In Tokyo, Obama Makes Concession on Marine Base in Okinawa

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan during a joint press conference in Tokyo on Friday. Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

From The New York Times:

TOKYO — President Obama, seeking to mend fences with Japan, America’s most important Asian ally, announced on Friday that he would establish a high-level working group on the contentious issue of the continuing presence of a Marine base in Okinawa.

The decision, announced at a news conference just a few hours after he touched down in Tokyo to begin his first presidential trip to Asia, appears to represent a concession by the Obama administration to at least consider Japan’s concerns. It comes less than a month after Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates seemed to shut the door on renegotiating a deal reached in 2006 to relocate the United States Marine air base in Futenma to a less populated part of the island.

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More News On The U.S. Base At Okinawa

Okinawa hovers at the negotiating table -- Financial Times
Okinawa base not 'dominant' issue of Obama Japan visit: official -- AFP
Okinawans Grow Impatient With Dashed Hopes on U.S. Base -- New York Times
Japanese protest against US base -- BBC
Protesters rally against Okinawa base plans -- Stars And Stripes
U.S., Japan vow to resolve Okinawa military base row -- China View
Obama seeks to ease U.S.-Japan strains at start of Asia trip -- L.A. Times
Japan Protests U.S. Military Ahead of Obama Visit -- Time Magazine
Obama, Hatoyama and Okinawa -- Douglas Lummis, Counterpunch

My Comment: The US bases on Okinawa have become the rallying point for Japanese nationalists to assert their power and influence on the new Japanese Government, a Government that came to power on the support and backing from these groups. President Obama .... without appreciating the consequences of what is at stake .... has (by agreeing to look at the Okinawa base agreement) given them a tremendous victory.

Japan's neighbors .... Korea, China, Taiwan, the Philippines .... are looking at these developments with concern. The last thing that they want to see are Japanese nationalists celebrating on the streets.