In his lecture on the Futenma base he said, "Such security circumstances surrounding Japan as the north Korean situation are raising the tension."

His remark is too hackneyed to explain the raison d'etre of U.S. military bases in Futenma and other areas of Japan for score of years.

Japan is keeping U.S. forces in its territory as the country deems it a shortcut to realizing its militarization.

It is evidenced by a big share of the cost Japan has taken every year for U.S. forces upkeep.

From 1978 onward, Japan has born the cost for water and electricity supply, heating and drills for the Japan-based U.S. forces in the name of "sympathy budget". Japan's share of the cost for keeping the U.S. military presence in Japan has snowballed, the figure in 1994 being 40 times that in the first period.

Japan's share has reached billions of U.S. dollars, or five times the total share of nine European countries, including Germany, Britain, Belgium, France and Spain.

The U.S. Defense Department has appreciated Japan's big donation as "an example to be followed by other allies".

The Japanese authorities have given no heed to tremendous damages of local people by the U.S. forces' extraterritorial practice, crimes and environmental degradation.

Japanese public sentiments regarding the U.S. military presence in Japan are getting worse with demand for the abolition of the U.S. installations growing stronger.

Backed by such public sentiments, the Democratic Party could defeat the Liberal Democratic Party in general election and came to power.

It is as good as going against public sentiments for the Japanese politicians to call for keeping the U.S. military presence in Japan.