The election of a new governor in Okinawa looks set to complicate controversial plans to relocate an unpopular U.S. air base on the Japanese island . Takeshi Onaga , a staunch opponent of the base , comfortably defeated the incumbent , Hirokazu Nakaima , in the vote on Sunday and quickly vowed to do everything he could to prevent the construction of the new facility for the U.S. Marines . `` I 'm determined to work toward canceling and withdrawing it , '' he told reporters , according to the Japanese news agency Kyodo . Nakaima approved a key measure late last year for the transfer of the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma , which is situated in a heavily populated area of Ginowan City . The base is unpopular with local residents . Many Okinawans feel the American military brings noise , crime and environmental damage to their island . A number of rape cases involving U.S. military personnel over the years have intensified the anger . About half of all U.S. military personnel in Japan are stationed on Okinawa . The U.S. and Japanese governments want to move the Marine base to a more sparsely populated area in Nago City and to build runways out into the sea for the new facility . But Onaga is calling for the base to be taken off Okinawa entirely . The defeat of Nakaima , who had the support of Japan 's governing Liberal Democratic Party , creates a headache for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe . Before Nakaima 's approval last year , the relocation had been held up by local opposition since 1996 , when Washington and Tokyo agreed on the original plan to move the base . Onaga said he plans to investigate the legal soundness of Nakaima 's decision to give the go ahead for the land-fill work for the runways . `` We proved that the people of Okinawa disagree ( with Nakaima ) , '' Onaga said . He received 360,820 votes to Nakaima 's 261,076 , Kyodo reported , citing the local election board .
Takeshi Onaga beats incumbent governor who approved measure for base construction . `` I 'm determined to work toward canceling and withdrawing it , '' Onaga says . Plans to move the U.S. Marine air base had been held up for years by local opposition .