Residents of Japan's Okinawa were casting ballots Sunday in a closely watched referendum on the controversial relocation of a US military base to a remote part of the island.

The vote is seen as highly symbolic but is also non-binding, raising questions about what effect it will have, even if opponents of the move, including Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, prevail.

The ballot asks residents whether they support a plan to reclaim land at a remote coastal site for the relocation of the Futenma base from its current location in a heavily-populated part of Okinawa.

It was initially planned as a yes-no vote on the move, but a "neither" option was added after several cities with close ties to the central government threatened to boycott the vote.

Polls opened early on Sunday morning, with about 1.15 million Okinawans eligible to vote. The Jiji Press agency reported around 20.5 percent of eligible voters had already cast ballots in early voting by Saturday.

"They are using a lot of tax money and manpower for this referendum, even though the result will not have any legal power. So we thought that we should take this opportunity and think very carefully about this issue," said Yuki Miyagaki, after casting her ballot at a local school.

"We usually shout no to the new base construction. This is a good opportunity to tell the government directly with concrete numbers: 'No'. This is an important vote," 32-year-old Narumi Haine told AFP.

Although the referendum is not legally binding, "it is significant that people in Okinawa can express their will through the vote," said Jun Shimabukuro, a professor at Ryukyu University in Okinawa.

"It can be a test to gauge if democracy is working in Japan," Shimabukuro told AFP before voting opened.

The relocation of Futenma to Nago, 50 kilometres (30 miles) away, was first agreed in 1996 as the US sought to calm local anger after US servicemen gang raped a local schoolgirl.

But the plan has long been stalled in part over local opposition.

The Futenma base has stoked tension with local residents over problems ranging from noise and military accidents to crime involving base residents.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government says the relocation will address those concerns, but many in Okinawa want the base relocated elsewhere in Japan.

They argue that the region bears a disproportionate burden when it comes to hosting US military troops in the country.

Okinawa accounts for less than one percent of Japan's total land area, but hosts more than half of the approximately 47,000 American military personnel stationed in Japan.

Anti-base rallies have been staged daily in Okinawa since campaigning for the referendum began in mid-February.

But the vote has not stopped reclamation work at Nago, with construction workers continuing to shovel dirt into the ocean offshore with bulldozers.

"We hope the referendum will boost the momentum of our fight," demonstrator Masaru Shiroma told AFP on Friday, as more than 100 fellow activists tried to block trucks entering the construction site on Friday.

"The government is making a fool out of Okinawa."

The ballot closes at 8:00 pm with exit polls expected soon after and official results from as early as midnight.

Okinawa's governor is required to "respect" the vote's outcome if at least a quarter of eligible voters -- around 290,000 votes -- vote for any one option.

Tamaki has urged residents to turn out and cast their "precious votes" in the poll.

A opinion poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper this week found 59 percent of people in Okinawa oppose the reclamation while 16 percent support it.

The survey also found 80 percent of respondents want Abe's government to respect the results.

But there has been little sign Abe's government will shift course if the vote goes against the move, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying there were no plans to halt the relocation regardless of the outcome.

Japan's military alliance with the United States is seen as a key partnership, and Okinawa's location near Taiwan has long been viewed as having huge strategic importance for US forward positioning in Asia.</s>The depth of dissatisfaction over the US presence on the Japanese island of Okinawa was laid bare yesterday when its residents rejected a plan to relocate a military base.

Voters were asked whether they supported moving the Futenma base from a heavily populated part of the island to reclaimed land on a coastal site. Officials said that about 72 per cent of islanders had voted against the plan, and 19 per cent in favour. However, the referendum was non-binding and the government is expected to ignore it.

The relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Nago, 50km away, was agreed in 1996 as the US sought to calm local anger after US servicemen gang-raped a 12-year-old Okinawan girl. However, the plan has long been…</s>More than 70 percent of voters in Japan’s Okinawa islands objected in a referendum to the relocation of a US military base within the region, according to the results announced on Monday.

The referendum had been called the day before by the local government to consult the local population on the relocation of the US Navy's Futenma airbase, and its result once again highlights the majority rejecting the US military presence in Okinawa.</s>Voters on the Japanese island of Okinawa have rejected the relocation of a controversial U.S. military base, according to official results from a non-binding referendum Sunday.

