"Japan Likely to Agree to US Request for Increased US Forces Japan Contribution"

(Photo by Air Force Magazine)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on the 19th that the Japanese government has begun coordinating in a direction that complies with the U.S. demand to increase the burden-sharing costs for the U.S. forces stationed in Japan.

According to the report, the Japanese government is coordinating to increase the burden-sharing costs for the U.S. forces stationed in Japan over five years starting from the 2022 fiscal year, in accordance with the U.S. demand.

The scale of the increase requested by the U.S. side has not been disclosed. It is reported that the Japanese government plans to request the U.S. side to spend the increased amount not on existing expenses such as utility costs at U.S. bases in Japan, but on strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance through joint training and other activities.

The burden-sharing cost borne by the Japanese government for the U.S. forces stationed in Japan in the 2021 fiscal year (April 2021 to March 2022) was 201.7 billion yen (approximately 2.1 trillion won), an increase of 1.2% compared to the previous year.

The slight increase in the 2021 fiscal year burden-sharing cost agreed upon by Japan and the U.S. in February this year was due to the Japan-U.S. Special Measures Agreement on Defense Cost Sharing, which forms the basis for the burden-sharing, being extended for one year at that time.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun stated, "In order to reflect (the burden-sharing cost for the U.S. forces stationed in Japan) in the 2022 fiscal year budget, a rough agreement must be reached within this year."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.