Fukuda vows to lessen Okinawa burden on 63rd anniversary of battle

Monday 23rd June, 03:09 PM JST

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11 Comments

niku at 03:44 PM JST - 23rd June

about time
viking68 at 11:15 PM JST - 23rd June

Can he lesson their burden of hosting the Japanese army? Oops, can't change the past, or can they? Many Okinawans still remember that they were independent of Japan and even spoke another (unmentioned) language.
medievaltimes at 11:46 PM JST - 23rd June

Good point viking.

Also, it will be interesting when the US leaves and J troops take 100% control. I wonder if the public will complain about J aircraft noise, J military crimes and increased taxes to build/maintain a military.
def at 11:49 PM JST - 23rd June

The Japanese troops (And I've met many) are utter gentlemen compared to the American ones. They are far more integrated with the community than the Americans, who very rarely learn even basic Japanese, much less carry yen instead of dollars.
Molenir at 02:01 AM JST - 24th June

Yeah, and lets forget the burden of exchanging all those dollars for yen, and especially the burden of working for and on the Bases. Its not like the military employs anyone from Okinawa, or that the military is basically financing the economy. No, its all burden, no positives there at all...
KitsuneYoukai at 02:17 AM JST - 24th June

Only that, Oh! yeah, all of Asia still cannot let go of their hatred for Japan. hope they can defend themselves if it comes to it.
okapake at 03:05 AM JST - 24th June

The GoJ has got to move faster. The SACO Futenma deal has been going on for 10 years. The Naha Port relocation deal has been going on for over 20 years. They should have been returned by now. The GoJ has been dragging, not the U.S.
VoXman at 05:10 AM JST - 24th June

Wait and see what happens when the base stores (exchanges) go away when the JSDF moves in. Watch what happens when the rec facilities and administrative postions are gone......meaning when the MLC group is cut in half and the thousands of support jobs provided by ordinary Japanese (sorry Okinawains) goes away. JSDF won't need such high numbers of civilian support in their bases. Yes, it is necessary, but NO one has provided a solution to the impact locally. Just a unthankful go home Yankee....!
nycsamurai at 05:27 AM JST - 24th June

def

They (JSDF) are far more integrated with the community than the Americans

I blew coffee out my nose when I read this.
Of course they are, they're Japanese. Thanks for the messy laugh!
def at 10:02 PM JST - 24th June

I blew coffee out my nose when I read this. Of course they are, they're Japanese. Thanks for the messy laugh!

Glad you got a kick out it. The posters ahead of me seemed to think the American military was preferable to the Japanese military for Okinawans. Good to see you know better.
13akio13 at 03:34 AM JST - 25th June

There is no reason for the AMERICANS to be in OKINAWA now. Tell them ________ to get out of our COUNTRY. no one is a threat to us. we can take care of ourselves.