Japan commits $96m to US marine transfer

The Japanese government has committed about 96 million dollars as part of funds needed to transfer US Marines from Okinawa Prefecture to Guam. The move is being seen as an effort by the government to win the understanding of citizens in Okinawa on the relocation of the US Futenma Air Station within the prefecture, according to Japan’s (NHK WORLD) website. The government has been working to relocate the Futenma base to reclaimed land in Henoko, Nago City. The plan is based on a Japan-US agreement. It was reaffirmed when Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met US President Barack Obama last month. Abe told Obama that Japan will promptly start working on implementing the agreement. Earlier this month, the US government earmarked 26 million dollars for the Marine base transfer. The land reclamation plan has already received the support of the fishing cooperative at the planned site. But the cooperative has not signed the agreement because terms of compensation are yet to be worked out with the government. Some within the government say an application for the reclamation project should go ahead even without a signed agreement. They say it should be filed with Okinawa Prefecture by the end of this month.