TOKYO: Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said Wednesday that he plans to visit the United States in September.

In a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo, the governor of the southernmost Japanese prefecture said he plans to “appeal to the U.S. government, members of the U.S. Congress, and the U.S. public about the need to solve various problems that Okinawa faces.”

Okinawa recently saw a series of sexual assault cases involving U.S. servicemen stationed there.

The U.S. military in Japan said last month that it would establish a forum with the Japanese government to facilitate exchanges of views among senior U.S. military officials, the Okinawa prefectural government and local residents.

At Wednesday’s press conference, Tamaki stressed the need to coordinate with related organizations to help the forum meet early.

JIJI Press