Okinawa Lawmakers Approve Budget for Lawsuit Against Tokyo Over US Base

The parliament of Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture on Friday approved a supplementary budget for 2016 to sue the central government of Japan in an attempt to prevent the construction of a new US military airfield, local media reported.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — In late October, the Japanese government resumed construction of a US military base in Okinawa, having negated a regional government veto on the Futenma base's relocation from Okinawa's highly-populated district in the city of Ginowan to the Henoko coastal area of Nago city.

According to the Kyodo news agency, the approved bill provides for the allocation of 13 million yen ($107,000) for legal costs in the government's appeal in Okinawa Naha District Court in early January. Through the court, they will seek to overturn Tokyo’s plans to move Futenma to the north of Okinawa, which would include building a new airfield.

This is the second lawsuit related to this issue, as the Japanese government filed a court appeal earlier this month to sue the Okinawa authorities for interfering with the implementation of Japan’s commitments to the United States in the military field.

The Futenma airbase houses 25,800 US servicemen along with 19,000 family members and civilians, according to Okinawa Prefecture.