A government agency was forced Tuesday by protesters to stop preparations for a geological survey off the city of Nago in Okinawa Prefecture for an offshore airport to be used by the U.S. Marine Corps.
The proposed civilian-military airport is part of a plan to relocate the U.S. Marines' Futenma Air Station.
Work has already been delayed for more than a year due to protests from the local community.
On Tuesday morning, workers from the regional bureau of the Defense Facilities Administration Agency began loading scaffolding equipment to be used in seabed drilling but had to stop when residents climbed onto the scaffolding.