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Japan's planned SDF dispatch to Futenma hits U.S. snag

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Hate to break it to the people with imaginary problems that need allaying, but the presence of the SDF makes things no safer, and quite a number of SDF craft have gone down of late, too, only with casualties.

-8 ( +6 / -14 )

It's not about safety; it's about authority.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

The true rulers of Japan refuse to cooperate....,

10 ( +12 / -2 )

how about inspecting SDF craft though?

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

As we have drones watching, why to be afraind ?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I cannot understand why the US military is here in the first place. All they are doing is creating a dangerous environment.

-5 ( +6 / -11 )

SDF should also inspect American bases in Guam and SK.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

There's been an uptick in military attack jets all over the southern region of Japan. I have never seen this before. Only in the mountains when I go camping. Now there flying over the cities. My in-laws live on Oshima island in Yamaguci and there were numerous flights over the area. Noisy Noisy Noisy. I tried to use my binoculars to see who it was but what unsuccessful. It's near iwakuni but I really don't know if there's a Japan Air Force there. They've been flying over Hiroshima as well for the last 6 weeks. Noisy noisy noisy.

I just imagine what it's like for humans in a real war zone like Syria. Must be horrible.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

an odd runway shape. Is that specific to the Osprey?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

it's all rather moot when no other prefecture will put up a base

2 ( +2 / -0 )

BertieWooster

The USA is here since 1949 to protect their own interests in the area.

They decided that Japan shouldn’t have a military but should pay for them to protect them.

Now its 2018...

5 ( +6 / -1 )

BertieWooser: "I cannot understand why the US military is here in the first place."

Because the logic chip is shut off. Turn it on, and reboot. But turn off the emotion chip, first, because you guys tend to bring too much of that to this issue.

But if none of that works, I recommend looking up history (not in Japanese texts, of course). That'll help with the basics of why. Then look at the region and what the US and Japan tout as enemies, common or not. Refer back to history and see how Japan has treated it's many neighbors in the past, and how it still looks upon them today. Look at how close Okinawa and other parts of Japan are to nations Japan considers hostile. Look at most, if not all, Japanese tech in the military industry, who has trained them for the most part, and who continues to do so (despite their military not being Constitutional). Add about 20 more reasons.

But, you still won't understand, because the record is broken. You don't WANT to understand. You'd understand when the missiles truly started flying, though, or when looking up at a flag of China. In fact, many of you turn on a dime when a Chinese sub goes by the islands and demand the US do more. You claim it's about safety, then champ at the bit for Japan to get the same machines you balk about, with the SDF running them.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

BertieWooster

I cannot understand why the US military is here in the first place.

NK, China, Russia, supporting right-of-navigation operations and projecting USA and their allies power in the region.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

BertieWooster

Would you take China and the Russians over the US?

If you like their theology and lifestyle so much more, keep on hoping for the things you say you want.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

While I think US presence in Japan is good. Due to China's current aggressive policy, and the uncertainty of North Korea (still).

They should definitely respect the host country. Unlike Cuba, they can't not dictate the Japanese government on what to do and not do.

Everyone has their limits, and potentially alienating the second strongest, and probably most advanced nation in Asia would be bad for business.

Japan should show authority and just enter the base, its their land. If they refuse to do so and bow down too often, the tables will turn eventually.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Japan should show authority and just enter the base, its their land. If they refuse to do so and bow down too often, the tables will turn eventually.

When have they not bowed down when it comes to the US?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

MiaTanaka

In your first statement you call for respect and not alienating people. Then you call for a walk on to a US Army base??

The US and Japan are now allies with a common foe.

For me its often said that the US presence endangers Japan but I don’t really feel that way.

Japan has massive enemies on the north and west. China and Russia both lost their last wars with Japan and haven’t forgot. If Japan is ever weak or out of friends, we may be in trouble.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Would you take China and the Russians over the US?

If you like their theology and lifestyle so much more, keep on hoping for the things you say you want.

Ah yes, that old chestnut. Again.

Raised every single time a country shakes off the chains of oppression, or goes independent or finds its own path.

The threats of how bad it's going to be if your kindly occupier isn't around anymore.

How the economy will suffer, how you won't be able to survive etc.

Japan will be free again. It's not a question of "if" but "when".

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@Fizzbit. You’re not imagining things. Two F-18 squadrons from Atsugi NAF have relocated to Iwakuni.

https://www.stripes.com/news/carrier-air-wing-5-fighter-squadrons-moving-to-iwakuni-this-week-1.519140

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@thepersoniamnow

China definitely considers Japan more a foe than ally. But I don't think Russia would actually invade Japan in this day and age. Too much to lose.

And yes, respect. Japan is respecting the US by not doing anything, and allowing them to stay even after multiple incidents, yet the US doesn't want the inspection of their base and tries to extend. So if nothing works out, forced entry is a legal option as Japan is the host nation. That if nothing works out.

I'm not sure how you can justify Russia and China being a common foe though. Competitors, maybe. Russia could be a foe, China? I doubt China would ever attack USA out of the blue. And regardless how you put it, USA meddling in Asia isn't anymore justified than China doing it. And the U.S has been present there decades before China even had a military to wage war with.

