Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine told Foreign Minister Yohei Kono here on Sunday that the people of Okinawa Prefecture "can no longer bear" the burden of hosting such a large segment of the U.S. military forces in Japan.
"In a way, we had been reserved about demanding a reduction of the Marines and other U.S. military forces. But we can no longer bear it," Inamine said, alluding to recent incidents in the prefecture involving U.S. service members, including one suspected of arson.
In a 40-minute open meeting at the Okinawa prefectural office, Inamine reiterated Okinawa's demands that Washington reduce the size and scope of U.S. military presence in the prefecture and asked for the central government's backing.
The demands also include revising the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, which primarily covers the management and operation of U.S. military bases in Japan, to facilitate the handover of U.S. soldiers suspected of crimes to Japanese authorities.