DEFMIN KYUMA EXPLORES REVISIONS TO FRF PLAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 007178

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

OSD FOR ISA/AP LAWLESS/BASALLA; COMUSJAPAN FOR J01/J4/J5

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/27/2016
TAGS: MARR PGOV JA
SUBJECT: DEFMIN KYUMA EXPLORES REVISIONS TO FRF PLAN


Classified By: CDA Joseph R. Donovan, Reason: 1.5 (b/d)


1. (C) Summary: Japan Defense Agency (JDA) officials are
publicly denying media reports that JDA is considering
altering construction plans for the Futenma MCAS Replacement
Facility (FRF). Privately, Japanese officials acknowledge
that Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma has engaged with Okinawan
Governor Hirokazu Nakaima on options for altering the FRF
plan. JDA officials say they are deeply frustrated by
Kyuma's machinations and do not share his view that
substantive changes to the FRF plan are necessary to secure
Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) support. Senior MOFA
and Cabinet Office officials met on December 28 to confirm
their opposition to any change to the May 1 FRF plan. End
Summary.

Lots of Smoke
--------------


2. (C) A flurry of press reports on December 28 has led to
speculation over JDA's intention to adjust the construction
plan for the FRF at Camp Schwab. Okinawa media outlets
reported on December 28 that during a recent meeting with
leaders from Nago City, JDA officials had offered to move the
"V-shape" runway 100 meters off-shore. Reports in the
mainland press alleged that Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma has
instructed his staff to explore options for adjusting the
runway plan. One Okinawan report quoted a "JDA leader" as
going even further by asserting that "it is not necessary" to
stick to the FRF plan agreed upon bilaterally on May 1.


3. (C) JDA Budget Division Director Daisuke Monma contacted
the embassy on December 28 to refute reports of back-room
discussions on FRF revisions and assure the USG that JDA
remains committed to implementing the May 1 agreement. Monma
acknowledged that he and JDA Vice Minister Takemasa Moriya
did meet with four Nago area village mayors on December 24,
but only to explain why their request to move the runway away
from the coastal area at Camp Schwab was unfeasible.
According to Monma, Higashi Village Mayor Shigeru Miyagi, who
has advocated a shift away from the coast, intentionally
misrepresented the JDA brief to the press (Note: contacts
have offered conflicting reports on Moriya's position on the
FRF, but all confirm that Monma has consistently opposed FRF
revisions in internal meetings and in contacts with Okinawan
leaders. End Note).

And Mirrors
--------------


4. (C) MOFA Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) Division
Director Osamu Iizawa said that he had learned from JDA
reporters that Kyuma did not know about the December 24
meeting and expressed annoyance when asked by reporters on
December 27 about Moriya's rejection of revisions to the FRF
plan. Kyuma, the "JDA leader" referenced in reports,
allegedly stated that it is not necessary to stick to the FRQ
plan as agreed upon in the May 1 realignment Roadmap, but
that any changes would require concurrence from all parties
involved, including the United States. On this last point,
Kyuma reportedly told the assembled journalists that the
inflexible U.S. stance would make it harder to revise the May
1 agreement.


5. (C) Iizawa said that Kyuma is locked in an increasingly
acrimonious debate with his own ministry, including with
deputy Moriya, over the necessity of offering concessions to
Nakaima on FRF. Mitsuko Hayashi, JDA's Okinawa Realignment
Action Officer, said there is deep frustration within JDA
over Kyuma's insistence on revising the FRF plan. Hayashi
acknowledged that some minor changes could potentially be
made under the banner of "technical adjustments," but
asserted that even these would risk delaying the
implementation timeline. There are other incentives,
including accelerated work on FRF construction and base
consolidation, that would give Nakaima the "face" he requires
without disrupting realignment efforts, she insisted.


6. (C) This view was echoed by Osamu Ashitomi, the Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) Diet member representing the district
hosting Futenma MCAS. Ashitomi said that JDA's formal
proposal to accelerate construction at the FRF would suffice
to bring Nakaima around. "All he needs is 'fuzziness,'"
Ashitomi insisted. "If visible construction work at Camp
Schwab can begin in three years time," he continued, "Nakaima
can tell the voters that he made real progress on removing
the danger at Futenma." Ashitomi, and embassy contacts at
the OPG Tokyo office, have expressed puzzlement over Kyuma's
eagerness to compromise with the new governor.

Ball Heading to Abe's Court?
--------------


7. (C) Iizawa said that MOFA North American Affairs Director
General Chikao Kawai held an emergency meeting with Assistant
Chief Cabinet Secretary Atsuo Saka on December 28 to confirm
the government's intention to reject any attempt by Kyuma to
reopen the May 1 agreement. Cabinet Counselor Akihiko
Nakajima said that the Cabinet Office fully shares MOFA and
JDA concerns over Kyuma's behavior, but speculated that it
may take a personal intervention by the Prime Minister to put
Kyuma back in his place. MOFA Security Treaty Division Junji
Shimada offered a similar assessment, noting that Kyuma
appears to believe he has been personally authorized by PM
Abe to implement the base realignment agreement as he sees
fit.
DONOVAN