Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano issued a warning to Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa over his remarks that it would be difficult to relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Guam as proposed by the Social Democratic Party.
Kitazawa's comments drew a harsh reaction from the SDP, a ruling coalition partner of the Democratic Party of Japan, prompting Hirano to tell the defense minister his remarks were imprudent and would be misunderstood.
Kitazawa made the comments this week on Guam, which he visited to survey a U.S. Air Force base that will host 8,000 marines to be moved from Okinawa.