Suga Hails Return of Some Base Sites in Okinawa

May 20, 2018

Naha, Okinawa Pref.- Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga welcomed Sunday the return to Japan of some land plots that had been used for U.S. military facilities in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan.

"This (the return) marks a big step toward the reduction of Okinawa's base-hosting burden," Suga said at a ceremony to celebrate the transfers of some of the site for the U.S. Marine Corps' Makiminato Service Area in the city of Urasoe and the site for the former West Futenma Housing Area in Ginowan.

"We'll do our best to achieve the full return of the Makiminato Service Area and Futenma air station as soon as possible and revitalize local communities," Suga said.

The Futenma base, located in a congested area of Ginowan, is planned to be relocated to the Henoko coastal area of Nago, also in Okinawa, under a Japan-U.S. agreement. But local opposition has held up the transfer.

Before the ceremony, the top central government spokesman toured the returned sites.

In 2013, the Japanese and U.S. governments agreed on the return of U.S. military facilities and sites south of Kadena Air Base. The partial return took place in late March.

On Saturday, Suga visited Nago to hold talks with Nago Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi and the leaders of 12 municipalities in northern Okinawa.

The local leaders asked the central government to support the revitalization of northern Okinawa and reduce the local burden of hosting U.S. military installations.

"Many U.S. military bases are located in northern Okinawa and a number of drills are conducted there," Suga said. "We'll work with the U.S. military to ensure that effects on local communities are kept to the minimum."

Earlier on Saturday in Naha, Suga met with senior officials of the Okinawa chapter of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and exchanged views the gubernatorial election slated for the autumn.

Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga, a staunch opponent to the U.S. military presence, has not yet clarified whether to seek a second term in the coming election. Onaga underwent a surgery for pancreatic cancer last month. Jiji Press