Japanese Government Wins Lawsuit Against Okinawa Prefecture Over Approval of US Military Base Relocation Construction

Kyodo News reported that the Japanese government won a lawsuit filed against Okinawa Prefecture, which had refused to approve construction necessary for the relocation of the U.S. military airbase, on the 20th.

The Nahaji Branch of the Fukuoka High Court ruled on the same day that the refusal to approve ground reinforcement construction in the Henoko area was illegal and ordered Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny to approve the construction by the 25th.

In response, Governor Tamaki, who has opposed the base relocation, said, "This is absolutely unacceptable."

Henoko is the site where the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, located in the southern urban area of Okinawa Island, is to be relocated. The Japanese government and Okinawa Prefecture have been engaged in legal battles over the establishment of the new U.S. military base.

Earlier, the Supreme Court of Japan, equivalent to the Japanese Supreme Court, ruled in September that Okinawa Prefecture had an obligation to approve the design changes for the Henoko construction.

However, Governor Tamaki, who has opposed the enhancement of defense facilities in the region, contested by withholding the approval decision, and in response, the Japanese government filed a lawsuit again in October demanding a court order to approve the construction.