Jan 7 sato conversation okinawa

ln'" eEcE-E]]-ExnIs'

runary 7,

1972

MEMORANDUM FOR T}iE PRESIDENT S FII-E

rame. r. wi.liel (rnrei?reter), American Eftbassy Tokyo Meeti,s vilh Eisahu saro, Japanese Prime Mi,lster, .n Friday, Janar), ?, l9?2ar11,00a.m. arSan CLemente Prime Minister Eisaku sato Foreign Minister Takeo Ftrk

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Ambassad.r Nohrhit<o ushiba Ambassad.. Ge.icni Akaraai (l.rerpreter)

Dr. Hcnry A, r{issi.ger, Assistant

ro rhe Presidenr

for National Se.urity AJlairs Mr. Willian P. Rogers, secretary ol srare James.1. lili.teL, Ameri.an Embassy Totyo (Inre4reter)

Mini3ier Fukrda repolted urar Ie and sectetary Rogers had {orkcd on! all the j.int statement langlacc abort otinaqan rev daie vhich they lefi b1ank, ro be filled ir hy rle p]esidenr and $e I,rine Minister. secrerary R.gers ]rad proposed May 3t, Int had also tefr room lor lurther corsiderati.n.

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.l- P-.s a-nr as cd re6-r Do . , .. o . dhon oho .to b. c..e, oI .t d importance tle Prime Minister aria.ned to moving reversion np earliel The Prime Minister empnaricalty declared rhat an eaalier datc votr1d be a great politi.al plrs. The GoJ trd alvays hoped for reversion on Apit ewen urols! tnis is Arril FooLs, Dav, The President responded wryly rhar

ve dldn'r

wanr fo

The Prime Minisrer explajncd ihar Jane

lool our mititary.

2l marked ine end ot .ombar on orrinawa, ald rhcre vere srronc desires in borh Japan and ohinawa to cclebraie that anniwersaryudcr Japanese administtarion.

Tre Prcsideni felr rLar Ma,

â&#x201A;Źcâ&#x201A;ŹeE+l4r.D+9

rL wourd be a

a.od daie,

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tecnnical problems (slch as lrudget) *hich would arise 'o- ontv r - or. 'aqL day o May,

if

Japan

vere ro

tc D-es:dd s4io aar 'r :s h.. naiu-- -o be EFnFro.Iecled closery vith our secndiy officials io see i{ ii would be possible ro ofler a bener dare, Le proposed May 1t, it rLar vould hetp.

I

The Preside4r and ihe Prime Minisrer shoot rands on rhis deat.

Tle Foleiqn Mi.ister then repo ed on his eartier discnssions wftn se.retary Rogers about tne pos.ihility ol reru.ning a golf course and a

bea.h !o Japan, after reve!sion.

The Secretarv repLied thai rhe solf course would n.t he difficult, btrt tle beach used hy cnlisted men coula present a p.ohlem. okinavan rewersion itse1l represented a bis ste!, anil we had ro maLe cerrain to maiftain our military esbbrisnmenr in the i.teresr of ire security of lorh Japan ard rne un ed sraies. any attemp! n facilities vould pose a politi.aI pr.blem, and ne adwised rhe Foreign Minisi.r t. be as fortlcoming as ]1e colld abour his rea3ons lor .eqnesiinq su.h additionar adinstftenr.

Minisrer Enluda eiplaired rrar he did not intenil t. nahe a speciti. golf ..ur3e, or bea.h, or otler facility, noi did he visl ro annou.e any asreement by the u.ited states to disclss the rerura ot soDe facilities after reversion, bur would keep it in nis teart. such an asreemert, re reasoned, vonld strenguren rhe prime Minisrer in The Presidenr asrred vhcrhei rtis mea.r rhar the pr would be better able to ansver Dier qresrions abour trase lealisnmenr d alfirmatively.

rl- P-"s'.F' .h"r" ,por orn:Hed ihr 1!al de qould ..rur1 d EolI,o,rd- a4-c re...".on.

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Minister Fukuda a.lded that anr+}irg alona tlese tines he donc in a..o.dance with lhe 1969 Joint commlniquei tlar is, ihar secuity capabilities n.t be impaired, r]1e jopoltance or wnich r1e shessed.

secretarr Roeerg pointed out tlat Japan micht consiiler some alternaiiwe for the beach used by enlisted men dd again .auioned again3t renegotiaring rhe agrecme.t be.arse of t]1e commifinenrs siwen

i.

rhe

Minister Fuhuda plomised to bear tlis in mind, and did not belicve, in any case, that the return ol facilities ewen after reversion woula le that eaEy to accomplish.

