Reclamation work begins at disputed US base

Contentious site: Land reclamation work is underway on the Henoko coastal district of Nago in Okinawa. The reclamation work prompted protests and ‘strong anger’ from the local governor. — AFP

TOKYO: Japan’s central government started main reclamation work at a disputed US military base relocation site on the southern island of Okinawa despite fierce local opposition.

Construction workers yesterday dumped a truckload of sediment and bulldozed it into the sea at Henoko on Okinawa’s east coast to build a runway for a Marine Corps base that will be relocated from densely populated Futenma in the southern part of the island. The central government has reversed Okinawa’s earlier ban on landfill work at the site.