Tokyo Cancels Okinawa Governor’s Veto on US Base Relocation

The Japanese government has invalidated Okinawa governor’s decision to revoke his predecessor’s approval of the relocation of a US military base within the prefecture, Japanese Land and Infrastructure Minister Keiichi Ishii said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the local Kyodo news agency, Tokyo will resume construction work at the new site within the prefecture while the Okinawa Prefectural Government intends to challenge the central government's decision to court.

Earlier this month, Okinawa governor Takeshi Onaga, who wants the base to be moved outside the region, sent an official nullification of the relocation approval to the Japanese Defense Ministry.

Construction plans for the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma from Okinawa's highly-populated district in the city of Ginowan to the Henoko region in the coastal area of Nago, triggered protests over environmental concerns and opposition to the US military presence in Japan.

In April, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his US counterpart Ashton Carter reaffirmed the relocation plan, as part of a 2006 intergovernmental agreement to realign the US military presence in the country.

Over half of the 47,000 US troops deployed in Japan are based in Okinawa, which accounts for less than 1 percent of Japan's total land area.