Japan Press Weekly

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2015 April 22 - 28 [POLITICS]

JCP Kokuta: Japanese gov’t should not accept US request for payment of Futenma repair costs

Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Kokuta Keiji on April 22 revealed that while promising to close the U.S. Futenma base within five years, the Japanese government expressed no objection to the U.S. government requesting Japan to cover the cost of repairs on the base.

At a House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee meeting, Kokuta presented the Defense Ministry’s internal document which the ministry compiled in September 2012.

The document indicates that the U.S. government plans to carry out repair projects costing about 11.4 billion yen (9.46 million dollars) at the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station (Ginowan City in Okinawa) and called on Tokyo to shoulder 100% of the cost. In the document, Japan’s defense authorities showed its intention to accept the U.S. demand.

JCP Kokuta said that to accept the U.S. request means that the Japanese government will open the way for the permanent use of the Futenma base and break its promise to terminate the use of the base within five years.


Past related article:
> PM refuses to confirm he promised to close Futenma base in 5 years [February 5, 2014]