Zushi Mayor Kazuyoshi Nagashima on Friday urged the Defense Facilities Administration Agency to rethink plans to build additional housing at a U.S. military site in Kanagawa Prefecture.
"We conveyed our opposition (to the plan), which still proves to be strong in the 21st century," Nagashima said after meeting with Shoei Yamanaka, director general of the DFAA.
In July, Japan and the United States agreed to the return of idle land at four sites in Yokohama currently overseen by U.S. forces.
They agreed that the land would be returned on condition that Japan build about 800 homes and related facilities in the Ikego residential area, which straddles Yokohama and the city of Zushi.
The construction of a U.S. military housing facility in the area in question has drawn strong opposition from residents living near Ikego since the 1980s.
Nagashima resigned in August to seek a mandate for his opposition to the additional housing plans. Voters returned him to office.