The central government will press ahead with construction of the Futenma replacement base even if Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga revokes existing permission for landfill work at the site, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday.
"Japan is governed by law. . . . There will be no change in our stance of continuing the relocation work" Suga told a news conference.
His comments are likely to put Tokyo and Okinawa on a collision course over the proposal to relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to a site off Nago in northern Okinawa Prefecture, which Onaga opposes, and could lead to a battle in court.