Japan's Abe, Okinawa governor clash over U.S. base before U.S.-Japan summit

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the governor of the southern island of Okinawa clashed on Friday over the relocation of a contentious U.S. air base, an irritant in U.S.-Japan ties, a week before Abe's high-profile visit to the United States.

Okinawa, host to the bulk of U.S. forces in Japan, and Abe's government have been at odds since anti-base conservative Takeshi Onaga was elected governor last November and Okinawa candidates from Abe's ruling party lost in a general election.