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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Municipal heads angered by Koizumi's "pro-U.S. base" remarks

Heads of municipal governments hosting U.S. bases have reacted angrily to Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro's statement that "in order to be able to benefit from peace and stability, we have to pay a certain cost" (for U.S. military bases). Koizumi stated this at the November 16 summit talks in Kyoto concerning the Japan-U.S. agreement on realigning U.S. forces in Japan.

Defense Agency Director General Nukaga Fukushiro on November 17 toured Sagamihara and Zama cities in Kanagawa Prefecture both which host U.S. Army Camp Zama. The aim was to persuade these cities into accepting the plan to relocate a reformed U.S. Army 1st Corps command to Camp Zama and to deploy and homeport a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base in accordance with in the interim report agreed upon by Japanese and U.S. foreign and defense ministers on the realignment of U.S. forces.

As regards the homeporting of a nuclear-powered ship, Kanagawa Governor Matsuzawa Shigefumi rejected the plan in the interim report. He said, "I feel that Kanagawa is being bullied. It is regrettable that the government failed to listen to Kanagawa's 7 million residents."

Mayor Ogawa Isao of Sagamihara City reiterated that the 600,000-population city opposes the plan to deploy a new U.S. Unit of Employment (Uex) to Camp Zama.

At a press conference later in the day, the mayor criticized Koizumi's "pay a certain cost" remark as "extremely inappropriate for a prime minister." "For the sake of Sagamihara City, I'll do everything I can even at the cost of my life," he said.

Mayor Hoshino Katsuji of Zama City blamed Nukaga for breaking the government's repeated promises of providing an explanation ahead of the agreement. "It is indeed regrettable," he emphasized. -- Akahata, November 18, 2005