Japan said Monday the United States had returned a sliver of land at a controversial US air base on the southern island of Okinawa which has sparked a lengthy and fierce dispute.

Tokyo said the return of the land, which accounts for less than one percent of the 481-hectare (1,188-acre) Futenma base, would improve conditions for locals.

But many Okinawa residents want the Marine air base moved off their island altogether.

They reject the Japanese and US government project to minimise noise and potential safety problems by moving the base from a crowded city to a sparsely populated district in Okinawa's north.

Both Tokyo and Washington have consistently rejected the idea of moving the base out of Okinawa altogether.

The US gave back the plot under a 2015 agreement to speed up the return of land on the island.

"Thanks to the return of the land, a city road will be fully open and the living environment for locals will be largely improved," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the government's top spokesman, told reporters.

"We'll try to visibly reduce Okinawa's burden," he said.

In February the government resumed work on building the replacement base after it was stalled by a series of administrative and legal moves, sparking angry protests and scuffles with police.

Okinawan Governor Takeshi Onaga had tried to block efforts to reclaim land for the new offshore facility and he and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe filed rival lawsuits to try to settle the issue.

But in December the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the central government, giving the green light to move ahead on construction.

Onaga, however, filed a fresh lawsuit last week against the central government to try and halt construction.

The governor had no immediate comment on the land return.

Okinawa, which accounts for less than one percent of Japan's total land area, hosts about 28,000 US troops -- more than half of about 47,000 American military personnel stationed in Japan.

Islanders have complained for decades that the rest of the country ignores their burden, which also includes hosting some 70 percent of land allotted for US bases in Japan.

Tweet

China is 'landlord' to Hong Kong says justice chief
Hong Kong (AFP) July 27, 2017
Controversy over a new cross-border rail link which will see mainland laws enforced in a Hong Kong train station escalated Thursday after the justice chief likened China to the city's "landlord". It comes at a time when fears are worsening that Hong Kong's freedoms are under threat from an increasingly assertive Beijing. There are already concerns that Chinese operatives are working un ... read more

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only