The Okinawa Prefectural Government said Thursday it has found damaged coral reefs where a key U.S. military base is to be relocated as it began research earlier in the day to see whether Defense Ministry drilling and other work there is permissible.
Takeshi Onaga, who became Okinawa governor in December by pledging to block the relocation project, has signaled that permission for the Okinawa Defense Bureau's work might be withdrawn, depending on the outcome of the research, which is taking place off Nago's Henoko district.
If this occurs, the bureau will not be able to conduct a drilling survey needed to fill in the coastal areas where Tokyo plans to build the replacement base for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which is in densely populated Ginowan, further south in the prefecture.