Wednesday's agreement between Tokyo and Washington to delink the transfer of U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam from the relocation of the Futenma air base in the prefecture was greeted by politicians and pundits in both countries as an acknowledgement that the original plan was obviously no longer viable.

But in Okinawa, hope that Japan and the United States have taken the first steps toward canceling the 2006 agreement to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma's flight operations to the Henoko coast of Nago, farther north on Okinawa Island, was tempered by concern that no mention of specific numerical reductions in the agreement means Futenma will simply remain in operation, in Ginowan, for years to come.

The U.S. is set to redirect about half of the 8,000 marines that were expected to be relocated to Guam as part of the bilateral accord to other Asia-Pacific locations, including Hawaii and Australia.