(Update) Okinawa Gov. Tamaki Shows Resolve to Block U.S. Base Relocation

   Nago, Okinawa Pref., Dec. 15 (Jiji Press)--Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki showed Saturday his resolve to counter Tokyo's efforts to press ahead with a controversial U.S. military base relocation project in the southernmost Japan prefecture.
   It was "intolerable" that the Japanese government started Friday the placement of soil in landfill work off the Henoko coastal district in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, as part of the relocation project, Tamaki said at a protest rally held by a citizens' group in Henoko. "It's an outrage committed by the state."
   "I'll stay ready for dialogue but will fight as needed," Tamaki said, suggesting that he is eager to use his authority as governor of Okinawa to block the plan to move the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air base, currently in a densely populated district in Ginowan, Okinawa, to a replacement facility to be built off Henoko.
   Tamaki's visit to Henoko was apparently intended to call attention to the base relocation issue ahead of a referendum to be held in Okinawa on Feb. 24 next year on whether to approve the relocation within the prefecture.
   The relocation plan is based on the 1996 Tokyo-Washington agreement on the return of the Futenma base site to Japan.

(2018/12/15-19:49)

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.