The relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture to the Henoko district in Nago in the same prefecture is the only solution that strikes a balance between maintaining deterrence and reducing the base-related burden on the prefecture. The central government needs to steadily facilitate the relocation project while giving sufficient consideration to local residents' wishes.
In the mayoral election for Nago in the prefecture, incumbent Taketoyo Toguchi won a second term with the support of political parties that promote the base relocation project, including the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Toguchi defeated a former city assembly member, a first-time candidate who opposed the project.
Toguchi did not address the relocation issue during the election campaign, instead touting to voters the welfare measures he implemented during his first term, such as free nursing care for preschool children, free school lunches and medical services for children, as well as his achievements in regional development.
