A Japanese high court has ordered Okinawa prefecture to approve within several days the central government's revisions to planned ground improvement work, which is part of a project to relocate a US military base within the southwestern prefecture.

Tokyo plans to move the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from the densely populated city of Ginowan to an offshore site at Henoko in Nago City.

But the seabed at the reclamation site was found to be too soft.

The central government applied for permission from the prefecture to revise the plan and carry out reinforcement work.

The prefecture has not approved the revisions, and the work remains on hold.

In September, Japan's Supreme Court turned down Okinawa prefecture's appeal of a high court decision upholding the central government's directive for the prefecture to approve changes to the reclamation plan. Even this failed to change Okinawa's stance.

The central government filed a lawsuit in October asking the Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court for permission to override the prefecture's decision.

On Wednesday, the presiding judge at the Naha branch, Miura Takashi, sided with the central government and ordered Okinawa prefecture to approve the revised plan within three business days from the day after receiving the judgment document. This means it would have until the end of Monday.

The judge said that in addition to the significant risks to human life and health posed by the Futenma Air Station, neglecting to give approval for about three-and-a-half years after Tokyo applied to revise the reclamation plan violates social and public interests.

The judge added that the feelings of the people of Okinawa toward the reclamation project are fully understandable, considering the historical and other factors highlighted by the prefecture.

He urged the central government to implement policies that consider their feelings, and expressed hope that through dialogue and mutual understanding, the central and prefectural governments can reach a fundamental resolution.

If the prefecture does not grant approval by the deadline, the central government will become able to override the rejection and start reclamation work.
The prefecture, on the other hand, has a week to appeal to the Supreme Court. But the reclamation project will not be halted until Okinawa wins in the top court.

The central government has never before overridden a decision made by a local government.