Area of U.S. military bases in Japan has doubled since 1980

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Area of U.S. military bases in Japan has doubled since 1980

Japanese Communist Party representative Kasai Akira on November 18 at a House of Representatives Committee meeting on Foreign Affairs revealed that land areas occupied by U.S. military bases in Japan have doubled in size since 1980 in contrast with a sharp decline in overseas troop levels of U.S. forces.

“The area of U.S. bases in Japan has more than doubled rather than being reduced, which is equivalent to 160 percent of the area of Tokyo’s 23 wards,” said Kasai.

The total land area used for the U.S. bases in Japan was 484 sq km in 1980 and is about 1,270 sq km as of January 1 this year, and the number of U.S. military facilities in Japan has also increased to 134 from 120.

In contrast, the United States cut the number of its troop levels abroad from 609,000 in 1990 to 285,000 in January this year. The number of U.S. troops deployed in Europe has decreased to 79,000 from 310,000.

Pointing out that 33,428 U.S. troops are still stationed in Japan, Kasai stated, “You cannot find any other U.S. ally in the world that so generously hosts such a large number of foreign military personnel.”

Kasai demanded that Japan break away from the Japan-U.S. military alliance. Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya responded by stating, “I’m committed to making the Japan-U.S. alliance sustainable for at least the next 30-50 years.”

- Akahata, November 20, 2009