Transport minister Seiji Maehara assured Chiba Gov. Kensaku Morita on Wednesday that his plan to turn Tokyo's Haneda airport into a 24-hour international hub won't detract from the government's position that Narita airport remains the country's main global gateway.
"I suggested to the minister that both airports be viewed in an integrated manner and that the roles of the two be divided in an efficient way," Morita told reporters at the transport ministry after meeting with Maehara.
Earlier this week, Maehara abruptly floated his Haneda plan, immediately drawing flak from Chiba and municipalities in the prefecture with a stake in Narita. Since then, Maehara has apparently been trying to contain the controversy he started.