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Difficult to say no to U.S.: Japan

— PHOTO: AP

Quit Japan:People protest against U.S. military presence as Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama arrives in Naha on Tuesday.

SINGAPORE: Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Tuesday apologised for his inability to negotiate a reduction of the U.S. military footprint in Okinawa.

In televised comments at Naha, capital of the Okinawa prefecture, Mr. Hatoyama said: “In the current situation of the U.S.-Japan alliance and from the perspective of maintaining [the U.S.-activated] deterrence, it is difficult to move all of the facilities out of Futenma.”

Noting that his visit to Naha was to “say sorry” over this reality, he said he would “seek the understanding of the Okinawa residents.” His comments were punctuated by a continuing protest over the prolonged presence of American troops and bases in Okinawa.

Regional diplomats have come to regard the issue as a litmus test of Mr. Hatoyama's attitude towards the U.S., Japan's long-standing military ally. During the poll campaign that catapulted him to power last year, he pledged to influence the U.S. to shift its Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station out of Okinawa or even Japan itself.

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