U.S. warns Japan against reneging on Okinawa base relocation deal

Wednesday 04th November, 09:28 AM JST

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ozgnp at 02:33 PM JST - 5th November

Personally, I'm embarrassed by the U.S. bullying Japan. We shouldn't be wasting our time trying to stay where we're not wanted. We've got far more important things to take care of, especially fixing our weak economy.
alphawolf at 08:09 PM JST - 5th November

To quote from a song by the wonderful group 10cc:

"Everyone's going to be free, But they have to agree to be free. They have to agree to be less free than me Because I rule the world, you see."

I like that one.. wonder what song that was from.. aw
palisadez54 at 11:41 PM JST - 5th November

I like how people complain about this issue and what they say will not make an iota of difference(really, it won't). If those of you who really want the U.S. to pull out of Japan, stop whining, be proactive and protest in front of the nearest U.S. base.
YuriOtani at 11:52 PM JST - 5th November

CMEANDU26, what about all of the elections? They do not show support for the bases on Okinawa. The people of Okinawa have been voting against them for years but the LDP has veto their desires. Now it is up to the DPJ to make things right.
chotto at 10:41 AM JST - 6th November

TheMarion at 06:04 AM JST - 5th November

Today we have 37 Bases and we do things that are really none of your business, but we are still working in the best interests of the Ryukyuan people.

Tell me you didn't write that without vomitting? Taking your logic, it'd be ok for anyone to come and set up shop in the middle of your living room, and then they can tell you "it's none of your business" because they're cleaning your house. What kind of absurd logic is this?

Many countries has an imperial past, and America is no different. Not everything they have done is all roses... Iraq, Afghanistan... could go on.
daraho at 05:57 PM JST - 6th November

Just a word for the Okinawan people. The US military occupies approximately 20% of the land in Okinawa with all the problems this causes. Okinawans were betrayed by the US government when their country (The Ryukyu Islands) was handed to the Japanese government in 1972 and 75% of all USFJ bases are located in Okinawa prefecture. Okinawa is the poorest prefecture in Japan with the highest rates of unemployment due to under investment during the US occupation and more recently under Japanese administration. Since 9/11 base jobs for locals are increasingly hard to come by and base subsidies for US personnel mean that money rarely finds its way to local people. Between the US and Japanese occupations the people of Okinawa have suffered greatly and continue to suffer as a convenient, expendable, occupied territory, for US and Japanese military activity. The Japanese constitution is a treated with contempt by the US military on a regular basis with regard to nuclear weapons etc. (the Japanese administration turn a blind eye) that violates not only Japanese law but human rights too (Amerasian kids have no rights and japan refuses to sign international legislation to protect kids, animals and the environment etc). Lets not fool ourselves that this is some kind of benevolent occupation by friendly powers acting in the interests of local people. If the Japanese administration is hinting it has reservations then it is just likely that they are holding out for a better settlement and if any money is involved then Okinawans will not see a penny/cent but will certainly bear the brunt of the problems caused. The bottom line is that the US military should leave Okinawa after clearing up the mess they have made and the Japanese military should relocate elsewhere too.
goddifist at 03:14 PM JST - 7th November

so if japan move the... japan does know korea still hates them soooo my question issssssssssss...is that a smart idea
apecNetworks at 06:21 PM JST - 8th November

I believe the most important lesson the DPJ can learn about the US Bases is to just what degree it's importance is to the US and the high pressure involved. In the end, a suitable compromise is better than a protracted disagreement.
bam_boo at 11:51 PM JST - 8th November

I live in Okinawa and see the problem from a perspective of someone concerned. I deeply welcome the new development questioning the decision and I believe the position of Hatoyama and the Democratic Party is genuinely courageous as it creates a lot of troubles in order to relieve burden on the Okinawa people.

Living in Okinawa since 8 years I never met any Okinawan who said the bases are welcome. Though there is a clear minority of Okinawans that believe the bases are a necessary burden that has to be endured.

The Okinawan economy is not at all relying on the bases anymore (Tourism is by far more important and the base issue is a threat to tourism) and the only reason that Okinawans endure the burden is because they were constantly threatened from the central government that it would cut public spending in Okinawa if Okinawans vote for anti-base politicians.

The U.S. position on the matter is more then hypocritical and 100% selfish. They never seriously considered what Okinawans want and what is good for them. For Okinawans the bases pose not only a direct threat (Okinawans who live around the bases are in everlasting fear of accidents), but also make this place a marvelous target for enemies of the U.S. and Japan that otherwise would never bother with such a tiny island bare of any resources.

Further the base relocation issue was not treated in an open and democratic manner. For Okinawans the way the issue was handled was humiliating and the whole decision process was a farce made up by the central Japanese government and the U.S. in order to cheat and pressure Okinawans into the deal.

