Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima hopes to visit Washington D.C. as early as April to press his case for closing U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma as early as possible.
Sakima won re-election last month with the support of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Details of the visit, including its timing, are still being worked out, Ginowan city officials said. However, with Okinawa Prefectural Assembly elections expected in June and an Upper House election in July that will determine the fate of Aiko Shimajiri, an Upper House member representing Okinawa and the minister in charge of Okinawa issues, Sakima hopes the visit will result in progress on the Futenma issue beforehand.