Japan Knuckled under?

I remember when the Japanese voted for their version of change and one hot topic was the possible removal of American bases in Japan or more accurately Okinawa. It appears that the Japanese have accepted the fact the the base needs to be and should be moved. Notice the "Remove" the base has been dropped and now it's simply a case of relocation.


The US Basically said that they agree the present base location should be moved. The US told Japan let's find another location but it's not leaving.

Japan PM Reaffirms To Pick Site For Controversial US Airbase In March

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reaffirmed Thursday his administration will formulate a plan for the relocation of a US Marine base in Okinawa Prefecture , southern Japan, by the end of this month.

"We will try to gain understanding from the US government as well as the people of Okinawa about the base relocation issue," Hatoyama told reporters.

Asked whether the government will negotiate with the US government based on two relocations plans, Hatoyama only answered, "We are in the process of reviewing an alternative relocation site and will finalize the plan by the end March.

Tokyo and Washington have been at odds over the plan for moving the US Marines' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa, some 1,500 km south of Tokyo. Hatoyama, who established a new government in September 2009, has pledged that he will reach a final agreement with the US by May 31 on the new relocation plan.

Kinda odd that they might move it from one Okinawa place to another. From Wikipedia, it says Nago is a tourist place. Seems like no matter where they put it on that Island it will cause a ruckus.

Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa has expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s idea to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station within Okinawa Prefecture, saying the plan would work against the party as it prepares for the House of Councillors election this summer, DPJ sources said Sunday.

www.japantoday.com...

I do believe the guy above forgets that the US and Japan have a signed agreement. That is why remove is no longer an option.

reply to post by SLAYER69



They have been wanting that since America first beat them for it in 1945.. I think the government made an error when they allowed Japan to become a nation instead of an American Territory... It’s high time we stop sending our sons and daughters off to war and not get anything in return.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
I remember when the Japanese voted for their version of change and one hot topic was the possible removal of American bases in Japan or more accurately Okinawa. It appears that the Japanese have accepted the fact the the base needs to be and should be moved. Notice the "Remove" the base has been dropped and now it's simply a case of relocation.

Since when was the removal of the Futenma base on the table? As long as I've been in Japan, the debate has been over relocation.

Here's an article from 2005 talking about it.

The "removal" that you're thinking of is a separate part of the 1996 agreement that would send X number of troops to Guam. The problem the current government has with all of this is the cost of the total agreement - $26 billion or so - to be borne by the Japanese government. There are quite a few people, Hatoyama included, who saw this agreement as being forced on Japan by the USA. The USA considers it a done deal, and refuses to re-open negotiations.

In a nutshell, that's it. It's complex, supported and opposed by people at every level from Okinawa residents to the PM. There hasn't been any kind of real change in position on the issue, though.

Yet. Hatoyama will cave, eventually. The US seems to be putting a lot of seemingly unrelated diplomatic and economic pressure on this government lately...