Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi pledged Saturday to try and ease the burden on Okinawans, home to about 25 percent of the 100,000 U.S. troops in the Asian region.
Koizumi attended a gathering of some 6,000 people here to mark the 56th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa, a series of skirmishes fought in the closing days of World War II that claimed more than 200,000 lives.
"About 75 percent of U.S. military bases are concentrated in Okinawa, imposing various burdens on locals," Koizumi said. "Settlement of the problem is one of the key tasks of my administration. I will make efforts to relieve the pains of people in Okinawa."
Koizumi said he will convey the feelings of Okinawans to U.S. President George W. Bush when he holds his first summit with the U.S. leader at Camp David on Saturday.