Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima has approved a plan to relocate a U.S. air base from Futenma to the less-congested Nago City, despite likely protests from residents who want the Marines out altogether. The move will consolidate a massive U.S. troop presence; about half of the 50,000 troops in Japan are in Okinawa. But residents oppose the plan, saying the base will block roads and bring crime and pollution. The Futenma base's closure was agreed upon in 1996 but had stalled.
