Abe, Okinawa Gov. Tamaki Remain Apart over U.S. Base

November 29, 2018

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)--Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki remained apart over a planned U.S. military base relocation within the southern Japan prefecture, at their meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Tamaki demanded that the central government seek an alternative plan to the relocation of the Marine Corps' Futenma air base, currently in a densely populated district in Ginowan, to the Henoko coastal area of Nago.

But Abe expressed hope for understanding from the prefecture side for his administration's stance of proceeding with the relocation work under the plan agreed with the United States.

The Abe-Tamaki meeting, the second since the new governor was elected in late September, came after the two sides agreed early this month to hold month-long talks on the base issue.

"The prime minister seemed intending to end the talks today, for the time being," Tamaki told reporters later on Wednesday.

During the meeting with Abe, Tamaki proposed setting up a panel of experts to consider an alternative to the existing base relocation plan. Abe avoided a clear response.

The governor also presented prefectural government estimates that it could take 13 years for the new base to begin operation, due to work related to recently found weak ground at the relocation site, and that total relocation costs could reach 2.55 trillion yen.

Tamaki told the prime minister that he could not approve a design change for the new base even if the central government applies for this, citing the weak ground.

He called on the central government not to stick to its existing position that the relocation to Henoko is the only solution to remove the danger of the Futenma base. Jiji Press