The Japanese government is reportedly planning to negotiate a cut in so-called "omoiyari yosan" (sympathy budget), or special host-nation support, for the U.S. forces stationed in Japan. The word "omoiyari" is left out these days, however, on the ground that it can create misunderstandings. The budget dates to 1978 when, in an attempt to show the Japanese government's sympathy for the financial impact that the yen's rise was having on the U.S. military budget, Tokyo signed a special agreement to pay the wages of Japanese workers at the U.S. bases as well as the military's utility bills.

This contribution has been praised on many occasions during the past two decades, and has played a very large role in maintaining our bilateral alliance. In the past year alone, U.S. defense and security reports, as well as U.S. defense officials, have praised Japan's special host-nation support.

* U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen, in a meeting with Defense Agency Director General Tsutomu Kawara Jan. 5, said that in his congressional testimony he makes a point of citing Japan's outstanding contribution as a model for host-nation support to U.S. forces stationed overseas.