The Japan Times reports that “Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga plans to file a countersuit as early as next month seeking to nullify a central government order allowing works for a new U.S. military base to continue, a senior prefectural official has said.”  

“On Tuesday, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Keiichi Ishii filed a lawsuit demanding Onaga retract his decision to block landfill work for the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a residential district in Ginowan to the less populated Henoko coastal area of Nago.”  

“However, the prefectural official said late Tuesday Onaga will submit a bill to the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly when it reconvenes next week authorizing the countersuit.”