From the Archives

A former commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington will be returning to Yokosuka as commander of Naval Forces Japan and Navy Region Japan, the Defense Department announced Wednesday in Washington.

Japan’s ruling party is considering for the first time a missile counterstrike capability that could complement U.S. efforts to deter North Korea, despite opposition concerns over the proposal’s legality under Japan’s pacifist constitution.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit could leave Okinawa without sacrificing its value as a security provider in the Asia-Pacific, a Japanese think tank said following a study of alternatives to building a new runway opposed by the island’s governor.

President Barack Obama and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will discuss the case of a U.S. civilian suspected of murder on Okinawa prior to the G7 economic summit in Ise-shima, a Japan foreign ministry official said Tuesday.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy reiterated support for ongoing efforts to relocate a Marine base on Okinawa and advocated for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, during a press conference Thursday.

Three districts near the construction site of a contentious Marine runway in Okinawa will receive direct federal subsidies of a yet-to-be-determined amount in what may be a government bid to soften protests over the project.