The legal battle between the central and regional governments over the planned relocation of a key U.S. military base within Okinawa Prefecture resumed Friday as a court held its first hearing on the case and set Sept. 16 as its ruling date.
In the fresh suit brought to the Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court last month, the state argues Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga acted illegally over the landfill work the state was advancing to build a replacement facility for the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
The Okinawa Prefectural Government opposes the construction of the facility in the Henoko coastal area on the main island of Okinawa, seeking the relocation of the Futenma base to outside the prefecture entirely. Under this policy, Onaga last October revoked the permission his predecessor had given for landfill work in the area.