Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who doubles as minister in charge of U.S. base issues in Okinawa Prefecture, agreed with an American commander Friday to help push the bilateral plan to transfer U.S. Marines to Guam.
Suga is in Guam for a rare overseas trip to show how the government is working to reduce the U.S. footprint on Okinawa. The two-day visit comes amid heightened wrangling over the long-delayed plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma further north on Okinawa despite strong local opposition.
Suga explained the government's efforts so far during talks with Lt. Gen. John Toolan, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, at a hotel in Guam.