By JACOB M. SCHLESINGER and JURO OSAWA
MAY 23, 2010, 2:35 A.M. ET
TOKYO — Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced Sunday that he will accept a controversial American plan for stationing troops in Japan, saying he was persuaded that the need to maintain an American "military deterrence" in an uncertain region forced to him to break one of his main campaign pledges.
Photo: Protesters shout slogans in front of the Okinawa government office Sunday in Naha, southern Japan, before talks between Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima.
Mr. Hatoyama made the announcement in Okinawa, where he apologized to the governor in a nationally televised meeting for failing to live up to his promise to reduce the American military presence on the southern island.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama answers questions after talks with Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima in Naha, southern Japan, on Sunday.
"I had said I would try to relocate the base outside of Okinawa, but I was not able to keep my words," the prime minister said. "And for the difficulties that local people have had to experience, I would like to apologize to the Okinawan people," he added.
Calling the decision "heartbreaking" Mr. Hatoyama said that "with political uncertainties remaining in East Asia, we cannot afford to reduce the U.S. military deterrence. If we relocated the base outside Okinawa and outside Japan, that could undermine the U.S. Marines' functions."
Mr. Hatoyama said that, while he failed to keep his promise to reduce the Marine presence in Okinawa, he would still try to take measures to ease the burdens of hosting the American military. "In doing this, of course we must be as sensitive as possible to local life and the environment, and we will continue to discuss this with local residents," he said. \And he added that "we will try to shift more of the U.S. military training outside of Okinawa. For this we need other municipal governments in Japan to agree to cooperate in hosting such training." He said he would raise the issue at a meeting scheduled for this Wednesday with governors of other Japanese prefectures.
Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima told Mr. Hatoyama the decision was "extremely regrettable. This is very tough."
Mr. Nakaima chided Japan's leader for breaking his promise saying: "Since the general election, it was been almost part of DPJ's promise that the base will be relocated outside Okinawa and Japan," a reference to Mr. Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan.
Earlier this month, more than 15,000 protesters formed a human chain to protest the controversial U.S. Futenma marine air base in Okinawa, Japan. Video Courtesy of Reuters.
Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima told Mr. Hatoyama the decision was "extremely regrettable. This is very tough."
The DPJ won a landslide victory over the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party last August, ending a half century of nearly unbroken one-party rule. The DPJ won after promising to change many longstanding LDP policies, including reducing the American troop presence in Okinawa that the LDP had long accepted as part of the post-war U.S.-Japan security alliance. That pledge helped the DPJ win heavily in Okinawa.
"Our disappointment is because of the huge gap between our expectations and what happened in this latest development," Mr. Nakaima said.
Mr. Hatoyama's reversal is likely to cause him some political headaches in Tokyo as well. The DPJ's hold on power includes a coalition with smaller parties, including the left-leaning Social Democratic Party, which has come out strongly against the Okinawa basing plan. The SDP could depart the coalition in the coming days over the issue. While that wouldn't force Mr. Hatoyama to lose power, it could complicate his ability to get crucial legislation -- including a must-pass budget—through parliament.
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