-meter-long pier of Motobu Port. According to the prefectural government, cruise ships called at the port only twice in 2014 and once in 2015.
Meanwhile, the number of calls made by cruise ships from China and elsewhere at Naha Port in the prefectural capital of Naha last year increased by 50 percent from the previous year to 115 ships. However, as the number of large cruise ships that can berth at Naha Port is limited, a prefectural government source said, “We had no choice but to decline requests from 43 ships, mainly due to conflicting schedules for port calls.”
Situated on Okinawa’s main island, Naha Port is the only one in the prefecture where 50,000-ton or bigger cruise ships can berth. The town of Motobu, where Motobu Port is located, has tourist sites including the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. However, the northern district of the prefecture, including Motobu, is about two hours from Naha by car.
The government plans to extend the pier of Motobu Port in northern Okinawa Prefecture to enable large cruise ships to dock there, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The prefecture is a popular tourist destination among Chinese visitors to Japan, and a number of requests have been made to allow large cruise ships to call. However, as the infrastructure to accept such large ships at the port is currently insufficient, it has reluctantly turned down many such requests.
The construction project is also aimed at supporting the promotion of the northern district of the island and mitigating opposition to the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station there from Ginowan, according to sources.
Only small cruise ships of the 20,000-ton class can call at the 220-meter-long pier of Motobu Port. According to the prefectural government, cruise ships called at the port only twice in 2014 and once in 2015.
Meanwhile, the number of calls made by cruise ships from China and elsewhere at Naha Port in the prefectural capital of Naha last year increased by 50 percent from the previous year to 115 ships. However, as the number of large cruise ships that can berth at Naha Port is limited, a prefectural government source said, “We had no choice but to decline requests from 43 ships, mainly due to conflicting schedules for port calls.”
Situated on Okinawa’s main island, Naha Port is the only one in the prefecture where 50,000-ton or bigger cruise ships can berth. The town of Motobu, where Motobu Port is located, has tourist sites including the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. However, the northern district of the prefecture, including Motobu, is about two hours from Naha by car.
The prefectural government has urged the central government to support its efforts. “We’d like to create a new entrance in the north [of Okinawa] so that tourists can come here directly,” a prefectural official said.
If the pier of Motobu Port is extended to between 340 and 390 meters long, it will become possible for 50,000-ton to 160,000-ton cruise ships to call at the port. This means up to 4,000 visitors could be expected to visit the area with the arrival of just one ship. To make it possible for cruise ships of 100,000 tons or more to call, it is also necessary to increase the depth of the port, which is currently about nine meters.
The central government began inspecting and designing an extension of the pier last month. It plans to begin construction from next fiscal year, utilizing the budget secured for promotion of the prefecture. It is also considering constructing a terminal building for passenger vessels to deal with immigration control, customs and quarantine, among other procedures.
Motobu is close to Nago, where the Futenma base is planned to be relocated. The central government is eager to advance the relocation plan by backing the promotion of the northern part of the prefecture, thus boosting the prefecture’s economy as a whole, the sources said.
In Motobu, the construction of a new theme park had been planned by the operator of Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, but it withdrew the plan for reasons of profitability.
If the pier of Motobu Port is extended to between 340 and 390 meters long, it will become possible for 50,000-ton to 160,000-ton cruise ships to call at the port. This means up to 4,000 visitors could be expected to visit the area with the arrival of just one ship. To make it possible for cruise ships of 100,000 tons or more to call, it is also necessary to increase the depth of the port, which is currently about nine meters.
The central government began inspecting and designing an extension of the pier last month. It plans to begin construction from next fiscal year, utilizing the budget secured for promotion of the prefecture. It is also considering constructing a terminal building for passenger vessels to deal with immigration control, customs and quarantine, among other procedures.
Motobu is close to Nago, where the Futenma base is planned to be relocated. The central government is eager to advance the relocation plan by backing the promotion of the northern part of the prefecture, thus boosting the prefecture’s economy as a whole, the sources said.
In Motobu, the construction of a new theme park had been planned by the operator of Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, but it withdrew the plan for reasons of profitability.
- May 18, 2016
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