Comments On The Japan American Relationship

Comment from a reader on "Japan's House Guests":

Unfortunately for the Japanese, the Americans and other allies from WW2 are not and never have been "guests" of the country. Japan lost the war and providing military bases for the occupying forces is one of the hazards of losing a war.

They are damned lucky the Russians were prevented from occupying their country or else their wonderful constitution, written by Gen. Douglas MacArthur would read like a communist manifesto. To the victors, the spoils, etc. Lucky for them we were benevolant.

and another:

I would challenge the writer of this nonsense to disclose for our edification the basis of his assumptions. The "new administration of Japan" is just one more event of little ignorance in Japan's long range strategy. The Japanese government is controlled by pragmatic people.

They will continue to entertain a U.S. military presence just as long as it is in their national interest to do so. Use documented history to develop assumptions about the Japanese, then plan on being wrong about 20% of the time.

Pay attention to what they do - not what they say. The American and Japanese governments have been playing the "pea in the shell" game ever since 1952, quite successfully, too. Only the naive and the ignorant give credence to the ever changing Japonais message du jour.

and another:

Look for the new Japanese Government to demand in May that the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and its 4,000 Marines be relocated to Northwest Field on Guam instead of Camp Schwab (Nago City) on Okinawa as a result of their review of the "realignment" process.