Japan Press Weekly

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2011 October 26 - November 1 [OKINAWA]

Base construction is unacceptable: Okinawan leaders tell PM Noda

Okinawa Governor Nakaima Hirokazu and Nago City Mayor Inamine Susumu told Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko that building a new U.S. base in Okinawa is unacceptable on October 27 at the prime minister’s office.

Since taking office, this was the first occasion for Noda to hold a meeting with the two Okinawan leaders.

Nakaima and Inamine called on the government to review the Japan-U.S. agreement to “relocate” the U.S. Futenma base to Henoko in Nago City, which the two governments decided to promote at their defense ministers’ meeting on October 25.

Referring to the government plan to submit to Okinawa Prefecture an environmental impact assessment, a prerequisite for the construction of a new base in Henoko, Mayor Inamine stressed, “It is impossible to obtain Okinawans’ acceptance.”

Prime Minister Noda answered, “Security is a matter of concern for all citizens. We would like to have this agenda addressed by closely working with Okinawa.”