With 99 percent of ballots counted, some 72 percent had voted against the move with 19 percent in favor, according to the local government.

Opponents of the relocation -- some 434,000 -- had turned out in sufficient numbers to meet the threshold required for Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki to "respect" the result of the symbolic referendum, it said.

For this to happen, one quarter of the eligible electorate -- or around 290,000 people -- had to vote for one of the three options: for or against relocation or a third choice of "neither."

In any case, the vote is non-binding on the central government and turnout was just above 50 percent, raising questions about what effect the referendum will have.

The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed to press on with moving the base and the relocation is also backed by Washington.

The relocation of the Futenma base to Nago, 50 kilometers (30 miles) away, was first agreed in 1996 as the US sought to calm local anger after US servicemen gang raped a local schoolgirl.

But the plan has long been stalled in part over local opposition.

The ballot asked residents whether they supported a plan to reclaim land at a remote coastal site for the relocation of Futenma from its current location in a heavily populated part of Okinawa.

It was initially planned as a yes-no vote, but a "neither" option was added after several cities with close ties to the central government threatened to boycott the vote.

Polls opened early on Sunday morning, with about 1.15 million Okinawans eligible to vote.

Speaking after casting her ballot at a local school, voter Yuki Miyagaki said: "They are using a lot of tax money and manpower for this referendum, even though the result will not have any legal power. So we thought that we should take this opportunity and think very carefully about this issue."

"We usually shout no to the new base construction. This is a good opportunity to tell the government directly with concrete numbers: 'No'. This is an important vote," 32-year-old Narumi Haine told AFP.

"The referendum has underlined once again Okinawa's strong opposition to the relocation," Yoshinobu Yamamoto, professor of politics at the University of Niigata prefecture, told AFP.

"The result could be a negotiating card for the governor, but it's unlikely to have an immediate impact," he added.

"The dispute is far from its resolution."

The base has stoked tension with local residents over problems ranging from noise and military accidents to crime involving base residents.

Abe's government says the relocation will address those concerns, but many in Okinawa want the base relocated elsewhere in Japan.

They argue that the region bears a disproportionate burden when it comes to hosting U.S. military troops in the country.

Okinawa accounts for less than one percent of Japan's total land area, but hosts more than half of the approximately 47,000 American military personnel stationed in Japan.

Anti-base rallies have been staged daily in Okinawa since campaigning for the referendum began in mid-February.

But the vote has not stopped reclamation work at Nago, with construction workers continuing to shovel dirt into the ocean offshore with bulldozers.

"We hope the referendum will boost the momentum of our fight," demonstrator Masaru Shiroma told AFP on Friday, as more than 100 fellow activists tried to block trucks entering the construction site.

"The government is making a fool out of Okinawa."

Official results may not come until early Monday.

An opinion poll by the Asahi daily found 80 percent of respondents want Abe's government to respect the results.

But there has been little sign the administration will shift course if the vote goes against the move, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying there were no plans to halt the relocation regardless of the outcome.

Japan's military alliance with the United States is seen as a key partnership, and Okinawa's location near Taiwan has long been viewed as having huge strategic importance for U.S. forward positioning in Asia.</s>Opponents to the land reclamation work off the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, applaud while watching a TV report on the referendum in Naha on Feb. 24. (Masaru Komiyaji)

NAHA--Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki proclaimed that the decisive 72 percent opposed to the relocation of a U.S. military base within Okinawa Prefecture in a referendum on Feb. 24 shows the "firm will" of the people.

Tamaki told reporters before dawn on Feb. 25 that the people of Okinawa will never allow the land reclamation work off Henoko for the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

“The central government should reconsider its policy that Henoko is the only candidate site for relocation, and suspend the (ongoing land reclamation) work,” Tamaki said. “We will also strongly demand that the central government start dialogue with the Okinawa prefectural government toward the closure of the Futenma air station and return of its land (to Japan)."

In the prefecture-wide referendum, a total of 434,273 voters, or 72.15 percent of the total ballots cast, expressed opposition to the relocation of the air station from the current location of Ginowan to the Henoko district of Nago.

Meanwhile, 114,933 voters, or 19.10 percent, supported the relocation, and 52,682 voters, or 8.75 percent, chose “No opinion either way” in the three-choice ballot.

