Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visited Okinawa on Sunday and Monday for the first time since he came to power and met with Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima Monday morning. His main purpose was to persuade the Okinawa governor to accept the 2006 Japan-U.S. agreement to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from the urban, populated Ginowan on Okinawa Island to the less populated Henoko in the northern part of the island.
Mr. Noda apparently thinks that if the central government lessens Okinawa’s burden related to hosting of U.S. military bases and other facilities by pushing an early return of five U.S. facilities south of the Kadena Air Base, Okinawa would accept the Henoko plan. If he really thinks so, it is a wishful thinking on his part. Mr. Nakaima’s remarks have shown that there is little prospect that the Okinawan people will accept the Henoko plan. Mr. Noda should completely change his approach to the Futenma issue.

More here: Mr. Noda’s misguided idea