Abe Expresses Respect for Onaga’s Contributions to Okinawa

August 9, 2018

Nagasaki- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday showed his respect for the late Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga, who confronted the central government over a U.S. military base relocation in the prefecture.

"I want to express my respect for his contributions to the development of Okinawa," Abe told a news conference in Nagasaki, where he attended a ceremony to mark the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the southwestern city.

Onaga, who died on Wednesday, was at odds with Abe's administration as he rejected the planned relocation of U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station in the Okinawa city of Ginowan to the Henoko coastal district of Nago in the same prefecture.

Abe said he will make utmost efforts to lessen the burden on Okinawa, which hosts the bulk of U.S. bases in Japan, and vitalize the economy of the southernmost prefecture.

Earlier on Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also expressed his condolences over the death of Onaga at a news conference in Tokyo.

Suga stressed that the relocation remains "the only solution," given the need to maintain the deterrence of the Japan-U.S. security alliance and remove the dangers of the air base.

He did not comment on earth-filling work, part of the relocation project, that is slated to begin on Aug. 17. Jiji Press