April 22, 2010
Tokyo, April 22 (Jiji Press)--Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Thursday he wants to visit Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, to discuss the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma base stationed in the prefecture.
Hatoyama said at a plenary meeting of the House of Representatives that he would like to gauge local public opinion and definitely hopes to pay the visit at the right time.
He suggested he would visit Okinawa after seeing developments there. A protest by Okinawa residents opposed to any relocation of the Futenma base within the prefecture is scheduled for Sunday.
Last Sunday, a protest was held on Tokunoshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture, north of Okinawa, to voice opposition to a government suggestion that some Futenma base functions be moved to the island.
Commenting on the Tokunoshima protest, Hatoyama said it showed public opinion. The government is considering the Futenma issue from the standpoint of such opinion, he added.
(2010/04/22-18:25)
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