The mayor of Okimi, Hiroshima Prefecture, resigned Wednesday over his controversial offer last week to host night landing drills involving U.S. carrier planes on an uninhabited island in the town's jurisdiction.
Hidekazu Tanimoto also retracted the offer. He unveiled the decision during a news conference in the morning.
"I should have explained to the town assembly beforehand, but I was told by the Defense Facilities Administration Agency to keep it top secret," he said.