Secondly I live in Norway which has a border to Russia so saying Russia is a threat to either Japan or the U.S at this point, unprovoked, will met only by laughter.

We've had absolutely no issues with Russia at all, except some disagreements, we even patrol the North Sea together.

Only after the U.S got a rotating base on Norwegian soil have tensions grown. Prior to this Norway had a No-foreign military on its soil policy, and no incidents with Russia, despite traveling regularly to one another over the border.

Sure, some spying, and whatever governments do to each other (NSA spying on its Ally: Germany).. but nothing that would ever indicate a war.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

an odd runway shape. Is that specific to the Osprey?

The picture is of the ramp not the runway, where they park the aircraft. Here is a better picture.

https://d2q133a8ap145g.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/futenma.jpg

I cannot understand why the US military is here in the first place. All they are doing is creating a dangerous environment.

You have been repeating the same line on countless numbers of posts. The problem is not with you "not understanding", but your unwillingness to listen to or accept opinions that counter your own preconceived beliefs and ideas.

It's not "cannot understand", it's choosing NOT to understand, and folks like this are just as guilty for creating a "dangerous environment" because they are unwilling to negotiate and would, as witnessed by the current administration in Okinawa, rather see the base continue to be a problem. Move the base and they lose their sympathy card, as evidenced by you.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

smithinjapan (May 6 07:48 pm JST),

In a nutshell, you want to say there are basically three reasons why the U.S. military must be maintained here in Okinawa: Japan's imperial past, the existence of countries hostile both to Japan and the U.S., and Okinawa's strategic location.  Let me address only your first reason here.

Japan launched a war against the U.S. by attacking Pearl Harbor but was defeated. So you want to say the U.S. military presence is the end result of this war? But if you say so, then the U.S. military is stationed here not as something granted by the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty but as an occupation army, thus making the treaty a blatant facade to hide the U.S's true intention to perpetuate the post-World War Two regime (occupation) forever. 

In other words, the U.S. military is here not to let the genie out of the bottle.  Your statement, "Refer back to history and see how Japan has treated it's many neighbors in the past, and how it still looks upon them today," betrays what you really think at heart. A very regrettable mindset, indeed.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Only after the U.S got a rotating base on Norwegian soil have tensions grown. Prior to this Norway had a No-foreign military on its soil policy, and no incidents with Russia, despite traveling regularly to one another over the border.

Please, the US has been training in Norway for decades, not just "recently" either!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@maitia62

Thanks for the link. I know I wasn't imaging it :) They fly high over Hiroshima which makes them reverberat off the mountains so you can hear them miles away. But they flew only a few kilometers high over Oshima island. I think it's eventually going to piss people off. It's kind of weird as well as most people can ignore this stuff, sometimes I wish I could as well. I got a decent look at the planes and I didn't see any star under the wings. Do you know, did the US stop putting their insignia under the wings?

And fewer local residents will be affected by aircraft noise, Bodine said.

Obviously this guy is writing from the States.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Please, the US has been training in Norway for decades, not just "recently" either!

Under NATO?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Under NATO?

Look, I am just going to share that I have been to Bodo, Norway, for cold weather training, back in the early 80's. Training was in conjunction with allies from within NATO, but we were not "under" NATO command at the time.

Just saying that the premise that Mia Tanaka wrote about is way off the mark. She is obviously too young to remember what it was like during the cold war, otherwise she would never have made the comment about tensions "rising" now, because of a US base.

Different branches of the US military have been training in and with their allies, in Norway, from at least the early 1960's.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Yubaru, et al:

Article 6 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty stipulates that for "the purpose of contributing to the security of Japan and the maintenance of international peace and security in the Far East, the United States of America is granted the use by its land, air and naval forces of facilities and areas in Japan."  (According to the Japanese version, these forces are the Army, Navy and Air Force.)

In other words, the U.S. military presence in Japan is definitely for the defense and security of Japan and its vicinity, in return of which Japan provides the USFJ with so many bases and areas for free with Japanese taxpayers even shouldering 74 percent of the maintenance costs of these bases. 

Isn't it against provisions in the agreement, then, that Okinawa-deployed Marines have been engaged in cold-weather training in a far-off country like Norway?   They are also training for tropical jungle warfare in the Northern Training Area on Okinawa Island.  What does such training have to do with Japan's defense and security?  Or do you think the U.S. can do whatever it wants to do with these bases without any regard to stipulation in the security treaty because Japan lost the war anyway?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Japan has massive enemies on the north and west. China and Russia both lost their last wars with Japan and haven’t forgot. If Japan is ever weak or out of friends, we may be in trouble.

massive enemies?

Whens the last time you've been to a ¥100 shop? Most of the cheap crap sold in Japan at these places is manufactured in China. Just because the MSM likes to spread fear and doom doesn't mean you have to buy it.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The irony is that the genies, that is, revisionists and militarists, identify themselves with the U.S completely because the U.S. has been a strong supporter, or even instigator, of Japan’s remilitarization and constitutional revision.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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