Japan wins Guadalcanal

[Taro Toporific]

Japan wins Guadalcanal: Henderson Field is to be renamed Chrysanthemum Field.

New fight brews over Guadalcanal
The Washington Times / June 11, 2003
A proposal to rename Henderson Field on Guadalcanal after Japan's national flower -- the Chrysanthemum ...
Guadalcanal, part of the Solomon Islands, was the site of the Allies' first Pacific offensive during World War II. After taking the island from the Japanese in 1942, the 1st Marine Division completed construction of what is now an international airport for the Solomon Islands.
The Marines named the airstrip for Maj. Lofton Henderson, the first Marine pilot killed in action by the Japanese during the historic Battle of Midway.
A consultant group from Japan, hired by the Solomon Islands' government...

[cstaylor]

Is this for real? Why didn't they just name it "Kokutai International?"

[Captain Japan]

A consultant group from Japan, hired by the Solomon Islands' government...

I'd bet a lot of money that this part isn't true - at least not exactly true. The SI has no money. My guess is that JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) funded the study with the J-consultant completing some token paperwork in the name of the SI gov to make it all legal-like.

So in other words this is Japanese tax money being used to determine that the SI airport needs to change its name in order to be more pleasing (delightful?) to J-tourists.

Captain