TOKYO (Sputnik) – Tens of thousands of people all over Japan protested Sunday against the relocation of a US military base within the Okinawa prefecture, local media reported.
According to the Kyodo news agency, citing sources, some 28,000 people rallied outside the parliament building in Tokyo.
Demonstrations also took place in the cities of Nagoya, Okayama, Toyama, Osaka and Sapporo.
The relocation of the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma was agreed on in 2006. Current plans envision the base to be closed by February 2019 and relocated within the Okinawa prefecture. Over 1.5 million square meters of the coastal maritime belt are expected to be filled as part of the relocation.
The plans have led to continuous demonstrations, as well as disagreements between national and regional governments.
