Photo/Illutration Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, left, holds talks with Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki on March 16 in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture. (Kohei Morioka)

GINOWAN, Okinawa Prefecture—Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi met with Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki here on March 16 to address the growing concerns about sexual assaults perpetrated by U.S. military personnel in Okinawa.

Tamaki demanded that the Japanese government urge U.S. authorities to implement more serious preventative measures against sexual violence, including comprehensive education and training of service members.

In response, Hayashi pledged to “work steadily to alleviate concerns.”

The meeting, which lasted nearly 20 minutes, was the first between the two officials since January of last year.

Hayashi also pledged to steadily advance the return of land south of Kadena on the main island of Okinawa from U.S. military control to the Japanese, in accordance with a 2013 agreement between the two countries.

“Step by step, in a tangible way, we will continue to reduce Okinawa’s burden in hosting the U.S. military,” said the top government spokesman.

Tamaki emphasized that 70 percent of all U.S. military facilities in Japan are concentrated in the prefecture, stating, “As we approach the significant milestone of 80 years since the end of the war, Okinawa continues to bear an excessive burden from military bases.”

Okinawa endured fierce ground battles near the end of World War II.

The subsequent U.S. occupation of the island left the prefecture shouldering an outsized responsibility in hosting American troops in Japan.

The meeting follows Hayashi’s visit to a newly launched local health care hub in the city, where he attended its opening ceremony.

The medical complex was built on the site of the U.S. military’s former West Futenma housing district, which was returned to Japan in 2015.

This project is highlighted as a successful model for redeveloping land formerly controlled by the U.S. military.

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