US Military Base In Japan To Move Despite Voter Opposition

The Japanese government and Okinawa authorities have long been at odds over the plan to move US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (Picture: PA).

Japan's government says it intends to press ahead with plans to relocate a US military base within Okinawa despite the opposition of a majority of voters in a referendum on the island.

More than 70% of voters opposed moving Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (MCAS Futenma) in Sunday’s non-binding poll, with a turnout of 53%.

Although Okinawa makes up less than 1% of Japan's territory, it houses about half of the 54,000 US troops stationed in Japan, and 64% of the land on the island is used by the US bases.

Tokyo's central government and Okinawa authorities have long been at loggerheads over the plan to move the air base.

A US-Japan agreement calls for moving the base, which is surrounded by schools, hospitals and shops, to a less populated area, called Henoko, on the northern part of Okinawa.

Futenma was long criticised as dangerous, being in a residential area and Washington agreed to transfer some personnel to Guam.

The plan is to replace the base with another on a coastal landfill in an area called Henoko.

But the site has drawn countless protests and sit-ins.

Tomomichi Shimabukuro, who runs a seaside inn said the situation is hard: "There are so many American troops here.

Of course, 99% of them are good people, but then there is that 1% who do evil things."

Speaking before the referendum, Colonel John Hutcheson, a spokesman for US Forces Japan, said the Henoko agreement is a bilateral deal aimed at closing Futenma, while maintaining what he called vital capabilities for regional security.

He declined to comment on the referendum, saying it was a domestic political issue.

"We are committed to maintaining good relations with local communities on Okinawa and do our best every day to balance their concerns with the necessity to maintain readiness in support of our treaty commitments," he said.

Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, told reporters on Monday the government was taking the results seriously, and would work to obtain the understanding of Okinawa residents, but that plans to move the base could not be deferred.

He told reporters: "We cannot avoid the necessity of moving Futenma, said to be the most dangerous base in the world."

Abe noted that two decades had passed since the agreement to do so was made, and said:

“We can’t put this off any longer."