The number of opposition votes exceeded those of the other two choices in all the 41 municipalities in the prefecture. The total is also larger than the record 396,632 votes won by Tamaki in the Okinawa gubernatorial election in September.

Voter turnout stood at 52.48 percent, exceeding the 50 percent level that is regarded as the lowest figure to consider the prefectural referendum results as meaningful.

The referendum was held only on the “one issue” of whether to support the land reclamation work off the Henoko district for the relocation within the prefecture, which is currently under way.

It marked the first time that the people in Okinawa Prefecture expressed their will of “no to Henoko” in their ballots that focused on one issue.

The referendum is not legally binding. However, with the number of opposition votes exceeding 288,398, or a quarter of the total number of eligible voters of 1,153,591 in the prefecture, the Okinawa governor is required to inform Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump of the result of the referendum.

Buoyed by the voters' opposition, Tamaki will strongly urge the Abe administration to suspend the work for the relocation of the Futenma air station.

He plans to visit the prime minister’s office and the U.S. Embassy, both in Tokyo, on March 1 to convey the results of the referendum.

The Okinawa people have maintained strong opposition to the relocation of the Futenma base within the prefecture since the latter half of the 1990s when the relocation plan surfaced.

In the Okinawa gubernatorial elections in 2014 and 2018, Takeshi Onaga and Tamaki, respectively, both won on anti-base relocation platforms.

However, in other local elections, such as the Ginowan mayoral election in 2016 and the Nago mayoral election in 2018, candidates supported by the Abe administration emerged victorious.

Therefore, the Abe administration and the Liberal Democratic Party emphasized that opposition to the relocation to Henoko was not solely the will of all the people of Okinawa.

The referendum marked the first time in 23 years that a prefectural-wide referendum was held in Japan. In 1996, a referendum was held in Okinawa Prefecture on the reduction of U.S. military bases in the prefecture and the review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.

Okinawa currently hosts about 70 percent of U.S. military facilities in Japan.</s>Residents of Japan’s Okinawa were casting ballots Sunday in a closely watched referendum on the controversial relocation of a US military base to a remote part of the island.

The vote is seen as highly symbolic but is also non-binding, raising questions about what effect it will have, even if opponents of the move, including Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, prevail.

The ballot asks residents whether they support a plan to reclaim land at a remote coastal site for the relocation of the Futenma base from its current location in a heavily-populated part of Okinawa.

It was initially planned as a yes-no vote on the move, but a “neither” option was added after several cities with close ties to the central government threatened to boycott the vote.

Polls opened early on Sunday morning, with about 1.15 million Okinawans eligible to vote. The Jiji Press agency reported around 20.5 percent of eligible voters had already cast ballots in early voting by Saturday.

“They are using a lot of tax money and manpower for this referendum, even though the result will not have any legal power. So we thought that we should take this opportunity and think very carefully about this issue,” said Yuki Miyagaki, after casting her ballot at a local school.

“We usually shout no to the new base construction. This is a good opportunity to tell the government directly with concrete numbers: ‘No’. This is an important vote,” 32-year-old Narumi Haine told AFP.

Although the referendum is not legally binding, “it is significant that people in Okinawa can express their will through the vote,” said Jun Shimabukuro, a professor at Ryukyu University in Okinawa.

“It can be a test to gauge if democracy is working in Japan,” Shimabukuro told AFP before voting opened.

The relocation of Futenma to Nago, 50 kilometres (30 miles) away, was first agreed in 1996 as the US sought to calm local anger after US servicemen gang raped a local schoolgirl.

But the plan has long been stalled in part over local opposition.

The Futenma base has stoked tension with local residents over problems ranging from noise and military accidents to crime involving base residents.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government says the relocation will address those concerns, but many in Okinawa want the base relocated elsewhere in Japan.

They argue that the region bears a disproportionate burden when it comes to hosting US military troops in the country.

Okinawa accounts for less than one percent of Japan’s total land area, but hosts more than half of the approximately 47,000 American military personnel stationed in Japan.

Anti-base rallies have been staged daily in Okinawa since campaigning for the referendum began in mid-February.

But the vote has not stopped reclamation work at Nago, with construction workers continuing to shovel dirt into the ocean offshore with bulldozers.

