Apr 5, 2013

U.S. land return timetable in works

Japan and the United States plan to disclose concrete plans Friday to return some of the land south of Kadena Air Base on Okinawa that’s being used by the U.S. military, a Japanese government source said Thursday. Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera intends to visit ...

Apr 4, 2013

Suga gives Nakaima base plus aid pitch

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga went to Okinawa on Wednesday for talks with local leaders, seeking their acceptance of the plan to replace the U.S. Futenma base with a new airstrip to be built in the prefecture while offering aid to support local economic ...

Timeline for Okinawa land return in works

Mar 25, 2013

Timeline for Okinawa land return in works

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday that his government will compile a timeline for returning land leased to the United States for military use near Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture. “The government needs to proceed in a responsible way,” Abe told reporters in ...

Mar 24, 2013

U.S. hails request to start work on successor base

Washington has welcomed Tokyo’s formal request to Okinawa for permission to provide landfill for the U.S. Futenma replacement base, calling it “a key milestone” after years of tough bilateral negotiations. “We welcomed the government of Japan’s submission of the landfill permit request to the ...