I.N.N. World Report

Japan’s new government is reviewing an agreement with Washington on US military facilities. This is a follow-up to a campaign pledge to residents of Okinawa island who have borne the brunt of the American presence for more than 60 years. Around 50,000 American troops are based in Japan, of which two-thirds are in Okinawa. Resentment against their presence has grown in recent years due to a series of crimes committed by service personnel. In February 2008, a case against a marine accused of raping a 14-year-old girl was dropped after she withdrew the accusation, apparently to avoid the ordeal of a trial. The case revived bitter memories of the abduction and rape of a 12-year-old girl in 1995 by three US servicemen. Katsuya Okada, the foreign minister, said he wants the American military to remain in Japan but at a reduced level on the most southerly islands that include Okinawa. Source