Overview
- Meeting Ginowan’s mayor, Shinjirō Koizumi vowed close coordination to pursue the full return of Futenma Air Station and promised visible burden-reduction measures.
- Koizumi asked Governor Denny Tamaki to accept a stronger defense posture and enhanced Japan–U.S. deterrence, citing increased Chinese activity around the Senkaku area and the Pacific.
- Tamaki countered that burden reduction must address both U.S. forces and the Self-Defense Forces and again urged the government to abandon relocating Futenma to Henoko.
- After the talks, Koizumi said he is resolved to advance base-burden relief while also strengthening defense capabilities as a dual-track effort.
- During the two-day tour, Koizumi discussed Kadena Air Base noise with three local mayors, heard from SDF pilots about a recent radar-illumination incident, met U.S. Forces Okinawa commander Roger Turner, and inspected Futenma.