New Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka said he doesn't intend to draft a special bill to bypass the Okinawa governor's authority and start building a contentious new facility for the U.S. Futenma base.
During a group interview with media outlets Thursday, Tanaka said he will instead work to persuade Okinawans — most of whom fiercely oppose the government's relocation plan — to kick-start the long-stalled bilateral accord with Washington on moving U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma within the prefecture.
"The Japan-U.S. agreement continues to be the basis for the (Futenma) relocation, and as defense minister I want to deepen the understanding of Okinawa locals," Tanaka said. The planned relocation "will decrease the burden (of hosting U.S. bases) in Okinawa Prefecture, so both the Japanese and U.S. governments want to move the plan forward as soon as possible."