Chapter Nine
168
Cabinet Legislation Bureau from 1981. So they argue that the Abe
administration would be able to exercise the right following a change in
the standpoint of the bureau, although many lawyers and scholars
disagree. Abe stated his position on the question of how to invoke the right
on October 22, and insisted that the standpoint of government would not
change, but development of some legal systems would be necessary.
Another measure to strengthen the alliance
Aside from the right to collective defense, the Abe administration has tried
to reinforce the Alliance with the United States through several other
means. For example, Japan and the United States reaffirmed the relocation
plan for the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko in Okinawa. In
Janurary 2013, both sides also agreed to amend the guidelines of the
Japan-U.S. Alliance (amended in 1997), which provides rules on the ways
and means of cooperation between Japan and United States in peacetime
and case of emergency. The amended guidelines are expected to increase
Japan’s role and responsibility for self-defense. Trying to keep America’s
commitment to defense of Japan, Japan accepted deployment of the
second AN/TPY-2 X-band radar of the U.S. Army for Missile Defense at
the Kyǀgamisaki Sub-base of Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) in
Kyotango city in southwest Kyoto prefecture by the end of 2013. The
radar is the same type as the one which has been deployed from the
JASDF Shariki Sub-base in northeastern Aomori prefecture since June
- The detectable range of the radar is expected to be around 1,000 km
and it is counted on that it will detect North Korean missiles aimed at
Japan or Guam.
Japan will also spend almost the same amount (around 0.9 billion
USD) as last year for supporting the redeployment of a part of the U.S.
Marine Corps units from Okinawa to Guam, The total cost of the
relocation plan is estimated at almost 10.27 billion USD, and Japan will
cover about 6.1 billion USD–59% of the total amount. In addition, Tokyo
will spend almost 1.9 billion USD on host nation support for the United
States Forces Japan (USFJ). That includes, for example, the salaries of the
Japanese staff in the U.S. facilities; construction and maintainence costs at
the facilities; expenses for electricity, fuel, and water for the U.S. soldiers;
as well as taxes and social security costs (which are paid for by the
Japanese government rather than by the U.S. solders themselves) to each
Japanese municipal government. The host nation support will slightly
increase in comparison with the last year.