Thousands rally against U.S. military base on Japan’s Okinawa

More than 35,000 people rallied in Okinawa in southern Japan on Sunday to protest against a U.S airbase on the island, as a two-decade-old bitter row over the relocation of the site drags on. Okinawa is home to more than half of the 47,000 U.S. service personnel stationed in Japan – a proportion many islanders say is too high. Futenma airbase became emblematic of that ill-will when Washington announced plans to move it in 1996. But locals have blocked the move to relocate the base, insisting the facility should go off-island instead.

The government says we are to blame that the issue has stalled for 19 years and they tell us to find an alternative place (for the base relocation). That’s outrageous. The government is thrusting their responsibility on us.

Mayor of Nago, Susumu Inamine, addressing a packed 15,000-seat baseball stadium

Deadlock has deepened after preparatory building work on the coast began in the face of vehement opposition from the local government in Okinawa. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last month insisted the current re-location plan was “the only solution,” while anti-base Okinawa governor Takeshi Onaga hit back saying that three recent popular votes in Okinawa all showed overwhelming opposition to the move.

Asia-Pacific