The United States has placed buoys in Nago Bay, southern Okinawa Thursday, marking the beginning of a long-awaited plan to relocate its American base despite protests from locals in the area.

According to the Associated Press, the buoys indicate the location of the boring holes for a survey on the construction of an airstrip over the bay from Camp Schwab.

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Soon thereafter, the construction of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma will follow. The base will be transferred from a bustling neighborhood in Okinawa to coastal Henoko, with the entire project estimated to take at least five years.

Japanese media speculated the drilling could take place next week but both the U.S. and Japan governments gave no comment. Japan's Ministry of Defense did confirm that the buoys were positioned on Thursday, but declined to elaborate, citing security reasons.

Meanwhile, some 200 protesters gathered near the intended relocation site on Thursday bearing placards that read "No new base" and demanded a halt on the construction.

Protest organizer Hiroshi Ashitomi told the AFP that the relocation has disregarded the "feelings of Okinawan people." He vowed to continue the protests until the construction is stopped.

Japanese coast guard vessels were deployed on site as a precaution and intercepted the demonstrators' boats.

Local opposition with the U.S. bases has been going on for years, mostly due to accidents and crime reportedly caused by U.S. employees and military personnel.

In the last decade, the Japanese government has spent about US$3.7 million as compensation for the accidents and crimes committed, Channel News Asia reported.

Now, demonstrators claim the relocation in Henoko would harm biological marine life.

Nago mayor Susumu Inamine said the environmental assessments were not thorough.

"Pushing forward with this tramples on the human rights of the people, and the rich diverse natural life of this region," he added.

The relocation is part of a 1996 plan intended to reduce American military presence in crowded Okinawa.    

The Japanese government has repeatedly stressed the role of the relocation plan in furthering ties with the U.S. amid concerns of heightening tensions with territorial rival China and of North Korea's nuclear program.

TagsUS base, Okinawa base, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, MCAS Futenma, Henoko base