[1] “Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the United States of America concerning the Implementation of the Relocation of 111 Marine Expeditionary Force Personnel and their Dependents from Okinawa to Guam,” Tokyo, 17 February 2009. Link

[2] For details, see my Client State: Japan in the American Embrace, London and New York, Verso, 2007.

[3] Admiral Timothy Keating, head of US Pacific Command, told a New York press conference in November 2008 that he did not expect the Roadmap target of 2014, “or maybe even 2015,” to be met. “Obama and Japan – Futenma relocation a pressing issue,” Yomiuri Shimbun, 20 November 2008.

[4] Reply by Prime Minister Aso to Diet question from Teruya Hironori, 5 March 2009. Link

[5] Sato Manabu, “Obama seiken no Amerika,” in Miyazato Seigen, Arasaki Moriteru, and Gabe Masaaki, Okinawa jiritsu e no michi wo motomete, Tokyo, Kobunken, 2009, pp. 83-94

[6] It was used on 26 occasions between 1947 and 1957, to pass 28 laws, then not till Aso revived it in 2008, when he used it to railroad 10 bills on 8 occasions (Jimbo Taro, “Media hihyo” (20), Sekai, August 2009, pp. 92-99, at p. 92).

[7] For details, see, Yoshikawa Hideki, “Dugong Swimming in Uncharted Waters: US Judicial Intervention to Protect Okinawa's “Natural Monument “and Halt Base Construction,” The Asia-Pacific Journal 7 February 2009.

[8] Sakurai Kunitoshi, “The Guam treaty as a Modern ‘Disposal’ of the Ryukyus.”

[9] Richard L. Armitage and Joseph S. Nye, “The US-Japan Alliance: Getting Asia Right through 2020,” CSIS Report, February 2007.

[10] Kaho Shimizu, “Greater security role is in Japan's interest: Gates,” Japan Times, 10 November 2007.

[11] Yoichi Kato, “Interview/Richard Lawless: Japan-U.S. alliance faces ‘priority gap’,” Asahi shimbun, 2 May 2008.

[12] Quoted by Funabashi Yoichi, “Obama seiken to Nichibei kankei - Heiji no domei tsuikyu suru toki,” Asahi shimbun, 26 January 2009.

[13] “Clinton praises strong U.S.-Japan Ties,” Yomiuri shimbun, 18 February 2009.

[14] AFP, “Clinton, Japan sign US troops pull-out deal,” Sydney Morning Herald, 18 February 2009.

[15] Hattori Peace-Net, “Guam kyotei iten no mondaiten,” 15 June 2009. See also Yamaguchi Hibiki, “Kaiheitai Guam iten,” Peoples Plan, Summer 2009, pp, 2-15.

[16] Satoshi Ogawa, “U.S. senate cuts funds for marines' Guam move,” Daily Yomiuri Online, 7 November 2009.

[17] Hattori, cit.

[18] “Futenma wa kengai isetsu” (Futenma to be moved outside of Okinawa), See the Democratic Party's “Okinawa Vision 2008.” However, in the 2009, pre-election version, the pledge was qualified to “move in the direction of re-examining the realignment of U.S. military forces in Japan.”

[19] Kurt Campbell and Michael Green, “Ozawa's bravado may damage Japan for years,” Asahi shimbun, 29 August 2007.

[20] Maeda, pp. 15-18.

[21] Quoted in Narusawa Muneo, “Shin seiken no gaiko seisaku ga towareru Okinawa kichi mondai,” Shukan Kinyobi, 25 September 2009, pp. 13-15

[22] Asahi shimbun, 25 February 2009. See also Maeda Tetsuo, ‘Juzoku’ kara ‘jiritsu’ e – Nichibei Ampo o kaeru, Kobunken, 2009, pp. 17, 25.

[23] Yoichi Kato, “U.S. warm to proposal to reaffirm security pact,” Asahi shimbun, 23 July 2009.

[24] Quoted in Mure Dickie and Daniel Dombey, “Prospect of power softens DPJ's stance,” Financial Times, 21 July 2009.

[25] “Bei kokan ‘minaosanu’ tsugitsugi,” Ryukyu shimpo, 3 September 2009

[26] Hiroshi Ito, “U.S. on Futenma revisit: Forget it,” Asahi shimbun, 2 September 2009.

[27] “‘Kokka-kan no goi’ kyocho,” Okinawa Times, 4 September 2009.

