The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly on Friday approved a bill that will trigger a referendum on the controversial plan to transfer a key U.S. military base within the prefecture.
The move by the assembly, where a majority of members are opposed to the base transfer, came after a civic group calling for the vote collected about 93,000 signatures and filed a direct petition with the prefecture in September.
"(The ordinance) is meaningful as it enables every individual in Okinawa to express their will clearly," said Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, who opposes the relocation and won the gubernatorial election last month, in a statement.