Anti-U.S. base mayor leads ahead of Okinawa election: poll

Let’s see if Tokyo and Washington would respect the outcome.

Hmmmm, an anti-US candidate, in an area full of anti-US sentiment, ahead in election polls, who would have thought

The people will speak! Tokyo will ignore.

Many Okinawa residents associate the U.S. military presence with crime, pollution and accidents, and resentment has been rekindled by a spate of incidents involving U.S. military aircraft. Last month a window fell from a U.S. helicopter onto a school sports field, fanning safety concerns.

And not just confined to residents there, I can tell you.

I blame Matthew Perry, myself.

Sixty-nine percent of Nago voters responding to Yomiuri's survey said that Futenma's functions should be moved off Okinawa entirely; 17 percent said the original plan should go ahead.

Is the assumption that Inamine based on Nago resident favoring the relocation of Futenma's functions off Island?

Where in the article does it show who is leading in the polls?

-There's a huge difference between "Do you support the relocation of Futenma to Henoko district of Nago" and "do you think Futenma's functions should be moved off Okinawa entirely." They asked an extremely ambiguous question here.

Inamine leads*

After Futenma and all U.S. Marine bases are removed, what's next on the Onaga and city mayors agenda?  Kadena Air Base? Then eventually all U.S. military presence? 

Okinawa, as a Japanese prefecture, can't unilaterally order the removal of the bases.  But Okinawa, as an independent sovereign country, hypothetically can.

I think J gov't is ready to evict US military Sumitomo. Created new kind of motorcycle factory in Ishigaki Island. Okinawa may become indusria refectre.