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Pro-new U.S. base mayor gives up running for next election

Kishimoto Tateo, mayor of Nago City in Okinawa, on October 17 said he won't seek re-election in the next mayoral contest scheduled for January 2006.

The city has been targeted as a relocation site of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station currently located in Ginowan City.

Kishimoto's intention to vacate his office at the end of his term without choosing a successor shows that the relocation plan of the U.S. military base within Okinawa has come to an impasse.

In 1999, Kishimoto accepted the plan presented by the Japanese and U.S. governments to build a new U.S. base in the sea off the city's Henoko District as an alternative to the U.S. Marines Futenma base. Another idea, however, surfaced amid Japan-U.S. negotiations on the realignment of the U.S. forces in Japan, which is to build a base in the sea off the U.S. Marines Camp Schwab in Nago City, instead of the Henoko District. He also accepted this idea. -- Akahata, October 18, 2005