The Japanese government wants the U.S. to close U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, a helicopter base on the island prefecture of Okinawa. A Nov. 11 Voice of America report stated that Japanese officials planned to place their wish for Futenma’s closure atop the list of discussion points during a mid-November meeting with President Obama in Tokyo. The U.S. plans to move 6,000 Marines to Guam from Okinawa, but still wants to stick to a 2006 agreement with Japan that allows Futenma, as well as its contingent of 2,000 Marine aviators and service personnel, to remain open on its new site, situated offshore on reclaimed land. Futenma has been a point of contention for years, largely because local Okinawans resent the aircraft noise and fear for their safety. Each time an aviation mishap occurs, or a U.S. service member is accused of a crime there, such incidents – and the citizens’ angry reactions – receive considerable play in Japanese news media. Still, no one expected that the issue would be resolved during Obama’s visit, VOA reported.
