In late October, the Japanese government resumed construction of a new base for the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, having negated a regional government veto on its relocation from Okinawa's highly-populated district in the city of Ginowan to the Henoko coastal area of Nago city.
"To reach a compromise, the coastal landfill work should not be carried out near Camp Schwab, relocating the base to the training practice ground site…If that is possible, then the government will get results in moving the Futenma airbase, while the governor and his supporters will be granted their main demand, which is to prevent landfill work," the lawmaker told Radio Sputnik Japanese.
The relocation decision has met resistance from Okinawa's local authorities. With many Okinawa residents wishing to see the base gone rather than relocated, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Takeshi Onaga forced the central government to temporarily halt construction in August 2015. Elected in 2014, Onaga ran on promises to oppose the airbase's construction. In mid-November, the Okinawa government was sued by the central government over the dispute.
The Futenma airbase houses 25,800 US servicemen along with 19,000 family members and civilians, according to the Okinawa prefecture.
