Japan begins landfill work for relocation of US air base in Okinawa

Japanese authorities on Wednesday began landfill work in waters off Okinawa as part of a long-delayed project to relocate a US military air base within the southern island prefecture, local media reported.

The work is being carried out in Oura Bay near the Henoko district of Nago, where the government plans to relocate the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from the densely populated city of Ginowan, according to Kyodo News, citing Japan's Defense Ministry.

The relocation stems from a 1996 agreement between Japan and the United States aimed at reducing risks associated with the base's location in a heavily populated urban area.

The project has faced persistent opposition from local residents and Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, who argues that the facility should be moved outside the prefecture rather than relocated within it.

Many Okinawa residents have long complained about noise, pollution and crimes involving US military personnel.

Landfill work in the southern section of Henoko began in 2018 and is largely complete. Construction in Oura Bay, however, has proven more challenging because large areas of soft seabed require extensive reinforcement.

The section where landfill dumping began Wednesday does not require such improvements.

The relocation project is expected to be completed around 2033, although the transfer of facilities is likely to take several more years.

Okinawa hosts the majority of US military facilities in Japan.

About 50,000 US troops are stationed in Japan under a bilateral security arrangement that has been in place since the end of World War II in 1945.