“We hope the referendum will boost the momentum of our fight,” demonstrator Masaru Shiroma told AFP on Friday, as more than 100 fellow activists tried to block trucks entering the construction site on Friday.

“The government is making a fool out of Okinawa.”

The ballot closes at 8:00 pm with exit polls expected soon after and official results from as early as midnight.

Okinawa’s governor is required to “respect” the vote’s outcome if at least a quarter of eligible voters — around 290,000 votes — vote for any one option.

Tamaki has urged residents to turn out and cast their “precious votes” in the poll.

A opinion poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper this week found 59 percent of people in Okinawa oppose the reclamation while 16 percent support it.

The survey also found 80 percent of respondents want Abe’s government to respect the results.

But there has been little sign Abe’s government will shift course if the vote goes against the move, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying there were no plans to halt the relocation regardless of the outcome.

Japan’s military alliance with the United States is seen as a key partnership, and Okinawa’s location near Taiwan has long been viewed as having huge strategic importance for US forward positioning in Asia.</s>Okinawa residents resoundingly voted against the relocation of a key American airbase yesterday, in a result that is bound to inflame tensions between the prefectural and national governments.

Some 72.8 per cent of voters said no to moving the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from densely populated Ginowan to the coastal Henoko district, with 96 per cent of the ballots counted last night.

The national government wants the base moved because of national security and safety concerns, but what Okinawans really want is to move the base off their island. Turnout was 52.48 per cent of the more than 1.15 million people aged 18 and above who were eligible to vote.

The vote is merely symbolic as it is not legally binding on the central government and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said Tokyo would ignore the outcome. Washington also backs the move.

The central government has already drawn flak for being "undemocratic" were it really to ignore an overwhelming result. This could reverberate in elections this year.

Mr Fumio Kishida, policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said the party was committed to protecting people's lives and defending Japan's territory. This means, he added, avoiding the use of Futenma while finding ways to reduce the burden on Okinawa.

Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, who was elected by an enormous margin last year on an anti-base platform, will travel to Tokyo this week for talks with the Cabinet and the US Embassy, the Asahi Shimbun reported.

Voters had three options: yes, no, or neither. The last option was added after five of Okinawa's 41 municipalities that are led by the LDP said they would boycott the referendum in the event of a binary choice.

By a prefectural ordinance, Mr Tamaki has to "respect" the outcome if over one-quarter of the eligible electorate, or about 288,000 people, vote for a single outcome. With the threshold achieved, Mr Tamaki will need to notify Mr Abe and US President Donald Trump of the result.

Okinawa has long been upset by what it sees as a disproportionate military burden, a legacy of nearly 30 years of US administration following World War II. The prefecture accounts for just 0.6 per cent of Japan's total land area, but hosts about 70 per cent of the total US base area and more than half of the 47,000 US personnel stationed in Japan.

Futenma, which has been billed as the "most dangerous base in the world" as it is located in a residential area, has drawn noise and safety complaints. In a 2017 incident, a window from a US helicopter fell onto the grounds of an Okinawa elementary school.

A spate of high-profile crimes committed by US base workers has exacerbated the situation, including drink-driving, rape and murder.

The trigger for the relocation was the 1995 gang rape and abduction of a 12-year-old schoolgirl by three US servicemen, which led thousands to protest.

A prefectural referendum a year later, on scaling back US bases and reviewing a key agreement on the deployment of US troops, saw nearly 90 per cent voting in favour.

Yet the Henoko site, too, is controversial given the need for extensive land reclamation. Critics say this will not only ruin its pristine beaches, but also damage a delicate marine ecosystem home to the endangered dugong and coral reefs.

The Henoko relocation plan has been on the table since April 1996, and in its stalling tactics, Okinawa wants to force Tokyo's hand to agree to move the base out of the prefecture altogether.

But the central government maintains that the current plan is the "only solution" to reduce the dangers attributed to the Futenma base, given Okinawa's strategic importance from its proximity to both the East and South China Seas, as well as Taiwan.

The prefecture, too, administers the Senkaku/Diaoyu islets claimed by China, which has made encroachments into Japanese waters.

