KANAGAWA GOVERNOR MEETS WITH AMBASSADOR SCHIEFFER

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 004626

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2016
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL JA
SUBJECT: KANAGAWA GOVERNOR MEETS WITH AMBASSADOR SCHIEFFER


Classified By: AMBASSADOR J. THOMAS SCHIEFFER. REASON:1.4(B)(D)

Summary
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1. (SBU) Ambassador Schieffer confirmed to Kanagawa
Governor Matsuzawa on August 14 that there was no
conventional alternative to forward deployment of a
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at Yokosuka. When Matsuzawa
tried to enlist the Ambassador into seeking GOJ funding for a
Kanagawa Prefecture cultural exchange center, the Ambassador,
while supporting the concept, made clear that funding was a
matter to be decided by the Japanese side. Ambassador
Schieffer also deflected the Governor's suggestion that the
Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) be amended to explicitly
cover environmental issues. He emphasized that USFJ
personnel and their families, who shared the same air and
water with their Japanese neighbors, were committed to being
good neighbors when it came to environmental issues. End
summary.

Setting
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2. (U) Ambassador Schieffer hosted lunch August 14 for
Kanagawa Prefectural Governor Shigefumi Matsuzawa. Matsuzawa
was accompanied by Deputy Director General of the Policy
Planning Bureau, Mitsunori Sato, who is responsible for base
issues in Kanagawa.

CVN Deployment
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3. (SBU) Governor Matsuzawa noted that the biggest
base-related problem in the prefecture had been noise
associated with aircraft operations at Atsugi. He welcomed
the decision to relocate the carrier air wing to MCAS
Iwakuni, characterizing the agreement as the culmination of a
25-year effort. Matsuzawa then raised the issue of forward
deployment of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at Yokosuka.
The governor said he understood the importance of the
U.S.-Japan Security Treaty and the very large role that the
7th Fleet plays in the bilateral security relationship. When
he was a member of the Diet, Matsuzawa observed, he was able
to look at the big picture from the national level. Now,
however, as a governor representing the people of a
prefecture, he had to respond to local concerns.


4. (U) The Ambassador said he understood those concerns and
wanted to assure the governor that U.S. nuclear-powered
aircraft carriers were perfectly safe. Never in 50 years of
service by nuclear-powered U.S. warships had there been a
serious incident, nor had there been any problem in hundreds
of prior visits to Japan by U.S. nuclear-powered vessels.
Ambassador Schieffer pointed out that the United States
home-ported CVNs in heavily populated areas such as San Diego
and Norfolk, something we would not do if it were not safe.
He reiterated that we would do everything necessary to ensure
safety in order to relieve people's anxiety, adding that "the
more transparent, the better." The Ambassador concluded by
urging Governor Matsuzawa to visit San Diego to see
first-hand how safety was assured.


5. (SBU) Asked if there were any chance of a conventional
aircraft carrier being deployed to Yokosuka, the Ambassador
replied, "Zero percent." All conventionally-powered carriers
were being eliminated from the fleet, to be replaced by more
efficient CVNs. Matsuzawa next asked if the U.S. planned to
build any new conventionally powered carriers. "No, all will
be nuclear-powered," Ambassador Schieffer replied. The
Ambassador observed that North Korea's July 5 missile
launches had underscored the importance of the deterrence
represented in the U.S.-Japan alliance, and he asked the
governor, in his consultations with the local mayors, to
emphasize how integral the CVN deployment is to that
deterrence.

Cultural Exchange Center
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6. (SBU) Turning to the subject of relations between USFJ
personnel and their host communities, Gov. Matsuzawa observed
that Kanagawa Prefecture was host to 15 major USFJ
installations. Compared with Okinawa, Matsuzawa asserted,
Kanagawa enjoyed little economic benefit from the bases, as
there was little direct relationship between the local
economy and the bases. He said that a Kanagawa Prefecture
"cultural exchange center" was needed to increase interchange
between USFJ personnel and their families and local
residents. Ambassador Schieffer said he supported any
efforts to foster better relations between U.S. military
families and local communities. In response to Matsuzawa's
comment that local governments were seeking funding for this
purpose from the central government, the Ambassador said that
such a decision would be up to the Government of Japan.

Environment
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7. (SBU) Governor Matsuzawa turned to environmental issues,
saying the strictest laws of the U.S. and Japan should apply
both outside and inside U.S. bases. Citing his position as
head of the National Governors Association Committee on
Base-Hosting Communities, Matsuzawa asked if it would be
possible to stipulate environmental provisions in the SOFA.
He observed that the SOFA had originally been written 45
years ago, when environmental consciousness was lacking. The
Ambassador responded that USFJ shared these concerns on
environmental matters and that its personnel, who shared the
same water and breathed the same air as people in the
surrounding communities, wanted to be good neighbors. He
said he would be happy to convey the governor's concern to
the U.S. Government, as well as the sincerity with which that
concern had been expressed.

Comment
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8. (C) The Governor's office called us shortly after the
meeting to say how pleased they were with how the meeting had
gone. We anticipate, therefore, that in the near future the
Governor will make his first official pronouncement accepting
the deployment of the CVN USS George Washington.
SCHIEFFER