[28] “Futenma isetsu dekineba Nichibei kankei ni dageki,, Bei kokan ga keikoku,” Asahi shimbun, 18 October 2009.

[29] John Pomfret and Blaine Harden, “U.S. pressures Japan on military package,” Washington Post, 22 October 2009.

[30] Ibid.

[31] “Joint Press Conference with Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates,” Tokyo, 21 October 2009, Department of Defense, News Transcript. Link

[32] Michael Green, “Tokyo smackdown,” The New Foreign Policy.com, 23 October 2009.

[33] “Joint Chiefs chairman: Futenma must move to Nago,” Yomiuri shimbun, 24 October 2009.

[34] “Hatoyama, key ministers split on Futenma,” Weekly Japan Update, 29 October 2009.

[35] “Beigun saihen meguri gekiron – Minshu Okada kanjicho to bei kokubo jikan,” Nikkei Net, 26 July 2009.

[36] The Guardian, 10 August 2009.

[37] “Gaisho – Henoko-an o saimonshi, Futenma isetsu,” Okinawa Times, 23 October 2009.

[38] “Japan urges U.S. to respect ‘democracy’ over base,” AFP, 22 October 2009.

[39] “Okada gaisho hatsugen – boso suru Hatoyama seiken no genkai, Ampo no Okinawa izon kara dakkyaku o,” Ryukyu shimpo, 25 October 2009.

[40] Shimokobe Jun, then Vice-Minister at the National Lands Agency, quoted in Sato Manabu, “Obama seiken no Amerika,” cit, p. 90.

[41] “Futenma hikojo daitai, kennai isetsu hantai 68%,” Okinawa Times, 14 May 2009. In the Northern Districts (including Nago Ciy) opposition was even higher, at 76 per cent.

[42] “Futenma iten: Genko keikaku ni ‘hantai” 67%, Okinawa yoron chosa, “Mainichi shimbun, 2 November 2009; for a partial English account, “Poll: 70 percent of Okinawans want Futenma moved out of prefecture, Japan, “Mainichi Daily News, 3 November 2009. Foreign Minister Okada's “Kadena option “also had scant support. 72 per cent of people opposed it.

[43] Gavan McCormack and Matsumoto Tsuyoshi, “”Okinawa says “No” to US base plan, “Japan Focus, 21 July 2008.

[44] 34 of 41 local government heads in Okinawa. “Futenma ‘kengai’ ‘kokugai’ 34 nin,” Okinawa Times, 30 October 2009.

[45] “Nahashi gikai Futenma no ‘kengai kokugai’ motome ikensho aketsu,” Ryukyu shimpo, 2 November 2009. Five Communist members absented themselves from the Chamber during the vote, but their position was that it was too soft; only Futenma's immediate and unconditional return would satisfy them.

[46] “Relocating Futenma Base,” Asahi shimbun, 23 October 2009.

[47] “Hirari R. Kurinton Beikokumu chokan e no shokan (Open Letter to Secretary of State Clinton), by Miyaazato Seigen and 13 other representative figures of Okinawa's civil society, 14 February 2009, (Japanese) text at “Nagonago zakki, “Miyagi Yasuhiro blog, 22 March 2009; English text courtesy Sato Manabu.

[48] Nakaima uttered the bizarre remark that he might not necessarily share Matsuzawa's “tastes.” (“teisuto ga sukoshi watakushi to ha chigau ka mo shirenai,” (“Futenma kengai isetsu ha fukano' ho-Bei chu no Kanagawa chiji ga koen,” Ryukyu shimpo, 6 November 2009; See also “Kanaga chiji, Henoko-an osu ‘Futennma isetsu,” Okinawa Times, 7 November 2009.)

[49] The figure of 5.5 trillion yen, 50 billion dollars, is the best estimate of the Japanese subsidy to Pentagon coffers over the years.

[50] On the latter, see my Client State: Japan in the American Embrace, passim.

[51] The definition here is one I adopt in the revised Japanese, Korean and Chinese editions of my 2007 book, Client State: Japan in the American Embrace.

[52] “Okinawa no min-i – Kennai isetsu ‘No’ ga senmei da,” Ryukyu shimpo, editorial, 3 November 2009.

[53] Ian Kelly of the Department of State, was quoted one week before Obama's visit as saying “Japan has to decide what kind of relationship it wants with the US.” (“Futenma de Nihon seifu no boso ken'en, Beikokumucho,” Tokyo shimbun, 4 November 2009).