Naha, Okinawa Pref., Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said Thursday that he plans to travel to the United States next month to lobby to block the planned construction of a new U.S. military base in his southern Japan prefecture.
   

His U.S. trip is expected to take place on Oct. 14-20, a prefectural government official said.
   

The governor aims to make a direct appeal to U.S. lawmakers to stop the construction of a new military facility in the Henoko coastal district in Nago, Okinawa, for the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air base in Ginowan, another city in the prefecture.
   

Speaking at a press conference at the prefectural office in Naha, Tamaki said he plans to call on the U.S. Congress to consider moving the planned replacement facility for the Futenma base out of Japan.
   

Tamaki said he also aims to highlight the issue of soft ground in Henoko as well as the results of February’s prefectural referendum in which more than 70 pct of voters opposed building the replacement facility there.