Closing The U.S. Base On Okinawa Is Not Going To Happen: Japanese PM

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama talks to town residents at a town hall meeting inside Futenma Elementary School No. 2 Tuesday. Photo by Matt Orr/Stars and Stripes

Japan Tries To Backtrack On Base -- New York Times

TOKYO — Backtracking on a prominent campaign pledge, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told angry residents of Okinawa on Tuesday that it was unrealistic to expect the United States to move its entire Marine Corps air base off the island.

Visiting Okinawa for the first time since becoming prime minister, he asked residents to entertain a compromise that would keep some of the functions of the base on the island while the government explored moving some facilities elsewhere.

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More News On The U.S. Base On Okinawa

Japan PM: Moving US Base Off Okinawa 'Impossible' -- New York Times/AP
Hatoyama: Moving Futenma operations off Okinawa ‘not possible’ -- Stars And Stripes
Japanese PM says moving U.S. base fully out of island difficult -- Xinhuanet
Hatoyama struggles to unlock Futenma shackles -- Financial Times
Q+A - Japan PM at risk in dispute over U.S. airbase -- Reuters