Sl]!]q!l!sig!9! reqtresred Minisrer Flrauda ro giwe trih relort of his ilis.ussions with tne se.retary later.

The

a derailea

said that he vas ven avare rrar an posr alout ihe reversion rerum ol a gou course znd beacl wotrtd a.celeraie the thrust for rewersi.n; therefore ne intended to kee? tlljs

lli:rEtslElslsls

The Prime Minister {remi.di.g Minister Fn}uda ol ris polili.ar A-B-C's) said rlat an early amouhcemert would cain face Ior rhe oppo.tion.

Minister Fd<uda replied that this v.ulil not te disctosed stil later. rcspord that we lail discussed this, and tlat .ep.esentatives of the usc had indicared a willingness io be ieasonable in *orrri,s out somerhing in rhe inrerest ol borh connrries witlont impairing .ectrrity capabitties.

The Prime Minister again expressed his appreciation for the May 15 date, Tle earlier fie bener, but he asked Minisrer rukuila vherher would 6e lecessary to ex?lain why Japan wonld take rignts lor hau a month.

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Minister Furuda propo3ed to explain tLis on tle groud8 that both sides asreed tlat they could completa nreparations by this date.

The Elsgllgg! surported this reason, sayins trat se moved the date up to the earliest one tlat w.uld ?e.mit completjon ol tne !relaratro.s.

The Prime Ministe. asl<ed whether Mi.isiâ&#x201A;Źr Fukuda an.l Secretary Rosers lail discussed ure reassn.ances to be giwen on R-day on the iemoval or

Secretarv Roeers replicd that Ic had aBrccd to transmi! a letter to Minister Fukuda May 15 .onlirming t]1e absence ol al1 cBR veapons, along t]1e lines of the testimony belore the Senate.

Ministei Ftrruda suggested thar he also misht vis! to conlirm contintred c.opetatjon ny the united states

{it}

Japan 3 nuclear policy.

The !!iI]a!!4g!gj er.pressed appre.iation lor tlis assurance, and noted tlat he and the President had .tis.usscd cE vcapons carLicr.

Secteiarv Roqers said thatthete are no CB reapo.s present.

The Prime Minisrer explained rhar suspicion in Japan had deepeneil wnen .ertain .ode markings at ammuitio! .tepors were repai,rcd by t]1e u. s. forces after $e issue *as raised in rtre Dier.

Minister Ful<uda conmenied that Ame can .erwicemen gave considerable help to the opposition parlies ir srppofi of allegalions oI tle presence ol nuclear and cB weapons.

T]1e

Prime Minjster said that a.ti-qar sroups seemâ&#x201A;Źd to be ratner

tlere. Tne rrnjted States, he said, had lromised ro return Nala airport t. exclu.jwe Japanere co.trol by R day (for .ivi1 awiation and Aii ser{ Defense Force use) and to transler a1l the P-3 aii.raft elsewheie. li s.cmed tna! these P-3s migrt be rransfer.ed to lvakui Mcas (locared in Yamagucli Piecture, tle Prihe Minister's home diEtrict) or Misawa AB, vhich vould create the political problems he had reviewed lor secretary Roge!3. He reported that Ic laa made a request ol tne sc.rctary $at tlese P-l airc.aft by translerred to another base in Okinawa, .ot to s3s!:!4!LBggStS repued that we mnst consider this carclurly, rccanse vn e t}re airclaft tnemselves .ould be tran3lerred it is uLikely urat the at Naha AB yhich they reqlire co!1d ne rehuilt e1.e Alons these 1inâ&#x201A;Źs, Se.retarv Roqers arso nored tne discussions ot Japan purchase of rhe Norihrup F-5 hainer (vhictr wouLd mean much ro carifornia) and the clumman Asw aircrati.

