The long-unresolved plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma within Okinawa will probably weigh on Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's administration this year just like it did on his predecessors, with the same dearth of results.
Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima sees the need to move the U.S. military facility out of the populated city center of Ginowan, but is clearly opposed to the current relocation plan the Japanese and U.S. governments agreed to in 2006. He is calling for another plan and disclosure of more information.
What has increased Fukuda's concern is the larger role the governor has come to assume than in previous talks with the central government, forcing the state to pay greater heed to Nakaima's views and consequently leaving the prime minister less room to maneuver.