Japan Press Weekly

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2018 November 7 - 13 [US FORCES]

Construction plan for housing units for US military in Kanagawa to be canceled: Local paper

The Japanese and U.S. governments will cancel a plan to construct additional housing units for U.S. military personnel stationed at the U.S. Yokosuka Naval base in Kanagawa Prefecture, a local newspaper on November 6 reported.

The two governments in 2003 decided to set up an additional 800 housing units in the U.S. Navy “Ikego Housing Area”, a 37-hectare zone stretching from Yokohama to Zushi City in Kanagawa. This decision, however, drew local opposition and the governments had to gradually scale down the construction plan over the years and in the end gave up. Local bodies of the Japanese Communist Party also worked to stop the project.

The local newspaper, Kanagawa Shimbun, said that the Japanese and U.S. governments will soon hold a joint committee meeting to cancel the housing project.

In response to an inquiry by JCP Dietmember Hatano Kimie about whether the news report is correct, the Defense Ministry stopped short to denying the report, saying that it will inform residents as soon as an official agreement is made.

A residents’ group opposing the construction plan on the same day issued a statement stating that the cancellation of the plan is a major achievement. The group expressed their determination to continue to demand the return of the U.S. base to Japan.

Past related articles:
> Local mayor accepts additional U.S. military housing construction [July 28, 2009]
> Local citizens demand halt to additional U.S. military housing construction [March 3, 2009]