Okinawa-born activist Jinshiro Motoyama, 27, took a gap year from his graduate studies at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo to lead a civic movement against the relocation. He told Kyodo News last night: "This is a major development for the democracy of Okinawa. I want the government to act according to the popular will."</s>Okinawa votes in referendum on US military base relocation

TOKYO (AP) — The people of Okinawa voted Sunday on a plan for a U.S. military base relocation in a referendum that will send a message on how they feel about housing American troops in Japan, who many see as a burden on the group of tiny southwestern islands.

The referendum is technically not binding but interest is high for testing the public sentiment about the plan to relocate Futenma air base, which is pushed by the national government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The plan has its beginnings in 1995, when outrage erupted against U.S. service members over the rape of a 12-year-old girl. Futenma was long criticized as dangerous, being in a residential area. Washington also agreed to transfer some personnel to the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

A replacement base is on a coastal landfill in an area called Henoko. Critics say wildlife such as coral reefs and the dugong will be hurt.

"There are so many American troops here. Of course, 99 percent of them are good people, but then there is that 1 percent who do evil things. It's hard for us," said Tomomichi Shimabukuro, who runs a seaside inn called Churaumi-kun.

"I feel most people of Okinawa are going to vote in protest of the plan," he said in a phone interview.

Japanese media surveys have shown voters are likely to reject the Henoko plan. Nearly 1.16 million residents were eligible to vote. Interest has been strong, not only in the rest of Japan but among pacifists internationally.

The referendum asked: "On the landfill for the construction of the U.S. military base planned by the government in Henoko, Nago city, to replace Futenma air base," with the answers being: "I agree," ''I oppose," or "Neither."

Although Okinawa makes up less than 1 percent of Japan's land space, it houses about half of the 54,000 American troops stationed in Japan, and makes for 64 percent of the land used by the U.S. bases, under a bilateral security treaty.

Japan relies heavily on the U.S. for its defense, and the government has said it will not abide by the referendum, even if the Henoko plan is rejected.

Over the years, Henoko has drawn countless protests and sit-ins. The election last year of Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, the son of a Japanese woman and a U.S. Marine he has never met, has injected renewed energy to the movement.

Skeptics are worried the costs for a landfill base like Henoko may keep growing, the runway may end up being too short and the government may not close Futenma, after all.

Some in Okinawa are wondering why U.S. military operations can't be moved to other parts of Japan. Such plans have been repeatedly brought up with little progress, making some in Okinawa feel they are getting second-class treatment.

Col. John Hutcheson, spokesman for U.S. Forces Japan, said the Henoko agreement is a bilateral deal aimed at closing Futenma, while maintaining what he called vital capabilities for regional security. He declined to comment on the referendum, saying it was a domestic political issue.

"We are committed to maintaining good relations with local communities on Okinawa and do our best every day to balance their concerns with the necessity to maintain readiness in support of our treaty commitments," he said.

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama</s>Voters on the Japanese island of have rejected the relocation of a controversial US military base, according to exit polls from a non-binding referendum cited by Sunday.

It was not immediately clear whether sufficient numbers of opponents had turned out to meet the threshold required for Governor Denny Tamaki to "respect" the result of the symbolic referendum.

For this to happen, one quarter of the eligible electorate -- or around 290,000 people -- had to vote for one of the three options: for or against relocation or a third choice of "neither." 



In any case, the vote is non-binding on the central government and turnout appeared to be hovering around 50 per cent, raising questions about what effect the referendum will have.

The central government of has vowed to press on with moving the base and the relocation is also backed by

The ballot asked residents whether they supported a plan to reclaim land at a for the relocation of the Futenma base from its current location in a heavily populated part of

It was initially planned as a yes-no vote, but a "neither" option was added after several cities with close ties to the central government threatened to boycott the vote.

Polls opened early on Sunday morning, with about 1.15 million Okinawans eligible to vote.

Speaking after casting her ballot at a local school, voter said: "They are using a lot of tax money and manpower for this referendum, even though the result will not have any legal power. So we thought that we should take this opportunity and think very carefully about this issue." 



"We usually shout no to the new base construction. This is a good opportunity to tell the government directly with concrete numbers: 'No'. This is an important vote," 32-year-old told AFP.

Although the referendum is not legally binding, "it is significant that people in Okinawa can express their will through the vote," said Jun Shimabukuro, a at in Okinawa.

