Press Conference by the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga is visiting Guam yesterday and today. Can you please discuss the outcomes of this visit to Guam as well as your own assessment of the visit?

DEPUTY CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY HAGIUDA: My assessment? Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga is visiting Guam for two days from October 29 to today. The Chief Cabinet Secretary exchanged views regarding the Guam relocation project, among other matters, with Ms. Madeleine Z. Bordallo, House of Representatives member, yesterday, and with Lt. Gen. John A. Toolan, Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, and Mr. Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of (the territory of) Guam, today. I understand the Chief Cabinet Secretary visited areas of the U.S. Forces’ bases that are relevant to this project—specifically, areas such as Andersen Air Force Base and the Apra area of the naval base. The Guam relocation project is directly linked to alleviating the burden on Okinawa, and is a critically important initiative for both Japan and the United States. Approximately 28,000 U.S. Force personnel are stationed in Okinawa. The Guam relocation project is expected to relocate approximately 9,000 Marine Corps personnel from Okinawa. We consider that steadily proceeding with this project constitutes an important theme which also contributes to making progress on the land returns south of Kadena. Precisely from here on, the Guam relocation project will be shifting into high gear. I perceive that Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga’s visit to Guam at this timing was able to clearly demonstrate the Government’s wish to swiftly proceed with the Guam relocation project, which is directly linked to alleviating the burden on Okinawa, and to alleviate the burden on Okinawa in a visible manner.

(Abridged)