New government leaves ‘sympathy budget’ for stationing of U.S. forces intact

Japan Press Weekly

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New government leaves ‘sympathy budget’ for stationing of U.S. forces intact

In its budget request for FY 2010, submitted to the Finance Ministry on October 15, the Defense Ministry requested 191.9 billion yen for funding for the stationing of U.S. forces in Japan. The amount is almost unchanged from the budget request that had been prepared under the previous government that ruled out “defense” budget cuts.

Defense Minister Kitazawa Toshimi submitted a “defense” budget request of 4.7 trillion yen for FY 2010, down only 1.9 billion yen from the request for the current year.

As regards the costs for the “realignment and transformation” of the U.S. Forces in Japan as well as for the Special Action Committee on Okinawa (SACO)-related projects, the ministry made no change in budget items requested by the previous government.

These two budget items and the “sympathy budget” will total 287 billion yen, which is only 0.7 billion less than the FY2009 budget.

The ministry initially earmarked costs for projecting private sector contracts related to the ‘relocation” of Okinawa-based U.S. Marine Corps personnel to Guam as part of U.S.F.J. realignment-related costs. This involves the plan to assign and fund private corporations to the projects such as the construction of about 3,500 housing units and the electricity infrastructure on Guam.

Even under the Japan-U.S. Status of U.S. Forces Agreement, there is no need for Japan to pay the “sympathy budget.” The Democratic Party’s Manifesto in the House of Representatives election called for cuts in the “sympathy budget.”

This extraordinary system started in 1987 under the temporary special measures agreement concerning Japan's host nation support for the United States armed forces in Japan, which was extended five times. In 2008, after the law’s fifth extension, the Democratic Party for the first time voted against the agreement.

The current special measures law expires in March 2011.

In addition, the request for “missile defense” includes the cost for additional deployment of Patriot PAC-3 missiles at a cost of 166.2 billion yen, an increase of 55 billion yen from the previous budget.

As regards Self-Defense Forces equipments, the ministry requested 15.7 billion yen for 16 tanks, instead of the former government’s request of 56.1 billion yen for 58 tanks. However, the ministry explained that it will request budgets for the remaining tanks in the FY2011 and later budgets. This means that the new government has not denied the request for purchasing the 58 tanks.

- Akahata, October 24, 2009