The legal battle over plans to move a US military base within Okinawa Prefecture has taken another turn, this time in Japan's Supreme Court.

Presiding Justice Oka Masaaki dismissed an appeal filed by the governor of Okinawa.

He wanted to overturn a high court ruling ordering the prefecture to approve a revised plan that includes ground reinforcement work.

The central government is pushing ahead with the relocation of US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from the densely populated city of Ginowan. The new site is located off Henoko in the city of Nago.

The plan involves land reclamation work in Oura Bay, but much of the seabed was found to be too soft.

Authorities in Okinawa then rejected a request from Tokyo to revise the plan and carry out land reinforcement work.

Last year, the central government filed a lawsuit at the Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court asking for the power to go ahead with the work regardless.

The judges ordered Okinawa Prefecture to approve the revised plan, citing the safety risks posed by the US base's current location.

The land reinforcement work began in January.

Officials in Okinawa filed their appeal to that ruling with the Supreme Court in December. They said the issue can only be resolved by building consensus with the local people.