The government on Monday denied a report by a major Japanese daily that Japan paid about $200 million to the United States in clandestine deals over the May 1972 reversion of Okinawa to Japanese rule.
In its top story, the Asahi Shimbun said Monday that it has obtained declassified U.S. government documents that indicate top secret agreements were concluded between the two countries prior to Okinawa's return. The documents state Japan would shoulder various costs related to the reversion, the daily said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki said at a news conference there were no secret deals. The top government spokesman declined to comment on the U.S. documents, saying he was not aware of their content.