U.S. base-hosting deal expires due to lack of Diet approval

Tuesday 01st April, 03:04 AM JST

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7 Comments

borscht at 08:15 AM JST - 1st April

This might be a clever way of getting the US to pay for themselves; this in turn might lead to the military wanting to cut expenses and leaving Japan.
mechadamuramu at 11:44 AM JST - 1st April

WA4THG

Pretty harsh words man. It is a clever way, although, the way it sounds like the law is structured (voluntary japanese payment for partial costs of a foreign power hosting its military there) it sounds like the cleverest trick was made by the Americans getting the Japanese to vote such a law into being.

Hopefully the election will clear all of this up. Thinking in a Democratic way, the US is in Japan to protect the Japanese people as part of our bilateral treaty and constitution the Japanese signed after WWII. To think about this issue in the Republican way, hopefully Kim Jong Il does attack someone so the US can roll back into N. Korea and finish what we should have done in the 1950s.

Fighting wars on all fronts sucks. Germany could never pull it off, and the US probably won't fair much better.
Patrick Smash at 01:02 PM JST - 1st April

Well America doesn't fight anyone powerful, and they think Kim might be a bit too tough for them. The US only attacked Saddam because they knew he was weak and had no WMDs.
SuperLib at 01:18 PM JST - 1st April

The US in Japan is a security issue in the way that it allows the US to project force through Asia. I don't really think of it as protecting Japan proper too much, but by having US forces here so close to China and North Korea is does impact how they function in relation to Japan. So there are benefits.

In the end this money will be thrown onto the pile that gets split up between the two nations. What's $1.4 billion between friends?
pathat at 01:25 PM JST - 1st April

For some people posting here who seem oblivious to a simple fact regarding the issue of Japans payments to the U.S. under the "sympathy budget," Id like to remind you that a significant chunk of the money pays the salaries of Japanese workers on the bases-usually around half if memory serves me correctly-and the improvements to facilities etc. also provide more Japanese jobs. Japan should pick up part of the tab for supporting the U.S. forces here until they get their act together, amend their constitution, and take responsibility for their own defense. Since this is not going to happen any time in the near future, pay up Japan!
Hikozaemon at 01:34 PM JST - 1st April

Yes, America is poor and cannot afford it!
japanyesterday at 04:34 PM JST - 3rd April

does anyone know how many japanese citizens would be out of work if the military leaves japan?