Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969-1976, Volume XIX, Part 2, Japan, 1969-1972

107. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon¹

Washington, December 17, 1971.

SUBJECT

• Status of Our Offer to Japanese Prime Minister Sato as Regards U.S. Bases and the VOA Transmitter on Okinawa under the Okinawan Reversion Treaty

You have asked for a report on the status of our offer to Japanese Prime Minister Sato as regards U.S. bases and the VOA transmitter on Okinawa under the Okinawan Reversion Treaty.²

During your conversation with former Prime Minister Kishi October 22,³ he asked that the U.S. assist the process of Diet ratification of the Treaty by indicating our willingness to return additional bases on Okinawa after reversion. You responded that we would negotiate anything reasonable, and said you would ask Secretary Connally to discuss the question during his Tokyo visit. (In your absence during a phone call, General Haig added that we could be flexible in consolidating real estate after reversion, noting that our problem could be worked out slowly over a period of time.)

The Japanese have not asked for reconsideration of the VOA transmitter’s status at this point. The Treaty provides for review of this question after two years, with removal to take place after five years if the Japanese insist. (The Japanese would compensate us for the relocation of the transmitter.)

During Secretary Connally’s Tokyo visit, Foreign Minister Fukuda defined Japan’s request vis-à-vis base consolidation as follows:

—That U.S. facilities in Okinawa be reduced soon after reversion by 10% in terms of acreage and numbers.

—That bilateral working-level discussions begin as soon as possible before reversion, given the considerable preparations needed for implementation.

—That the Japanese Government announce during the current Diet consideration of the Treaty that the above two considerations have been agreed to by the U.S.

Secretary Connally told Fukuda that our sympathetic consideration of additional base reductions was premised on the hope of further significant Japanese reduction of trade barriers, of which he said little was so far observable.

With the Treaty itself now having cleared the Lower House of the Diet, its ratification is virtually assured. The remaining problem is Diet approval of the implementing legislation, the most important of which to us is that concerning land acquisition for U.S. bases. Sato will probably use the fact of his January meeting with you to try to lever this through before the December 24 adjournment of the Diet, arguing to the Diet that with their approval of the complete reversion package in hand he will be able to ask you that reversion take place in April rather than July and that the U.S. move expeditiously on further consolidation of U.S. bases on Okinawa. If Sato does not succeed by December 24, he will probably ask you to be more forthcoming on additional base reduction after reversion in order to help secure passage of the legislation when the Diet reconvenes early next year.

In light of Sato’s intentions, I believe we should wait to see what the Diet does before adjourning and what position Sato takes with you at San Clemente, and then consider further action.⁴

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 537, Country Files, Far East, Japan, Vol. VI, October–31 December 1971. Secret. Sent for information. A notation on the memorandum indicates the President saw it. On December 4, Froebe sent a draft of this memorandum to Kissinger for him to sign and forward to the President. (Ibid.)
2. According to a November 29 memorandum from Haig to Holdridge, “The President asked after reading the Friday briefing item reporting the passage of the Okinawan Reversion Treaty by the Japanese Lower House for a report on the status of our offer to Prime Minister Sato concerning the treaty’s provisions on U.S. bases and the VOA transmitter. Would you please, on an expeditious basis, prepare a brief memorandum for the President answering his questions on this subject.” (Ibid.)
3. See Document 102.
4. Under this paragraph, the President wrote, “K Be generous.”