U.S. Govt Grateful for Onaga’s Contributions

August 9, 2018

Washington- The U.S. Department of State on Wednesday expressed gratitude for the contributions Takeshi Onaga, late governor of Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, made to the ties between the two countries.

"We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Governor Onaga, his government colleagues and the people of Okinawa," said Katina Adams, an East Asia Pacific spokeswoman at the department.

"We are grateful for Governor Onaga's contributions to our relationship with Japan," Adams said. "We deeply value our work with him on issues of importance to the people of Okinawa over the years."

Onaga, who died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, stood against a plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station from a densely populated area of the Okinawa city of Ginowan to the Henoko coastal district of Nago in the same prefecture. He demanded that the base be moved out of Okinawa, which hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan.

The U.S. government has been seeking the implementation of the Futenma relocation to Henoko, claiming that it is the only solution for removing the danger of the base.

Adams said, "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the people of Okinawa during this difficult time." Jiji Press