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  kwatt at 06:14 PM JST - 10th January

  The US Govrenment should accept revisions of SOFA in Japan. Now even If US servicemen commit any crimes in Japan, US military bases do not extradite the american criminals/suspects to the Japanese police authority because SOFA says "out of jurisdiction". This is very weird. I heard that same kind of things are happening at US bases around the world.

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  sharky1 at 07:05 PM JST - 10th January

  Oh, Nakaima must be referring to the string of crimes that haven't been reported, or is he digging up old stuff to rehash. Think he should stay in his box, and let the proper level of government handle this.

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  USNinJapan2 at 10:13 PM JST - 10th January

  kwat

  You clearly know very little about the SOFA or it's application here in Japan. We do indeed transfer custody of service members suspected of criminal activity to the Japanese Police under many conditions and we in fact do so quite often.

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  The_Marion at 12:04 AM JST - 11th January

  Patience, things will be happening big time in just a short while.

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  belachan at 02:13 AM JST - 11th January

  kwatt, I so agree with you. (And USInJapan2, a response to your comment) I have no issues with Americans or bases etc. But I do believe there is a lack of transparency. I have posted this link before from the Economist and here it is again: http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12756824

  It has a portion that says: the reason why cases like Jane’s are not prosecuted may have less to do with incompetent police and more because of a secret agreement between America and Japan in 1953 that has recently come to light.

  In September 2008, Shoji Niihara, a researcher on Japanese-American relations, uncovered previously classified documents in the U.S. National Archives. They show that in 1953, soon after Dwight Eisenhower assumed the presidency, John Foster Dulles, his secretary of state, embarked on a massive programme to get countries to waive their jurisdiction in cases of crimes by American servicemen.

  On October 28th 1953, a Japanese official, Minoru Tsuda, made a formal declaration to the United States (not intended for public disclosure), stating, “The Japanese authorities do not normally intend to exercise the primary right of jurisdiction over members of the United States Armed Forces, the civilian component, or their dependents subject to the military law of the United States, other than in cases considered to be of material importance to Japan.”

  In other words, Japan agreed to ignore almost all crimes by American servicemen, under the hope that the military itself would prosecute such offences—but with no means of redress if it did not.

  It goes on to say that the law has been revised, but not in practice. It doesn't just happen in Japan, but in other places as well (eg Canada, Italy, Ireland and Denmark)

  I am not sure it is anyone's fault, but an archaic old fear/ system that is past it's expiration date and ready for change. I am all for power to the people.

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  YuriOtani at 03:32 AM JST - 11th January

  I do not thing Japan "fears" the Americans, it is more like not wanting to go to any trouble. About the American bases perhaps the Americans should just pull out. Even if they gave the Okinawan government everything they asked for they would still not be happy. When the SDF takes over these same people will not be happy. Think it is just a "no win" for the Americans and they really do not need them. If something happens after they leave the Americans can say the Okinawan people asked them to leave thus it was not their fault. It must be tiring for the base officials to have to listen to this stuff year after year When I visit home will be able to see kilometer upon kilometer of deserted American base and row upon row of empty storefronts but the people of Okinawa want this and asking to redo the SOFA is just a sign of such. America is broke and closing the bases (all of them) will be a help to them.

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