Opponents to the land reclamation work off the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, applaud while watching a TV report on the referendum in Naha on Feb. 24. (Masaru Komiyaji)

NAHA--Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki proclaimed that the decisive 72 percent opposed to the relocation of a U.S. military base within Okinawa Prefecture in a referendum on Feb. 24 shows the "firm will" of the people.

Tamaki told reporters before dawn on Feb. 25 that the people of Okinawa will never allow the land reclamation work off Henoko for the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

“The central government should reconsider its policy that Henoko is the only candidate site for relocation, and suspend the (ongoing land reclamation) work,” Tamaki said. “We will also strongly demand that the central government start dialogue with the Okinawa prefectural government toward the closure of the Futenma air station and return of its land (to Japan)."

In the prefecture-wide referendum, a total of 434,273 voters, or 72.15 percent of the total ballots cast, expressed opposition to the relocation of the air station from the current location of Ginowan to the Henoko district of Nago.

Meanwhile, 114,933 voters, or 19.10 percent, supported the relocation, and 52,682 voters, or 8.75 percent, chose “No opinion either way” in the three-choice ballot.

The number of opposition votes exceeded those of the other two choices in all the 41 municipalities in the prefecture. The total is also larger than the record 396,632 votes won by Tamaki in the Okinawa gubernatorial election in September.

Voter turnout stood at 52.48 percent, exceeding the 50 percent level that is regarded as the lowest figure to consider the prefectural referendum results as meaningful.

The referendum was held only on the “one issue” of whether to support the land reclamation work off the Henoko district for the relocation within the prefecture, which is currently under way.

It marked the first time that the people in Okinawa Prefecture expressed their will of “no to Henoko” in their ballots that focused on one issue.

The referendum is not legally binding. However, with the number of opposition votes exceeding 288,398, or a quarter of the total number of eligible voters of 1,153,591 in the prefecture, the Okinawa governor is required to inform Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump of the result of the referendum.

Buoyed by the voters' opposition, Tamaki will strongly urge the Abe administration to suspend the work for the relocation of the Futenma air station.

He plans to visit the prime minister’s office and the U.S. Embassy, both in Tokyo, on March 1 to convey the results of the referendum.

The Okinawa people have maintained strong opposition to the relocation of the Futenma base within the prefecture since the latter half of the 1990s when the relocation plan surfaced.

In the Okinawa gubernatorial elections in 2014 and 2018, Takeshi Onaga and Tamaki, respectively, both won on anti-base relocation platforms.

However, in other local elections, such as the Ginowan mayoral election in 2016 and the Nago mayoral election in 2018, candidates supported by the Abe administration emerged victorious.

Therefore, the Abe administration and the Liberal Democratic Party emphasized that opposition to the relocation to Henoko was not solely the will of all the people of Okinawa.

The referendum marked the first time in 23 years that a prefectural-wide referendum was held in Japan. In 1996, a referendum was held in Okinawa Prefecture on the reduction of U.S. military bases in the prefecture and the review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.

Okinawa currently hosts about 70 percent of U.S. military facilities in Japan. </s> Okinawa votes in referendum on US military base relocation

TOKYO (AP) — The people of Okinawa voted Sunday on a plan for a U.S. military base relocation in a referendum that will send a message on how they feel about housing American troops in Japan, who many see as a burden on the group of tiny southwestern islands.

The referendum is technically not binding but interest is high for testing the public sentiment about the plan to relocate Futenma air base, which is pushed by the national government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The plan has its beginnings in 1995, when outrage erupted against U.S. service members over the rape of a 12-year-old girl. Futenma was long criticized as dangerous, being in a residential area. Washington also agreed to transfer some personnel to the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

A replacement base is on a coastal landfill in an area called Henoko. Critics say wildlife such as coral reefs and the dugong will be hurt.

"There are so many American troops here. Of course, 99 percent of them are good people, but then there is that 1 percent who do evil things. It's hard for us," said Tomomichi Shimabukuro, who runs a seaside inn called Churaumi-kun.

