Former Okinawa lawmaker dies of cancer

On Friday, Kantoku Teruya, a former House of Representatives lawmaker from Okinawa Prefecture, who was active in tackling issues associated with U.S. military bases in the prefecture, died of cancer at a hospital in Nishihara, Okinawa. Teruya was born on the Pacific island of Saipan and became a lawyer in Okinawa in 1972 and dealt with problems arising from U.S. bases, many of which are located in the prefecture. He joined a group of plaintiffs in a lawsuit over noise damage from the U.S. Kadena Air Base.

He became a leading expert on Okinawa issues due to his restless efforts to reduce Okinawa's burden of hosting a number of U.S. bases and revise the Japan-U. Status of Forces Agreement.

In the next election, Teruya did not hold his seat in the Upper House, but he switched to the Lower House in the 2003 election, running on the ticket of the Social Democratic Party from Okinawa s No. The district of 2 is divided. He was elected six times in a row. After serving as a prefectural assembly member, he ran as an independent in the House of Councillors election in 1995 and won a seat in the upper chamber of parliament.

After serving as deputy head and diet affairs chief of the party, he did not run for office in the Lower House election last year and retired from politics.

SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima told reporters on Friday that Teruya worked hard for Okinawa, peace and the Constitution for many years. I offer my heartfelt condolences.