Okinawa’s governor calls for three-way talks on Marine base relocation issue

TOKYO – Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki traveled his nation’s capital Friday to present results of a referendum on plans to relocate Marine Corps air operations within the island prefecture and called for more talks with the U.S. government on the issue.

Just over half of Okinawa’s 1.15 million registered voters turned out Feb. 24 to deliver a resounding “no” to a long-standing plan to move Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from urban Ginowan to the island’s less populated northern coast.

Out of the 601,733 voters who turned out for the referendum, 434,149 — or approximately 72 percent — voted against the reclamation of land in Oura Bay at Camp Schwab for a new military runway needed for the relocation.

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