"I feel most people of Okinawa are going to vote in protest of the plan," he said in a phone interview.

Japanese media surveys have shown voters are likely to reject the Henoko plan. Nearly 1.16 million residents were eligible to vote. Interest has been strong, not only in the rest of Japan but among pacifists internationally.

The referendum asked: "On the landfill for the construction of the U.S. military base planned by the government in Henoko, Nago city, to replace Futenma air base," with the answers being: "I agree," ''I oppose," or "Neither."

Although Okinawa makes up less than 1 percent of Japan's land space, it houses about half of the 54,000 American troops stationed in Japan, and makes for 64 percent of the land used by the U.S. bases, under a bilateral security treaty.

Japan relies heavily on the U.S. for its defense, and the government has said it will not abide by the referendum, even if the Henoko plan is rejected.

Over the years, Henoko has drawn countless protests and sit-ins. The election last year of Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, the son of a Japanese woman and a U.S. Marine he has never met, has injected renewed energy to the movement.

Skeptics are worried the costs for a landfill base like Henoko may keep growing, the runway may end up being too short and the government may not close Futenma, after all.

Some in Okinawa are wondering why U.S. military operations can't be moved to other parts of Japan. Such plans have been repeatedly brought up with little progress, making some in Okinawa feel they are getting second-class treatment.

Col. John Hutcheson, spokesman for U.S. Forces Japan, said the Henoko agreement is a bilateral deal aimed at closing Futenma, while maintaining what he called vital capabilities for regional security. He declined to comment on the referendum, saying it was a domestic political issue.

"We are committed to maintaining good relations with local communities on Okinawa and do our best every day to balance their concerns with the necessity to maintain readiness in support of our treaty commitments," he said.

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama </s> TOKYO (AP) - The residents of Japan's southwestern island region of Okinawa have rejected a relocation plan for a U.S. military base that was put to a referendum, dealing a blow to a bilateral security deal stalled for years.

The results of Sunday's vote showed 72 percent opposed the plan for a Marines air base being built on a landfill in coastal Henoko. Support for the relocation plan totaled 19 percent.

The referendum is not legally binding but underlines Okinawans' sentiment on the relocation plan.

Henoko is to replace a base in Futenma that is in a more residential area and is criticized as noisy and dangerous.

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said Monday the results must be respected.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated the government view that the Henoko plan won't be changed.

People take a look at a copy of a local newspaper reporting a referendum in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019. The people of Okinawa voted Sunday on a plan for a U.S. military base relocation in a referendum that will send a message on how they feel about housing American troops in Japan, who many see as a burden on the group of tiny southwestern islands. The headline reads "New Base, Opposition majority."(Kyodo News via AP) </s> TOKYO (AP) — The people of Okinawa are voting on a plan for a U.S. military base relocation in a referendum that will send a message on how they feel about housing American troops in Japan.

The referendum is technically not binding but interest is high for testing the public sentiment about the plan to relocate Futenma air base.

The plan has its beginnings in 1995, when outrage erupted against U.S. service members over the rape of a 12-year-old girl. Futenma was long criticized as dangerous, being in a residential area.

A replacement base is on coastal landfill in an area called Henoko. Critics say wildlife such as coral reefs and the dugong, will be hurt.

About 1.16 million residents are eligible to vote. </s> TOKYO (AP) — The residents of Japan's southwestern island region of Okinawa have rejected a relocation plan for a U.S. military base that was put to a referendum, dealing a blow to a bilateral security deal stalled for years.

The results of Sunday's vote showed 72 percent opposed the plan for a Marines air base being built on a landfill in coastal Henoko. Support for the relocation plan totaled 19 percent.

The referendum is not legally binding but underlines Okinawans' sentiment on the relocation plan.

Henoko is to replace a base in Futenma that is in a more residential area and is criticized as noisy and dangerous.

