Hatoyama visits Okinawa over US base relocation

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has sought the Okinawa governor's understanding and cooperation for the government's plan to relocate a US marine base within the island prefecture.

Hatoyama on Tuesday made his first visit to Okinawa since taking office last year, hoping to resolve the stalemate over the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station.

During the talks, Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima urged the prime minister to remove the danger posed by Futenma air station as soon as possible. The air station is located in the middle of a densely populated city.

The governor said that the people of Okinawa share a strong desire to have their base-hosting burden reduced. He urged the prime minister to work steadily to scale back and streamline US bases in the prefecture.
Hatoyama responded with an apology to the people of Okinawa, for the trouble they've endured over the relocation debate.

But the prime minister went on to say that it would be difficult realistically, to transfer ALL the functions of the Futenma base outside the prefecture.

He said that his government has studied the matter, and concluded that taking the base entirely out of Okinawa would be impossible -- from the viewpoint of maintaining the Japan-US alliance and its deterrence in the region.

The prime minister asked Okinawa to shoulder part of the burden under a package deal. He also said it was important to quickly close down Futenma to reduce its danger, and lessen Okinawa's burden by as much as possible.

The Hatoyama government is planning to transfer part of Futenma's operations to the island of Tokunoshima in Kagoshima Prefecture, about 200 kilometers north of Okinawa. The government also plans to modify the 2006 plan that Japan and the United States agreed upon and build a pile-supported runway in the shallow waters off US Camp Schwab in Okinawa.

Hatoyama has set a self-imposed deadline of the end of May to secure a concrete relocation plan.