At least 11,000 people gathered on Tokunoshima on April 18 to protest a plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Okinawa to the island.

Tokunoshima Island residents hold an anti-base rally in Kagoshima Prefecture on April 18. KYODO PHOTO

The rally, which had been planned for weeks and was expected to draw about 10,000 people, took place only a few days after it was reported that the United States had rejected Tokunoshima Island as a Futenma relocation site.

U.S. officials say moving Futenma's air operations to Tokunoshima, which is hundreds of kilometers away, would make it impossible to effectively conduct joint air, land and sea training with other Marine units in Okinawa.

While those at the April 18 gathering welcomed the news that Tokunoshima, which sits between Okinawa and mainland Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, appeared to be out of the running, they were also worried Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his Democratic Party of Japan-led government might continue to push the island on the Americans. Hatoyama has vowed to settle the issue by the end of May.

Residents cited a desire to preserve the environment surrounding Tokunoshima's beaches and coral colonies, worries about the noise pollution a base would cause and fears of what would result from allowing a large influx of U.S. Marines as reasons for their opposition.

Eri Nakaizumi, 23, who works at Tokunoshima City Hall, said she is concerned the bases might cause environmental damage while resident Yumiko Haruno, 32, who has two children, said she wants to preserve Tokunoshima for future generations.

The Japan Times