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Minister Fukuda explained rhar Japan nas alieady j.wesred neavily in its om T-2 p.osram, ard having already !.oduced tvo oI these aiicratr vould le diJfi.trlt t. srop nov. The Astv air.rafi, tesajd, is , "-patat- -1.--_ w!.^r re r..d,d o r-"'ud), secretary Roqers cmphasized that the F-5 had mnch to recommend l lo$ cost, a'ailabiliiy now ro begin training pilors, and ine lac! tlal t. pnrc}asc rvould !el! ofl3et sohe or our om delense expendihrrâ&#x201A;Źs in

Ministcr Fukuda replied thar rtre Mi.isrry ot Finan.e believed rhar ure Ies. pnrchased tle berier, but jr is also concerned

prefeIsthc1caSteapensiwe.oxl3e.ont]reotleIh Ase.cy, whicn nas alleady built tvo T 2 aircratr, a means of iteveloping Japan,s lrogram, ewer &ougb mo own ihdePâ&#x201A;Źndent aircrait industry, Hovever, he asreed to sive more rhoueht

r.

uri3 probtem,

s.crciary

coJ prrrchasc some F 9,s as a rransitional measure, since p..ducrion of its oln T-2 votrld pr.bably .or meer rhe rirnc frame {o. r.ai.i.g F-,1pilots, Tne

snBgesred rhat lne

Tne Prime Mi.ister suggested a ileal: he w.r1d .onsider rle F 5 prlchase il rc United states would considcr noi m.ving ure P 3 s ro

Minister Fukuda noted tlte existi.g arrangcments f.r cop.oduction ol and t]1e po3sibility oI traininS F-.1 pitot! in rhe united siates. He feLt tlat it vould be bencr to reave discussions oI ilese aircraft to thc blsiness firms t]]ehselves. (Note, Trlis signal is c..sistent vith others, vli.r indicate rhar rhe coJ mighr procure ile F-5 il Nofthrup vorlrs .ur a ioilt wenrure witr a Japanese fjrm. ) otlerwise Ie did not beLieve nlis is a sulrje.t for tne poltical leaders to take up. He added tnar he would .eview tlis agai,, in rerms ot trie

joint press statement nad been asreed

on.

it had leen, and thereupon pr.ceeded to read all oI laragrapl 4 and the economi. !araeraph to tne Prime Minister

Minister Furuda then exlrajned rnar ure subsrance and the manrer of ihc R day assurances ot a nuctear tree orinawa would nor be made pnbli..

Tne Prime Minisrer arkcd vhether rhe united siares could .onsider an open-visit policy fo. respo.sible sel{ Delenee I'orce officcrs to help eliftinate any possible alleSati.ns abont nuclear weapons remaining in bases in ol<inawa. or .o!ree, he said, tnis vonld constitnre some$ing otler than a rormal 'inspectio.r !rocess.

Mi.isrer Fuluda eiplained rlat lhe opp.etio. recenuy charged in tte Diet t}at it had pnotograpns tacked by stateme.ts ty America. scrwicemen to p.ove tle presence oi mclear veapons at lvakuni MCAS. At that time, a eenior self Defense Foice officer, escorred by }is Ameri.d host, ton.ed the facility and Bas tIN enzbled to relorr rhar le foud no enden.e vhatsoewer of nuclea. weapons in tle lacil rhis basis fie Prime Minister Fas able ro respond w these .ia.ges in ihe Diet. This Lind or messy loLiti.al prolrlem arose lrom time to tiae, and it wouL.t be mosi helpld in reruting tutute cnargeg ir after rewersion Scll Defcnsc For.e oflicers could say they hawe wisiLed ure bases a.d found no ru.1ea. weapons.

secretary Rosers said fie American3 in quesiion ar

principle, wc could not accepl inspection, but in terms ol Eecting nodus viye.di Ie said tna! le lyould .onruLt tle DOD.

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Tle Prime Minister said that re.ently some etolen .hipping invoiccs lor poison cas, tlimed doM f.r tiaini.g purposes, Iad heen presented in rhe Dier as proof of r]1e presence ol cB vealons in Japan. He }ad glâ&#x201A;Źat diflicnlty in svering urse allesations, vhich werâ&#x201A;Ź lollosed immediately

by othei crarger that the United States rorces riept Ehee! ar one basc as a salety measrle, since erryone knew sleep vere the first to itie ol leaking gas, and t]1rs serEd as a va ing devi.e. Tnis tulned oui to nawe no basis in lact whatsoerer, nnt it irdicated the kind of tlotrble te rras bee.

The Presidenr slgsested that rhis larry j.in tne orher cabinei Ministers in a nealby rooh lor a brief re'iew or rtejr discussions.