"It can be a test to gauge if democracy is working in Japan," Shimabukuro told AFP before voting opened.

The relocation of Futenma to Nago, 50 kilometres away, was first agreed in 1996 as the US sought to calm local anger after US servicemen gang raped a local schoolgirl.

But the plan has long been stalled in part over local opposition.

The base has stoked tension with local residents over problems ranging from noise and military accidents to crime involving base residents.

says the relocation will address those concerns, but many in Okinawa want the base relocated elsewhere in

They argue that the region bears a disproportionate burden when it comes to hosting US military troops in the country.

Okinawa accounts for less than one per cent of Japan's total land area, but hosts more than half of the approximately 47,000 American military personnel stationed in

Anti-base rallies have been staged daily in Okinawa since campaigning for the referendum began in mid-February.

But the vote has not stopped reclamation work at Nago, with construction workers continuing to shovel dirt into the ocean offshore with bulldozers.

"We hope the referendum will boost the momentum of our fight," demonstrator told AFP on Friday, as more than 100 fellow activists tried to block trucks entering the

"The government is making a fool out of Okinawa." 



Official results may not come until midnight.

A opinion poll by the newspaper this week found 80 percent of respondents want to respect the results.

But there has been little sign the administration will shift course if the vote goes against the move, with saying there were no plans to halt the relocation regardless of the outcome.

Japan's military alliance with the is seen as a key partnership, and Okinawa's location near has long been viewed as having huge strategic importance for US forward positioning in</s>Okinawa votes in referendum on US military base relocation

TOKYO (AP) — The people of Okinawa voted Sunday on a plan for a U.S. military base relocation in a referendum that will send a message on how they feel about housing American troops in Japan, who many see as a burden on the group of tiny southwestern islands.

The referendum is technically not binding but interest is high for testing the public sentiment about the plan to relocate Futenma air base, which is pushed by the national government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The plan has its beginnings in 1995, when outrage erupted against U.S. service members over the rape of a 12-year-old girl. Futenma was long criticized as dangerous, being in a residential area. Washington also agreed to transfer some personnel to the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

A replacement base is on a coastal landfill in an area called Henoko. Critics say wildlife such as coral reefs and the dugong will be hurt.

"There are so many American troops here. Of course, 99 percent of them are good people, but then there is that 1 percent who do evil things. It's hard for us," said Tomomichi Shimabukuro, who runs a seaside inn called Churaumi-kun.

"I feel most people of Okinawa are going to vote in protest of the plan," he said in a phone interview.

Japanese media surveys have shown voters are likely to reject the Henoko plan. Nearly 1.16 million residents were eligible to vote. Interest has been strong, not only in the rest of Japan but among pacifists internationally.

The referendum asked: "On the landfill for the construction of the U.S. military base planned by the government in Henoko, Nago city, to replace Futenma air base," with the answers being: "I agree," ''I oppose," or "Neither."

Although Okinawa makes up less than 1 percent of Japan's land space, it houses about half of the 54,000 American troops stationed in Japan, and makes for 64 percent of the land used by the U.S. bases, under a bilateral security treaty.

Japan relies heavily on the U.S. for its defense, and the government has said it will not abide by the referendum, even if the Henoko plan is rejected.

Over the years, Henoko has drawn countless protests and sit-ins. The election last year of Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, the son of a Japanese woman and a U.S. Marine he has never met, has injected renewed energy to the movement.

Skeptics are worried the costs for a landfill base like Henoko may keep growing, the runway may end up being too short and the government may not close Futenma, after all.

Some in Okinawa are wondering why U.S. military operations can't be moved to other parts of Japan. Such plans have been repeatedly brought up with little progress, making some in Okinawa feel they are getting second-class treatment.

Col. John Hutcheson, spokesman for U.S. Forces Japan, said the Henoko agreement is a bilateral deal aimed at closing Futenma, while maintaining what he called vital capabilities for regional security. He declined to comment on the referendum, saying it was a domestic political issue.

"We are committed to maintaining good relations with local communities on Okinawa and do our best every day to balance their concerns with the necessity to maintain readiness in support of our treaty commitments," he said.

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
Voters in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa go to the polls in a referendum on the central government's plan to move the Futenma airbase to Henoko in northern Okinawa Island. 72% of voters oppose the plan.