NAHA, Okinawa Pref. — Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada may have wanted a breakthrough on the thorny issue of where to relocate the Futenma airfield in Okinawa when he revived in late October the previously rejected idea of incorporating it into the nearby Kadena air base.
But consolidating U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma with Kadena is not gaining traction, thanks to strong local resistance that was on prominent display during Okada's recent two-day visit to Okinawa.
"I wouldn't say that there's no possibility at all, but we don't know whether it would take 10 years or 20 years to put the plan together. It's that difficult," Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima told reporters after meeting with Okada on Sunday.