Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara expressed disappointment Sunday over a bilateral accord on the realignment of U.S. forces as it does not address his proposal on military-civilian use of Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo.
"We regard it as quite regrettable that the issue of joint military-civilian use has been put off. We will issue anew a strong demand to both the Japanese and U.S. governments for the early realization of joint use (of the U.S. air base)," Ishihara said of the accord reached at a ministerial meeting in Washington.
In a prepared statement, Ishihara called joint use an "inevitable option" in light of Japan's national interests.
The accord calls for the transfer of the Air Self-Defense Force's Air Defense Command from Fuchu, also in western Tokyo, to the Yokota base, the headquarters of the U.S. 5th Air Force.
But as for military-civilian use, the report issued by the two countries merely states, "The specific conditions and modalities for possible civil-military use will be studied, while dual-use must not compromise the military operational capabilities of Yokota Air Base."
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