Pro-relocation Okinawa gov. visits US Futenma base transfer site
NAGO, Japan (Kyodo) -- Genta Koja, who became Okinawa governor late last month and supports a contentious U.S. base relocation plan, on Saturday visit
Okinawa Governor Genta Koja, who supports the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the coastal Henoko area, visited the construction site on Saturday. Koja, who recently won the gubernatorial election on a pro-relocation platform, toured the site with Masaru Murai, head of the Japanese Defense Ministry's Okinawa bureau, and Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson, the U.S. military's Okinawa area coordinator.
The governor expressed concern about the burden the relocation places on local communities and pledged to seek measures from the national government to alleviate the strain. The Futenma relocation, based on a 1996 agreement between Japan and the U.S., aims to eliminate safety, noise, and environmental risks posed by the base, which is located in Okinawa's southern prefecture and hosts around 70 percent of U.S. Forces Japan's total facilities.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
