United States Forces Japan - History

History

After the Japanese surrender in World War II, the United States Armed Forces assumed administrative authority in Japan. The Japanese Imperial Army and Navy were decommissioned, and the US Armed Forces took control of their military bases. The allied countries planned to demilitarize Japan, and the U.S. imposed the Constitution of Japan with a no-armed-force clause in 1947.

After the Korean War began in 1950, Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers in Japan, ordered the Japanese government to establish the paramilitary "National Police Reserve," which was later developed into the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

In 1951 the Treaty of San Francisco was signed by the allied countries and Japan, which restored its formal sovereignty. At the same time, the U.S. and Japan signed the Japan-America Security Alliance. By this treaty, the USFJ are legally responsible for the defense of Japan. In return for this, the Japanese government offered military bases, funds and various interests specified in the Status of Forces Agreement. At the expiration of the treaty, the United States and Japan signed the new Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan. The status of the United States Forces Japan was defined in the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement. This treaty is still in effect, and it forms the basis of Japan's foreign policy.

In the Vietnam War, the USFJ military bases in Japan, especially those in Okinawa, were used as important strategic and logistic bases. The USAF strategic bombers were deployed in the bases in Okinawa, which was still administered by the U.S. government. Before the 1972 reversion of the island to Japanese administration, it has been speculated but never confirmed that up to 1,200 nuclear weapons may have been stored at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa in the 1960s.

As of December 2009, there are 35,688 U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan and another 5,500 American civilians employed there by the United States Department of Defense. The United States Seventh Fleet is based in Yokosuka. The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is based in Okinawa. 130 USAF fighters are stationed in the Misawa Air Base and Kadena Air Base.

• Army: 2,541
• Navy: 3,740
• Air Force: 12,398
• Marines: 17,009
• Total: 35,688

The Japanese government paid ¥217 billion (US$ 2.0 billion) in 2007 as annual host-nation support called Omoiyari Yosan (思いやり予算?, sympathy budget or compassion budget).

The U.S. government employs over 8,000 Master Labor Contract (MLC)/Indirect Hire Agreement (IHA) workers on Okinawa (per the Labor Management Organization) not including Okinawan contract workers.

Immediately after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, 9,720 dependents of United States military and government civilian employees in Japan evacuated the country, mainly to the United States.

While the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma still remains unresolved as of April 2012, the United States of America and Japan reached in April 2012 a troop redeployment agreement which might make room for a new Futenma agreement according to Al Jazeera's Asia-Pacific correspondent Harry Fawcett. Under the terms of the new U.S.-Japan agreement 5.000 U.S. Marines will be relocated to Guam and 4.000 U.S. Marines to other Pacific locations such as Hawaii or Australia, while some 10.000 Marines will remain on Okinawa. No timetable for the Marines redeployment has been announced, but the Washington Post reported that U.S. Marines would leave Futenma as soon as suitable facilities on Guam and elsewhere are ready. The relocation move is expected to cost 8.6 billion US Dollars and includes a $3.1bn cash commitment from Japan for the move to Guam as well as for developing joint training ranges on Guam and on Tinian and Pagan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Certain parcels of land on Okinawa which are presently used by the American military shall be returned to Japanese control via a phased return process according to the agreement.