The US and Japanese governments are continuing to adjust the burden on the Japanese side from next year on the cost of stationing US forces in Japan, but there is a gap between the two claims and it is expected that there will be some twists and turns before the settlement.
The Japanese side's burden of stationing expenses for the U.S. Forces in Japan is called the "compassionate budget," which is used for labor costs, utilities, and training transfer costs for employees working at the base. The level is set by a special agreement that is signed almost every five years.
The deadline for the current special agreement was the end of March, but since the negotiation period coincided with the transition period of the US administration, the US and Japanese governments set the same burden level as last year at 2017 billion yen, extending the deadline by one year to next year. Since then, we have continued to make adjustments, and working-level talks took place in Washington earlier this month.
According to people familiar with the matter, the US side is demanding a burden that exceeds the current level due to the adjustment so far, while the Japanese side is reluctant to increase the labor cost and utility cost of employees. ..
The Government of Japan wants to start full-scale negotiations after the election of the House of Representatives and hold a so-called "2 plus 2" ministerial consultation on foreign affairs and defense between Japan and the United States within the year, but there is a gap between the two claims and future adjustments. Is expected to be twisted.