Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima continues to call for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, in central Okinawa, to be relocated outside the prefecture despite growing pressure to OK a project to fill in coastal areas in the Henoko district of Nago to accommodate the planned replacement airstrip's runways.
Meanwhile in Nago, which will have a mayoral election Jan. 19, two candidates advocating the replacement base failed to agree to merge their campaigns, creating concern in Tokyo that the incumbent, Susumu Inamine, 68, who opposes the plan, will be re-elected.
On Thursday, Nakaima repeated before the prefectural assembly earlier calls to relocate Futenma outside of Okinawa, saying this would be the quickest way to end the danger posed by the base.