Okinawa's Gov. Denny Tamaki has renewed calls for Japan's central government to halt construction of a U.S. Marine Corps. base being relocated to a less-crowded area of the southern Japanese island despite vehement local opposition.
Tamaki was responding Thursday to a defense ministry estimate that the project will require more than twice the time and costs earlier estimated due to the instability of the seabed being reclaimed.
U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is to be moved from densely populated Ginowan to the previously undeveloped Henoko area on Okinawa's eastern coast. Futenma's current base is to be closed and returned to Okinawa.
Japan's government insists the relocation as “the only solution."
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