Japan's central, Okinawan governments make little progress on U.S. base issue

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga met with governor of the country's island prefecture of Okinawa Takeshi Onaga on Sunday with focus on the controversial U.S. Futenma airbase relocation issue, but little progress was made during their roughly one-hour meeting.

Suga insisted that the current relocation plan of the Futenma air station is the "only solution" with considerations of Japan-U. S. defense alliance and the safety issue over the airbase.

However, Onaga, an opponent against the plan, maintained his firm stance that the replacement for the U.S. airbase planned in the Henoko area "can never be built," adding that the host of the most dangerous airbase in the world caused great pain to the Okinawa people.

"Your saying that itself shows the decadence of politics in Japan," said Onaga.

The meeting was the first one between Suga, who also dubbed the minister in charge of reducing the burden on Okinawa from hosting the bulk of U.S. bases in Japan, and Onaga since the governor took office in December.

Onaga failed to have direct dialogue with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, despite his visits to Tokyo since he became governor, while Suga expressed his possible willingness to consider arranging a meeting between Abe and Onaga.

The Japanese central government and the U.S. government agreed to relocate the Futenma airbase from crowded Ginowan area in Okinawa to less populated Henoko coastal area also in the prefecture, but Okinawa government and local residents maintains their stance that the airbase should be moved out from the island prefecture.

Tensions between the central government and Okinawa escalated since Onaga ordered last month the Okinawa defense bureau to halt its drilling work in the Henoko area, but Suga, the top government spokesman, said immediately after the order that the work should be continued.

Meanwhile, Japan's fishery minister also nullified the governor 's instruction under the saying that the drilling work caused damage to local coral reef.

Yoshimasa Hayashi said that the order threatened "great damage" to Japan's diplomatic and defense ties with the United States, to which Abe will make a soon visit.

After the Sunday's talks, Onaga said that he will not backtrack on the base issue and will continue dialogue with the central government. "I want them to stop the relocation to Henoko and engage in dialogue," he was quoted as reporting.

Local residents and other citizens opposing the Henoko relocation also organized rallies in front of the U.S. Camp Schwab, adjacent to the planned reclamation site, and attempted to approach the work area off the coast by canoes and fishing boats, according to Japan's Kyodo News. Endi