Governor takes relocation dispute closer to High Court

Okinawan Governor Takeshi Onaga was scheduled to appeal to a third-party panel on Monday to mediate with the central government of Japan in an ongoing dispute regarding the relocation of a controversial US air base within the nation's southernmost prefecture.

Onaga, a staunch opponent of Tokyo's plan to relocate the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from the densely populated region of Ginowan, to the coastal region of Henoko, also on Okinawa, said he will lodge a complaint with the Central and Local Government Dispute Management Council.

The third-party panel exists to adjudicate in disputes between prefectural governments and the central government. They have up to 90 days after a complaint is filed to dismiss the case.