Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga has died. He was 67.
Onaga was a strong opponent of the central government's plan to relocate a controversial US military base within the island.
Onaga had been battling cancer. He was hospitalized late last month, and underwent surgery on his pancreas in April.
Onaga was elected governor in 2014. He vowed to block the plan to move US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to Henoko, a less-populated area in Nago.
Looking to halt construction work involved in the plan, the Okinawa government filed a series of lawsuits against the central government.
And just late last month, Onaga announced he would revoke a permit to reclaim land for the new facility.
Source: ANNnewsCH