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said Monday the results must be respected.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated the government view that the Henoko plan won't be changed. </s> TOKYO - The people of Okinawa are voting Sunday on a plan for a U.S. military base relocation in a referendum that will send a message on how they feel about housing American troops in Japan, who many see as a burden on the group of tiny southwestern islands.

The referendum is technically not binding but interest is high for testing the public sentiment about the plan to relocate Futenma air base, which is pushed by the national government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The plan has its beginnings in 1995, when outrage erupted against U.S. service members over the rape of a 12-year-old girl. Futenma was long criticized as dangerous, being in a residential area. Washington also agreed to transfer some personnel to U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

A replacement base is on a coastal landfill in an area called Henoko. Critics say wildlife such as coral reefs and the dugong will be hurt.

“There are so many American troops here. Of course, 99 per cent of them are good people, but then there is that 1 per cent who do evil things. It’s hard for us,” said Tomomichi Shimabukuro, who runs a seaside inn called Churaumi-kun. </s> TOKYO — The residents of Japan’s southwestern island region of Okinawa have rejected a relocation plan for a U.S. military base that was put to a referendum, dealing a blow to a bilateral security deal stalled for years.

The results of Sunday’s vote showed 72 per cent opposed the plan for a Marines air base being built on a landfill in coastal Henoko. Support for the relocation plan totalled 19 per cent.

The referendum is not legally binding but underlines Okinawans’ sentiment on the relocation plan.

Henoko is to replace a base in Futenma that is in a more residential area and is criticized as noisy and dangerous.

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said Monday the results must be respected.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated the government view that the Henoko plan won’t be changed. </s> Voters on the Japanese island of have rejected the relocation of a controversial US military base, according to exit polls from a non-binding referendum cited by Sunday.

It was not immediately clear whether sufficient numbers of opponents had turned out to meet the threshold required for Governor Denny Tamaki to "respect" the result of the symbolic referendum.

For this to happen, one quarter of the eligible electorate -- or around 290,000 people -- had to vote for one of the three options: for or against relocation or a third choice of "neither." 



In any case, the vote is non-binding on the central government and turnout appeared to be hovering around 50 per cent, raising questions about what effect the referendum will have.

The central government of has vowed to press on with moving the base and the relocation is also backed by

The ballot asked residents whether they supported a plan to reclaim land at a for the relocation of the Futenma base from its current location in a heavily populated part of

It was initially planned as a yes-no vote, but a "neither" option was added after several cities with close ties to the central government threatened to boycott the vote.

Polls opened early on Sunday morning, with about 1.15 million Okinawans eligible to vote.

Speaking after casting her ballot at a local school, voter said: "They are using a lot of tax money and manpower for this referendum, even though the result will not have any legal power. So we thought that we should take this opportunity and think very carefully about this issue." 



"We usually shout no to the new base construction. This is a good opportunity to tell the government directly with concrete numbers: 'No'. This is an important vote," 32-year-old told AFP.

Although the referendum is not legally binding, "it is significant that people in Okinawa can express their will through the vote," said Jun Shimabukuro, a at in Okinawa.

"It can be a test to gauge if democracy is working in Japan," Shimabukuro told AFP before voting opened.

The relocation of Futenma to Nago, 50 kilometres away, was first agreed in 1996 as the US sought to calm local anger after US servicemen gang raped a local schoolgirl.

But the plan has long been stalled in part over local opposition.

The base has stoked tension with local residents over problems ranging from noise and military accidents to crime involving base residents.

says the relocation will address those concerns, but many in Okinawa want the base relocated elsewhere in

They argue that the region bears a disproportionate burden when it comes to hosting US military troops in the country.

Okinawa accounts for less than one per cent of Japan's total land area, but hosts more than half of the approximately 47,000 American military personnel stationed in

Anti-base rallies have been staged daily in Okinawa since campaigning for the referendum began in mid-February.

But the vote has not stopped reclamation work at Nago, with construction workers continuing to shovel dirt into the ocean offshore with bulldozers.

