Defense minister, Okinawa gov. at odds over U.S. base relocation plan

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki on Wednesday failed to make concessions on a plan to relocate a key U.S. base within the island prefecture.During their first talks since Hamada became defense minister in August, Tamaki urged the central government to scrap the plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from the densely populated city of Ginowan to the less populated coastal area of Henoko in Nago.Hamada told Tamaki, known as a vocal opponent of U.S. bases in Okinawa, the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will push ahead with the relocation pla…READ FULL ARTICLE