Japan has paid about ¥380 million over the past decade in compensation as a result of accidents caused by U.S. military personnel or civilian employees under the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, according to the Defense Ministry.
The revelation will likely draw further public criticism of SOFA, which has not been formally revised since it was signed in 1960.
Under the agreement, which forms the legal framework for U.S. military personnel operating in Japan, the Japanese government is obliged to cover 25 percent of compensation for incidents that occur during U.S. military duties, even if Japan played no role in the accidents, the Defense Ministry said.