Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered in Okinawa vowing to stop a planned US military base relocating on the southern Japanese island.
They paid tribute to Governor Takeshi Onaga, who died last week after leading Okinawa’s anti-US military base movement since elected in 2014.
He had promised to prevent the central government from bulldozing a contentious relocation of US Marine Corps air station to a less populated part of Okinawa.
He also criticised Tokyo for neglecting Okinawa’s will and was preparing to revoke a landfill permit issued by his predecessor.
Deputy Governor Kiichiro Jahana, representing Mr Onaga at the rally, says he will follow through a revocation process.
About half of the 50,000 American troops in Japan are stationed on Okinawa.
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