Japan and the United States have reached a basic agreement to start talks on the return of idle land in four U.S. military facilities in Yokohama, according to Japanese government officials.
The land is likely to total some 250 hectares. If an agreement is reached, it would be one of the biggest land deals involving the return of U.S. military facilities to Japan in recent years.
The return of the idle land, which has been raised in Diet, is expected to be taken up, possibly as early as next month, at a meeting of the Japan-U.S. Joint Committee, a bilateral body to discuss U.S. military issues in Japan.