Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine does not plan to run for a third term in December, political sources said Friday.
Inamine, 72, revealed his intention in a dinner meeting with Diet lawmakers from Okinawa and others Thursday, the sources said.
"I have been sprinting 400 meters at the pace of a 100-meter run. I cannot run anymore," he was quoted as saying. He also said he will announce his intention to step down to the prefectural assembly in June, the sources added.
Inamine was in Tokyo to attend Thursday's annual spring garden party hosted by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, and other functions.
Inamine is a strong proponent of reducing the heavy burden on the prefecture of hosting U.S. military bases.
A former president of Ryukyu Oil Co., he was first elected governor in 1998 and re-elected in 2002.
Ginoza opposes
NAHA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) The town assembly of Ginoza, Okinawa Prefecture, passed a resolution Friday protesting a compromise plan endorsed by the mayor for construction of a U.S. military airfield in the neighboring city of Nago to relocate the helicopter operations of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in the city of Ginowan.
On April 7, Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga struck a deal with Nago Mayor Yoshikazu Shimabukuro to build the two-runway airfield straddling the tip of Cape Henoko, where the U.S. Marine Corps Camp Schwab is located.
The deal was endorsed the same day by the heads of four towns near Nago, including Ginoza Mayor Hajime Azuma.