This study specifies what politics about the U.S. military bases brings to Okinawa Prefecture by investigating the Futenma Air Station relocation issue.

The principle of subsidiarity is the theoretical background of the Local Autonomy Act Article 1 bis, which defines foreign diplomacy and national defense as a task concerning the nation's existence. The Japanese government has proceeded with the plan to construct Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF) in Henoko district, Nago City without consideration of the strong objections from the Okinawa Prefecture.

For the residents of Henoko district, it is difficult to offer objections to the U.S. military bases because of their deep relationship to these sites. Further, it is difficult to stop construction of FRF as Okinawa Prefecture does not have rights over the U. S. military bases. Therefore, Henoko district has decided to accept FRF as long as the conditions are fair and reasonable, and this has been propelling negotiations with the Japanese government forward. Owing to the lack of rights Okinawa has over the U.S. military bases, such actions in Henoko district represents Okinawa's conditions.

To describe how Okinawan people experience the issues to do with U.S. military bases in such a political context, to grasp the meaning of what politics brings to Okinawan society, and to investigate a problem in politics—these are tasks for sociology.