Arab News Japan

TOKYO: A protest was held in front of the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday after it was announced that preliminary construction work had started early on the new American military base at Henoko in Okinawa.

The work is part of the move of the Futenma Air Base to Henoko, a decision that has faced huge protests and was forced through by the national government over the views of the local government.

The work was to have begun on January 12 but was brought forward at the initiative of the Minister of Territories despite the opposition of Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, who refused to approve the work.

The cost of the work is expected to amount to 930 billion yen ($6.5 billion) and could take nearly a decade to complete.

American bases in Okinawa have long caused controversy. The Futenma base is being moved as it is in a heavily populated area that has seen several aircrafts crash. It is home to Osprey CV22s, one of which recently crashed in Kagoshima, killing all eight on board.

The protesters also objected to the export of Patriot weapon systems and missiles to Ukraine and contracts between Itochu aviation with Elbit system, an Israeli arms company.