The Cabinet adopted plans Tuesday to help pay for the U.S. military realignment in Japan, pledging to come up with steps to stimulate the economies of communities hosting bases and to take money out of the defense budget to finance the program.
The Cabinet decision follows the May 1 signing of a bilateral agreement as part of Washington's global realignment of the U.S. military.
The plans call for the largest realignment of U.S. forces in Japan ever. They include relocating 8,000 marines to Guam from Okinawa and moving the marines' Air Station Futenma from central to northern Okinawa Island.