“We will not allow the base to stay here,” Okinawa Gov.

Hirokazu Nakaima told the cheering crowd. “We want the Hatoyama government to keep its promise.” Tokyo and Washington agreed in 2006 to move sprawling Futenma Marine Corps air field to a less crowded part of Okinawa and to move 8,000 of its Marines to Guam.

The agreement has been frozen, and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has repeatedly delayed a decision in the face of rejection by potential relocation sites. Okinawa residents have long protested their burden of hosting most of 47,000 American troops in Japan under a security pact.

About 90,000 people from across the island gathered in the town of Yomitan, carrying banners and placards with anti-US military slogans and demanding Hatoyama keep his promise and move the Futenma base outside the island.

The protesters were particularly upset as media reports said earlier Sunday that Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada had told US Ambassador John Roos last week that Tokyo was moving to roughly accept the 2006 deal, with slight change to a runway planned off the northeastern coast of Nago.

Okada acknowledged he met with Roos, but denied he made such concessions as reported.

“No to a new base! No to a relocation within the island!” Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine said, criticizing Hatoyama's government for “playing with the Okinawan's feelings.” Hatoyama has faced growing pressure from Washington to follow the agreement, but he has been unable to obtain consent from any potential sites or even enter talks with local officials. Hatoyama last week denied accepting the earlier agreement and that he would closely monitor Sunday's rally.

Reported options include a temporarily transfer of some of Futenma's heliport functions to nearby Camp Schwab or reclaiming land off the US Navy's White Beach facility on Okinawa.

The government is also considering Tokunoshima island, north of Okinawa, but residents held a massive protest this month and local officials rejected Tokyo's request for talks.