US forces have priority in use of SDF training grounds

Japan Press Weekly

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50 years of Japan-US Alliance

Mechanism of US privileges - Part VIII

US forces have priority in use of SDF training grounds

"When the U.S. forces come to an SDF exercise range from Okinawa or the U.S. mainland, they are given priority of use over the SDF. So, the SDF carries out military exercises using constraint," said a former Ground Self-Defense Force serviceman when talking about the actual situation of GSDF training ranges at Higashi Fuji (Shizuoka Pref.) and Kita Fuji (Yamanashi Pref.).

Secret Agreement regarding prior use of SDF bases

GSDF combat units across the country visit these two GSDF maneuver sites to conduct fire drills. In the GSDF Higashi Fuji training area, the U.S. Marine Corps Camp Fuji is also located. Because of this, the U.S. forces also conduct military exercises at the Higashi-Fuji throughout the year.

The U.S. forces returned the Higashi-Fuji exercise field to Japan in 1968 and the Kita Fuji area in 1973. In 1969, the Okinawa-based U.S. Marine Corps started to use Camp Fuji for its exercises. The same GSDF serviceman said, "Around 1972, when Okinawa was returned to Japan, the number of U.S. forces' military exercises here increased."

Japan and the United States in 1962 made a secret agreement to allow the U.S. forces to have preferential access to the Higashi Fuji and Kita Fuji maneuver areas for 270 days a year. Responding to a question made at a House of Councilors Budget Committee meeting on March 17 by Japanese Communist Party representative Kami Tomoko, the government admitted the existence of this secret agreement.

Just after the end of World War II, the U.S. forces requisitioned all military sites of the former Japanese Imperial Army. When the former Japan-U.S. Security Treaty came into effect in April 1952, many of these sites were returned to Japan. However, even after returning the military sites to Japan, the United States maintained the view that they can have the same privileges over the use of Japanese military bases as before, and that the U.S. forces should "seek agreement under any new relationship for the right of re-entry under military necessity to those bases required to meet the situation" (United States Overseas Military Bases, Report to the President by Frank Nash, December 1957).

The secret agreement regarding the prior use of the GSDF training fields in Higashi Fuji and Kita Fuji is an example of this policy.

US double its area for military use

Since the 1980s, in accordance with an increase in the number of Japan-U.S. joint military exercises, the number of SDF bases which are shared with the U.S. forces has been sharply increased. This doubled the area available for the use of U.S. forces. Most of areas are exercise fields.

Along with the policy to integrate the SDF with the U.S. forces, SDF bases are being converted into U.S. military bases with the SDF attached.

The U.S. National Security Study Memorandum 5 (NSSM5), written on April 28, 1969, states that for the U.S., "joint basing could be beneficial from the standpoints of: (1) drawing the Japanese into a greater defense effort and a common appreciation of the security interests served by U.S bases; (2) causing the Japanese to assume a larger share of financial support for bases; (3) having the Japanese share, and, hopefully, stand up to political pressure against base use."

These points are observed at an SDF base to which Okinawa-based U.S forces transferred their military exercises. For example, at one SDF training site, when Okinawa-based U.S. Marine Corps units conducted live shell drills, the Japanese government used about 13 billion yen to construct facilities for the U.S. forces, including accommodations.

At an SDF base that accepted the relocation of Kadena-based U.S. F15 fighter exercises, the construction of accommodations for U.S. soldiers and runways for huge U.S. transport aircraft is now underway.

It is necessary to pay close attention to the attempt seeking to convert SDF bases into U.S. bases.

(To be continued)