The Defense Ministry on Thursday resumed an offshore boring survey in Okinawa Prefecture for construction of the replacement base for the U.S. Futenma airfield, angering local opponents.
"This is utterly deplorable," said Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, who was elected in November on a pledge to block the construction project.
"I will take every possible means to realize my campaign pledge of not allowing a base in Henoko," he told reporters in Tokyo, referring to the coastal district in the town of Nago where the offshore base is to be built.