Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, appointed just over a month ago, said in a recent interview that his ministry will “quietly examine and explore” revising a key bilateral pact governing the U.S. military presence in Japan.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has stirred controversy by pushing for revisions to the U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that would give Tokyo more say in its alliance with Washington. Though he has offered up few details, he has said there will be discussions within his Liberal Democratic Party about taking steps to gradually make revising the pact “a reality.”
Speaking in an interview with The Japan Times and other media outlets last week, Iwaya, 67, declined to make predictions about the LDP’s approach to any SOFA revisions, but said he believes “some wisdom will probably come about” from planned talks within the party.
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