Japan want to pay less for occupation.
Japan wants to slash billions it pays to support US bases
As Japan shoulders more of its own defence, it aims to reduce payments to US by billions of yen
Julian Ryall in Tokyo
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 14 October, 2015, 9:28am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 14 October, 2015, 9:28am
Japan has informed the United States that it wants to cut billions of yen from the amount it pays for US military facilities and personnel in Japan.
A report in the
Mainichi Shimbun said Tokyo has told Washington that as new security legislation has been passed recently and Japan will be doing more to ensure its own defence, it is appropriate that Tokyo pays less for American troops and facilities based here under the 2016 budget.
At present, Japan pays ¥189.9 billion (HK$12.28 billion) a year, covering around 90 per cent of the pay for the 25,000 Japanese nationals who work on US military installations as well as all utility costs at housing facilities.
Given Japan's well-publicised financial problems, Tokyo is aiming to halt the utilities payments entirely and reduce the amount paid to civilian workers on the bases. That could save the government tens of billions of yen every year.
The US Embassy in Tokyo declined to comment to the
South China Morning Post on the report, while Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs would only confirm that the joint Security Consultative Committee agreed in April that the two sides would "start consultations about host nation support".
Analysts here say the request is not a surprise, although the reasoning behind it may be.
"The timing makes this credible given that we are already deep into October and talks need to be held now if Japan wants this to be ready for the 2016 fiscal year," said Jun Okumura, a visiting scholar at the Meiji Institute for Global Affairs. Japan began to cover the costs of some of the US presence here in 1978. It was also always careful to make sure that the funds never went directly to US military costs but were to support civilian employees and dependents of troops.
Tokyo's contributions reached a peak of ¥275.6 billion (HK$17.83 billion) in fiscal 1999, but declined subsequently due to Japan's financial problems. The agreement on host nation support was last discussed in 2010, with Japan agreeing to pay the same amount as in the previous five-year period.
Today, the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears to feel, however, that the recent controversial revisions to Japan's security policy - which include a provision that permits Japanese forces to come to the assistance of an ally who is under attack - mean that Japan is now shouldering more of its own defence and that should be reflected in the amount that Tokyo pays to the US.
But Okumura does not believe that explanation will wash with the Americans.
"Japan may see that as a logical point to make, but the counter-argument from the US will be that the threats in the region have become greater and that Japan might actually want a significant US presence here," he said.
And while Japan might desire a reduction in the amount that it pays its ally, Okumura added that Tokyo lacks significant leverage over Washington.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Tokyo plans to cut spending on hosting american bases