The construction of the relocation facilities to Henoko/Nago would create an ecological desaster as it will destroy a big part of a wonderful corral reef which also makes up part the last habitat for Japanese Dugongs within Japan.

I really hope Hatoyama won't give in to the pressure and go on with what a vast majority of Okinawans perceive as the first serious consideration of Okinawan sentiment by the central government in Tokyo.

The current government has the chance to regain credibility, locally, nationally and internationally, by reviewing the obscure base relocation decision-making process and showing how such a matter should be treated in a real democracy.
CMEANDU26 at 08:39 AM JST - 9th November

I understand what everyone here is saying. Hey US get up and go? But the thing is until the Japanese government give some options I think he is just blowing smoke. Yeah you can make the people happy today but in the end what is the real plan? You haven't said anything and that is what making this a big topic. Maybe he is waiting for President Obama to come and then talk about it or he will tuck in his tail and act like there is no problem. I just want to know what is going on.
dano2002 at 10:47 AM JST - 10th November

newi-yes, and the US will stop buying Japanese products. next time, before posting, you may want to read a little about economics.

and, it would be interested to know what great country you come from?
Makkun70 at 03:09 PM JST - 10th November

Dano - The US couldn't mobilize as a community to 'stop buying a nation's' product, it's proven, like most nations the US is apathetic. The average Joe are not interested in the world beyond their own windowsil or their 240 channel (Japanese) TV set. And let's talk economics for a bit. Which markets survived relatively uneffected when the US economy sold it's soul to the credit defult swaps and bubble housing market? Yes, the Asia markets, specifically, Japan and HK. Obviously, the US, if it was to move out of its teenager stage under Obama into a responsible young adult stage would be silly not to want to engage with those economies in Asia thereby hedgeing it's own economy against global changes and standards? Let's face it the US economy nearly sunk the world economy in the past 18 months and 10 years ago that would not have been a near miss, that would have been a direct hit and we'd all be in recession. Please do not over estimate the power of any economy, especially one which nearly turned the lights off for us all..
NihonRyu at 11:08 PM JST - 10th November

U.S. needs to get hell out already if Japan and the Okinawan people choose to. Japan needs to grow a set of balls and begin to defend themselves independantly of the U.S. including getting nukes and changing their pussy constitution. Just as Japan grew to a major world power during the meiji restoration and defeated Russia in 1901, they now need to become a normalized nation with the appropriate military and political muscle befitting the second biggest economy after the U.S. The U.S. and Japan can then develop a more equal partnership and alliance where Japan can also come to the U.S. aid in time of war, etc.

I think there are far too many rednecks on this board that want to see a week and powerless, subordinate Japan. Perhaps they fear a strong Japan would challenge the U.S. someday perhaps even more so than China. Japan needs to put their technical prowess towards military ingenuity to balance any percieved threat from NK, China, Russia. I doubt any of these countries would dare invade Japan even in the present state of percieved weakness anyway and would have nothing to gain.

The situation has changed and the U.S. presence is really no longer needed. I doubt local Hawaiians would tolerate a foreign military occupying a large percentage of their islands and disrespecting their women and people. Oh wait, the U.S. did actually illegally occupy the Hawaiian islands in the late 1800s and still to this day the native Hawaiians suffer the most and are disappropriate disadvantaged from the rest of the population. No wonder why many Americans on this board think it is perfectly alright to do this to the Okinawans too!
perspective at 09:29 AM JST - 11th November

However, as an Englishman I've witnessed my own country go rapidly down the pan because of Blair and Brown's cringing policies of US appeasement and British society's own unfortunate and self-destructive willingness to embrace your nation's most amoral and atavistic tendencies.

Isn't it ironic that some Brits cry foul about the perceived arrogance of Americans and denigrate virtually everything about the country - not so long ago there were so many in the world that thought the same way about the British Empire and the boorish behavior of its subjects. I think that this antipathy towards all things American stems from envy and resentment from being supplanted as the preeminent world power. Wasn't something that the US did to your country, you did it to yourselves.
perspective at 09:48 AM JST - 11th November

tkoind2 said: "So all you really need to do here is this. Decide to keep on having our massive resources to cover your behinds, or be prepared to get on with doing so on your own. And if you do, don't forget the very significant consequences that will follow any return to militant behavior by Japan. Asia has not forgotten your last efforts in military self development. You could trigger a regional cold war. And this is a very real threat once you make the wrong decisions."*

You're right, so many wannabe foreign ministers here can't be bothered to think through all of the permutations of their incredibly naive suggestions. Like it or not the security situation and the financial dealings of the nations being discussed here are so intertwined that changing the status quo is not something that any of them particularly want, except perhaps for China.

However, just to indulge in a "what if", can you imagine Japanese youth, especially the ones you see walking around Akihabara, serving in uniform in a mandatory conscription program such as Korea's?