Japan: Keeping Futenma on Okinawa

Tokyo has agreed to allow a U.S. Marine base to remain on Okinawa, despite a campaign pledge from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to move the base off the island as part of an effort to achieve a more independent foreign policy. While Japan's reliance on the United States as a security guarantor made this announcement practically inevitable, the issue has become symbolic of the DPJ's leadership abilities.