Japan began construction on Wednesday on a major U.S. military base relocation project, which will be moved to Okinawa Prefecture. Despite the opposition of the Okinawa autonomy ** and the approval of the reclamation plan in an unprecedented way, Japan moved ahead with the project.
According to Japanese media confirmed on January 10, in order to strengthen the foundation of the relocation site of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Force Base, the project is expected to take more than nine years. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular news briefing that the start of the project means the start of strengthening the soft ground of the relocation site of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Force Base.
It is worth mentioning that Okinawa is still the main host of Japanese garrison facilities, and the local residents of Okinawa have always opposed the relocation of bases within the prefecture, and instead want to move the bases away from Okinawa Prefecture.
It is reported that this is the first time that Japan has acted on behalf of local governments when they failed to fulfill the tasks entrusted by the state. ** Plans to shift the functionality of Futenma Air Base from the crowded city of Ginowan to the less populated Henoko Coast area of Nago City, a move they call the "only solution" aimed at eliminating the security risks posed by the base while maintaining the deterrent power of the Japan-US alliance.
However, due to the opposition of the governor of Okinawa Prefecture, the project was suspended, which sparked a legal controversy and ended with a court decision.