Thousands rally against US base in Japan

Tokyo - Thousands of people rallied on the island of Okinawa in southern Japan on Sunday to demand the relocation of a US military base which they say has been a burden on the island. The protests, which organizers say drew about 21,000 people, occurred just days ahead of a scheduled visit by US President Barack Obama to Japan.

According to a 2006 agreement between Tokyo and Washington, the Futenma base is to be moved from the city centre of Ginowan to reclaimed land near Henoko on the island's coastal region.

The row over the base could overshadow Obama's visit as newly- elected Japanese Premier Yukio Hatoyama, who has campaigned for a more equal relationship with the US, has said the base could be moved off the island or even out of the country entirely.

The US demands that Japan honor the 2006 deal, under which Tokyo would also have to finance the relocation of the base by 2014.

Meanwhile, Hatoyama has come under pressure in his own country as his approval ratings have dropped following his landslide election in August after decades of conservative governments.

Ginowan residents complain the base has increased noise levels, pollution and crime in the city.

"I urge Prime Minister Hatoyama to tell President Obama that Okinawa needs no more US bases," Ginowan mayor Yoichi Iha was quoted as saying at the rally in a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Even the suggested new location of the base is controversial as environmentalists fear damage to local coral reefs, the BBC reported.

In total 47,000 US military personnel are currently based in Japan.