{ "id": "R42645", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R42645", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 448941, "date": "2016-01-20", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T17:26:21.284974", "title": "The U.S. Military Presence in Okinawa and the Futenma Base Controversy", "summary": "Although the U.S.-Japan alliance is often labeled as \u201cthe cornerstone\u201d of security in the Asia Pacific region, local concerns about the U.S. military presence on the Japanese island of Okinawa have challenged the management of the alliance for decades. The Japanese archipelago serves as the most significant forward-operating platform for the U.S. military in the region; approximately 53,000 military personnel (39,000 onshore and 14,000 afloat in nearby waters), 43,000 dependents, and 5,000 Department of Defense civilian employees live in Japan. With the United States rebalancing its defense posture towards Asia, the uncertainty surrounding the medium and long-term presence of American forces on Okinawa remains a critical concern for national security decision-makers.\nDue to the legacy of the U.S. occupation and the island\u2019s key strategic location, Okinawa hosts a disproportionate share of the continuing U.S. military presence. About 25% of all facilities used by U.S. Forces Japan and about half of the U.S. military personnel are located in the prefecture, which comprises less than 1% of Japan\u2019s total land area. Many Okinawans oppose the U.S. military presence, although some observers assert that Tokyo has failed to communicate effectively to Okinawans the benefits of the alliance. However, Okinawa has received billions of dollars in subsidies from the central government to offset the \u201cburden\u201d of hosting U.S. troops. \nIn 2006, as part of a broad realignment of U.S. basing in Japan, the United States and Japan agreed to relocate Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma to a less-congested area on Okinawa and then redeploy 8,000 marines to U.S. bases in Guam. The arrangement was designed to reduce the local community\u2019s burden of hosting a loud air base that has generated safety concerns and, eventually, to return control of the Futenma land to local authorities as a way to boost economic development in the area. The controversy surrounding relocation of MCAS Futenma has overshadowed progress in other elements of the realignment of U.S. Forces Japan. \nFacing delays in relocating the Futenma base, in 2012 the United States and Japan agreed to \u201cde-link\u201d the replacement facility with the transfer of marines to Guam. The current plan is to relocate 9,000 marines (and their dependents) from Okinawa, deploying 5,000 to Guam, 2,500 to Australia on a rotational basis, and 1,500 to Hawaii as soon as the receiving facilities are ready. From 2011 to 2014, Members of Congress continually raised concerns about the cost and feasibility of moving the Marines to Guam and other locations, and blocked some funds dedicated to the realignment. These concerns appear to have diminished since 2014.\nIn the last days of 2013, the United States and Japan cleared an important political hurdle in their long-delayed plan to relocate the Futenma base when Hirokazu Nakaima, then-Governor of Okinawa, approved construction of an offshore landfill necessary to build the replacement facility. Nakaima lost his reelection bid in late 2014, however, and his successor as Governor of Okinawa has used a variety of administrative, legal, and political tactics to prevent or delay construction of the Futenma replacement facility. A U.S.-Japan joint planning document in April 2013 indicated that the new base at Henoko would be completed no earlier than 2022.\nMany challenges remain to implementation of the Futenma relocation plan. Most Okinawans oppose the construction of a new U.S. base for a mix of political, environmental, and quality-of-life reasons. Okinawan anti-base civic groups may take extreme measures to prevent construction of the facility at Henoko. Any heavy-handed actions by Tokyo or Washington could lead to broader sympathy and support for the anti-base protesters from the public in Okinawa and mainland Japan. Meanwhile, the Futenma base remains in operation, raising fears that an accident might further inflame Okinawan opposition.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42645", "sha1": "b2923b79273d07f6e99044618635574569c44249", "filename": "files/20160120_R42645_b2923b79273d07f6e99044618635574569c44249.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42645", "sha1": "8132730a25a41507553cca27eaf693fa3ab8f730", "filename": "files/20160120_R42645_8132730a25a41507553cca27eaf693fa3ab8f730.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 280, "name": "Korean Peninsula and Japan" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc462421/", "id": "R42645_2014Aug14", "date": "2014-08-14", "retrieved": "2014-12-05T09:57:41", "title": "The U.S. Military Presence in Okinawa and the Futenma Base Controversy", "summary": "This report provides background information on the U.S.-Japan alliance and discusses the politics of U.S. basing in Okinawa.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20140814_R42645_b33212682c9ca2e30e1cb8cac61c7c45aa8219dd.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20140814_R42645_b33212682c9ca2e30e1cb8cac61c7c45aa8219dd.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Japan", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Japan" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Japan -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Japan -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Military agreements", "name": "Military agreements" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc815343/", "id": "R42645_2012Aug03", "date": "2012-08-03", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "The U.S. Military Presence in Okinawa and the Futenma Base Controversy", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120803_R42645_9ab74ba0c25938a4bbbea5b981af01af6e85fdcb.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120803_R42645_9ab74ba0c25938a4bbbea5b981af01af6e85fdcb.html" } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "Asian Affairs", "National Defense" ] }