Local ire could hit US-Japan ties-Okinawa governor

The governor of Okinawa, host to the bulk of U.S. forces in Japan, warned on Tuesday that ignoring local anger over plans to relocate a Marine base on the southern Japanese island could hurt the U.S.-Japan alliance.

Residents of Okinawa and other communities, however, are resisting the plan out of concern about crime, noise and environmental damage associated with the bases, creating a huge diplomatic headache for policy-makers in Washington and Tokyo.

"What's most important is to pay attention to the feelings of the people of the prefecture. Otherwise, you end up with an uncontrollable situation down the road," Okinawa Governor Keiichi Inamine told a news conference in Tokyo.

Tokyo and Washington want to finalize the realignment deal in March. While Japanese officials have mentioned the possibility of making "adjustments," Washington has...