Naha: Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Sunday the government will proceed with the planned U.S. military base relocation within the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa.

“In order to realize the full return of the (U.S. Marine Corps’) Futenma air base (site in Ginowan, Okinawa, to the prefecture) as soon as possible, we’ll move ahead with the work toward its relocation to the Henoko district” in Nago, another Okinawa city, Hayashi told reporters after meeting with Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki at the prefectural office in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, on Sunday afternoon.

During the meeting with Hayashi, Tamaki demanded that the central government immediately stop the ongoing landfill work related to the relocation project. The chief cabinet secretary clarified that the central government will not respond to the demand by saying that it will advance the relocation project.

Tamaki also asked the central government to hold dialogues with Okinawa in order to resolve the base relocation issue.

Hayashi told the governor that Tokyo will work on arranging a related task force meeting with Okinawa to discuss measures to reduce the burden of hosting U.S. bases on the prefecture.

It was the first time for Hayashi to meet with Tamaki since he assumed the post of chief cabinet secretary in December last year.

On Jan. 10, the Japanese government began work to reinforce the undersea soft ground on the Oura Bay side, or the northern side of Cape Henoko, necessary for carrying out landfill work as part of the base relocation project.

The move came after land minister Tetsuo Saito approved in December last year a design change needed to start the ground improvement work in place of Tamaki, who had refused to sign off on the change, following legal battles between the central and Okinawa governments.

Earlier on Sunday, Hayashi met with Nago Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi and Ginowan Mayor Masanori Matsugawa, respectively.

The Nago mayor conveyed to Hayashi local residents’ concerns that the base relocation may cause traffic congestion and noise. “It’s important to address residents’ concerns and protect their lives,” Toguchi said. 

“We would like to hear local voices and reflect them in the government’s efforts,” Hayashi told the mayor.

The chief cabinet secretary looked at the Futenma air station, as well as the U.S. Air Force’s Kadena Air Base, which straddles the Okinawa towns of Kadena and Chatan, from the outside.

Hayashi also visited the Peace Memorial Park in the Okinawa city of Itoman, where a savage ground battle was waged in the late stage of World War II, and laid flowers at the National War Dead Peace Mausoleum in the park.

JIJI Press