Japan takes U.S. Futenma base's delayed relocation 'seriously'

Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture
| REUTERS
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Thirty years after Tokyo and Washington agreed on a handover, Japan takes the fact that the site of the U.S
Futenma base in Okinawa Prefecture has yet to be returned to Japan "seriously," Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Friday.The relocation of U.S
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, now in a congested area in the city of Ginowan in Okinawa Prefecture, to the Henoko coastal district in Nago, another city in Okinawa, is "the only viable solution," the top government spokesman told a news conference."Steadily promoting the construction (of a replacement base in Henoko) will lead to the return of the site at an early date," he added, underscoring the government's intention to continue work for the relocation."The fundamental point is that we must eliminate as soon as possible the danger posed by the Futenma base, which has been described as the most dangerous base in the world as it is located in a densely populated area and surrounded by houses and schools," Kihara said.The base "must never be allowed to remain at its current site permanently," he stressed
governments reached the agreement on the Futenma site handover on April 12, 1996.At a separate news conference Friday, Junya Ogawa, leader of the major opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, called on the government to give a detailed explanation on the Futenma base relocation to Henoko, saying: "Defense policy should be based on the consent and cooperation from local communities
I want (the government) to reflect on that responsibility."Asked about the CRA's stance on the relocation, he said, "There's no one (in the party) who readily supports (it), but we need solid evidence before clearly expressing opposition."
KEYWORDS
U.S.(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/us), U.S.-Japan relations(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/us-japan-relations), Okinawa(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/okinawa), defense(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/defense), Minoru Kihara(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/minoru-kihara), U.S
military(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/us-military), Futenma(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/futenma), Ginowan(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/ginowan)
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