U.S. forces' Pacific commander says Marines to relocate to Guam on schedule

Friday 20th February, 05:38 AM JST

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kwatt at 09:45 AM JST - 20th February

$6.09 billion is really a big money but "shoganai". Okinawa needs US soldiers for Japan security but not too many.
timorborder at 10:05 AM JST - 20th February

Good comment there by Mookoo. Although I don't really agree with your argument, I have to give you top marks for being succinct and making me laugh on these rainy morning.

So what about this Okinawa question? Once the US leaves Okinawa, what is going to happen to the local economy? Love 'em or hate 'em, Uncle Sam certainly pumps a lot of money into the prefecture. How is this going to be replaced? Given the location, I cannot see major Japanese firms being forced into setting up operations in the prefecture. So what is the master plan?
noirgaijin at 10:08 AM JST - 20th February

"Why should the Japanese pay anything? Someone barged into your home, took over the best room, stayed for years, and now wants to be paid to leave?"

Maybe because someone broke the furniture and windows in the "best room" at Pearl Harbor. How often we forget about that small part in history.
kwatt at 10:28 AM JST - 20th February

I've heard that there are many landowners lending their lands to Japanese government that lets the US use them as military base, so lands simply go back to landowners. Okinawa governor and mayors are thinking about new towns there.
Larry at 10:40 AM JST - 20th February

6.9 billion the govt got off easy
Badsey at 10:59 AM JST - 20th February

Check my maths:

$761,250 a head

At a time when many are out of work and fighting even for a minimum wage that seems excessive.

I thought they were capping bank CEO pay at $500,000 now.
Cat5 at 11:24 AM JST - 20th February

That part of Japan will be a much safer place now that these.."people"..will be moved. Someone really should warn the Philippines tho.
NeoJamal at 12:49 PM JST - 20th February

Maybe because someone broke the furniture and windows in the "best room" at Pearl Harbor. How often we forget about that small part in history.

How often do we forget the Okinawan people never take active part in Japanese politics. See if the Yamato race cares about whether 40,000 US marines stays in Okinawa or not.
TheMarion at 01:04 PM JST - 20th February

This move will never happen, mainly because Guam has never agreed to bring in what amounts to over 12000 Marines olus their dependents. Now I would not say the same about a possible move to Saipan, Tinian and Rota with headquarters in Guam. An entire base was built for the Corps back in the sixties, but they sent them to Okinawa instead. When the move comes it will be to leave Okinawa entirely and the entire front will be manned by the Japanese Self Defense Forces which are already on Okinawa.
wawawasuremono at 01:13 PM JST - 20th February

noirgaijin wrote:

Maybe because someone broke the furniture and windows in the "best room" at Pearl Harbor. How often we forget about that small part in history.

Neojamal wrote:

How often do we forget the Okinawan people never take active part in Japanese politics. See if the Yamato race cares about whether 40,000 US marines stays in Okinawa or not.

It's so true, most Japanese on the home islands could care less about US bases in Okinawa. The base tensions virtually seems to be an Okinawan exclusive concern however, it didn't take long for someone to raise Pearl Harbor into the discussion.

How the decision made by a few select Japanese patricians to attack Pearl Harbor impliedly leads to a morally justifiable reprisal on Uchina folk in the way of US military occupation of their lands for the sake of defending Japan-proper is beyond my comprehension. But it's not hard to imagine that such connection can be bridged by ignorant minds at large.
mimitchy at 01:53 PM JST - 20th February

Speaking of the Yamato-Uchina distinction, it's absurd that the $6.09 billion to be paid for the relocation costs will be provided mostly by Yamato tax payers in order serve appease less than a million Uchina people to reclaim their land. As being part of the union with Japan, it is their obligation to provide facilities for the US forces so they can defend Japan. Although the stationing of 40 thousand or so marines may be a heavy concentration, it cannot be helped due to Okinawa's strategic location in the East China Sea.

If Okinawa don't want any Americans on their lands with respect to the US-Japan Security Treaty, then they ought to leave Japan and establish their own nation if not, make Okinawa uncomfortable for US personnel to reside in so that they will leave on their own preference.

It seems that the relocation talks got this far with Okinawans merely nagging at both Tokyo and Washington while it is mainland Japan which is actively advocating Okinawa local concerns. By seeing that little real effort has been put in by the hosts in these matters, all I can think is that these people deserve more US and Japanese military bases on their island just to display how pitiful they are in protecting their own interests at heart. People who don't act for themselves deserve to be exploited as far as the prerogative of the exploiter allows.
toguro at 10:38 PM JST - 20th February

mimitchy: Excellent rebuttal.
Squally at 12:26 AM JST - 21st February

timorborder: I don't really understand why people think that the US military is keeping the economy afloat in Okinawa. It's true that Okinawa will take a hit if the bases were to pack up and leave. However, the hardest hit would be the places that cater to Americans, the land owners who get paid money for the bases to use their land, and the employees who lose their jobs. If one was to actually get out away from the bases you'd see that the local economy survives just fine without the GI's dollars. Hopefully the locals will do the smart thing and develop their new land with businesses that put money back into Okinawa instead of selling their land to mainland companies who send the money back to the mainland.

Mimitchy: Ummmm Okinawa had it's own nation, it was called The Kingdom of Ryukyu. It was a trade hub under heavy infulences from China and Japan. It wasn't until Japan came and forceibly took the island that it was part of Japan. So by your logic maybe the Japanese should get out of Okinawa with the Americans. Why should they be forced to leave the land of their ancestors to find a new nation when they already had one back in the day?
YuriOtani at 12:32 AM JST - 21st February

The Americans should be able to operate a much smaller Kadena as a "refueling" base and the rest move out. Kadena does not have to be soley under their ownership but can be shared with the SDF which would free up Naha airport for sole civilian usage.
Squally at 12:36 AM JST - 21st February

Agreed YuriOtani. Kadena is huge and isn't going anywhere anytime soon and could be shared with other forces and the JSDF.