Landfill dumping has begun in a new section of Oura Bay on the eastern side of Cape Henoko in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, as part of the plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan to a less-populated coastal site. The relocation is being carried out in accordance with a bilateral agreement between Japan and the United States reached in 1996. Reclamation work has almost been completed on the southern side of Cape Henoko, while the first round of full-scale reclamation on the eastern side began last November. Landfill work in Oura Bay has been delayed due to soft undersea ground, and according to japantimes.co.jp, the Japanese Defense Ministry is promoting soil improvement by driving about 71,000 sand piles into the seabed. The latest landfill work is seen as an effort by the Japanese government to demonstrate progress ahead of the Okinawa prefecture's gubernatorial election in September. Incumbent Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki opposes the relocation plan and has said he will run in the September election. Many Okinawan residents oppose the Futenma base due to noise, pollution, and crimes by American servicemen.