"We hope the referendum will boost the momentum of our fight," demonstrator told AFP on Friday, as more than 100 fellow activists tried to block trucks entering the

"The government is making a fool out of Okinawa." 



Official results may not come until midnight.

A opinion poll by the newspaper this week found 80 percent of respondents want to respect the results.

But there has been little sign the administration will shift course if the vote goes against the move, with saying there were no plans to halt the relocation regardless of the outcome.

Japan's military alliance with the is seen as a key partnership, and Okinawa's location near has long been viewed as having huge strategic importance for US forward positioning in </s> Voters on the Japanese island of Okinawa have rejected the relocation of a controversial U.S. military base, according to official results from a non-binding referendum Sunday.

With 99 percent of ballots counted, some 72 percent had voted against the move with 19 percent in favor, according to the local government.

Opponents of the relocation -- some 434,000 -- had turned out in sufficient numbers to meet the threshold required for Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki to "respect" the result of the symbolic referendum, it said.

For this to happen, one quarter of the eligible electorate -- or around 290,000 people -- had to vote for one of the three options: for or against relocation or a third choice of "neither."

In any case, the vote is non-binding on the central government and turnout was just above 50 percent, raising questions about what effect the referendum will have.

The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed to press on with moving the base and the relocation is also backed by Washington.

The relocation of the Futenma base to Nago, 50 kilometers (30 miles) away, was first agreed in 1996 as the US sought to calm local anger after US servicemen gang raped a local schoolgirl.

But the plan has long been stalled in part over local opposition.

The ballot asked residents whether they supported a plan to reclaim land at a remote coastal site for the relocation of Futenma from its current location in a heavily populated part of Okinawa.

It was initially planned as a yes-no vote, but a "neither" option was added after several cities with close ties to the central government threatened to boycott the vote.

Polls opened early on Sunday morning, with about 1.15 million Okinawans eligible to vote.

Speaking after casting her ballot at a local school, voter Yuki Miyagaki said: "They are using a lot of tax money and manpower for this referendum, even though the result will not have any legal power. So we thought that we should take this opportunity and think very carefully about this issue."

"We usually shout no to the new base construction. This is a good opportunity to tell the government directly with concrete numbers: 'No'. This is an important vote," 32-year-old Narumi Haine told AFP.

"The referendum has underlined once again Okinawa's strong opposition to the relocation," Yoshinobu Yamamoto, professor of politics at the University of Niigata prefecture, told AFP.

"The result could be a negotiating card for the governor, but it's unlikely to have an immediate impact," he added.

"The dispute is far from its resolution."

The base has stoked tension with local residents over problems ranging from noise and military accidents to crime involving base residents.

Abe's government says the relocation will address those concerns, but many in Okinawa want the base relocated elsewhere in Japan.

They argue that the region bears a disproportionate burden when it comes to hosting U.S. military troops in the country.

Okinawa accounts for less than one percent of Japan's total land area, but hosts more than half of the approximately 47,000 American military personnel stationed in Japan.

Anti-base rallies have been staged daily in Okinawa since campaigning for the referendum began in mid-February.

But the vote has not stopped reclamation work at Nago, with construction workers continuing to shovel dirt into the ocean offshore with bulldozers.

"We hope the referendum will boost the momentum of our fight," demonstrator Masaru Shiroma told AFP on Friday, as more than 100 fellow activists tried to block trucks entering the construction site.

"The government is making a fool out of Okinawa."

Official results may not come until early Monday.

An opinion poll by the Asahi daily found 80 percent of respondents want Abe's government to respect the results.

But there has been little sign the administration will shift course if the vote goes against the move, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying there were no plans to halt the relocation regardless of the outcome.

Japan's military alliance with the United States is seen as a key partnership, and Okinawa's location near Taiwan has long been viewed as having huge strategic importance for U.S. forward positioning in Asia.
Voters in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa go to the polls in a referendum on the central government's plan to move the Futenma airbase to Henoko in northern Okinawa Island. 72% of voters oppose the plan.