Japan Press Weekly

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2009 May 13 - 19 [US FORCES]

Diet approves U.S. Marine Corps ‘relocation’ to Guam from Okinawa

The Diet on May 13 approved the bill to ratify the Japan-U.S. agreement regarding the planned ‘relocation’ of a part of the U.S. Marine Corps from Okinawa to Guam. The relocation plan requires Japan to pay billions of dollars for additional military facilities in Guam.

The bill had been approved by the House of Representatives and rejected by the House of Councilors. On May 13, the two chambers of the Diet held a conference but did not reach agreement. Due to the constitutional precedence of legislative authority in the House of Representatives, the bill was enacted.

The Communist, Democratic, and Social Democratic parties voted against the bill.

The agreement to relocate a part of the U.S. Marine Corps was concluded ostensibly with the aim of reducing Okinawans’ burden of U.S. military bases there. But it will force Japan to pay the costs for the construction of the commandant’s building as well as for housing for marines and their families. Japan will pay a total of 6.1 billion dollars, including 2.8 billion dollars as direct financial expenditure as well as loans.

It is extraordinary for a nation to use its tax money for another nation’s military buildup.

Under the agreement, the planned U.S. Marine Corps relocation is conditioned upon the construction of a new U.S. Marine Corps air base off the coast of the Henoko district of Nago City, Okinawa. The new base construction plan is opposed by the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly and the majority of Okinawans.

At the House of Councilors committee discussion, Inoue Satoshi, Japanese Communist Party representative, stated, “Once the government is allowed to make such an unprecedented use of tax money, it will inevitably force Japan to make financial contributions to the U.S. without limitations.”

Inoue stated: “U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway on May 6 told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction that the initial $4 billion estimated for the relocation of 8,000 Marines is short of the actual cost.”

“Conway was also quoted in the Congress Daily as saying the larger military presence on Guam would be reconsidered as part of the global basing study during the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review,” Inoue added.

Foreign Minister Nakasone Hirofumi clarified that the commandant was anticipating that the ‘relocation’ plan will require larger amount than estimated and that he was suggesting that the plan needs to be further linked with the QDR.