Yonaguni, the westernmost inhabited island in Japan, is split over a plan to host a Ground Self-Defense Force base as a means to halt its population decline.
The government plans to set up a GSDF coast observation unit on Yonaguni for the defense of the area around the chain by the end of fiscal 2015.
The groundbreaking ceremony for constructing the unit is scheduled for Saturday, with Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera slated to attend.