Okinawa Governor Genta Koja said on Friday he accepts the deployment of US military MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft at the Futenma air station, reversing the southern Japan prefecture’s long-standing opposition to their presence.
Previous prefectural governments, under governors critical of US bases, had opposed the deployment of the tilt-rotor aircraft since before they were first stationed at the base in 2012, citing safety concerns. Koja assumed the post of Okinawa governor late last month.
“More than 10 years have passed since the deployment. Considering that the Self-Defence Forces operate the aircraft, it is not realistic to call for a reversal of their deployment or use,” Koja told reporters at the prefectural government office.
In a break from his predecessors, Koja, who won the gubernatorial election backed by Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, supports the plan to relocate US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in densely populated Ginowan to the coastal Henoko area in Nago within Okinawa.