Japan to ask US to move military bases

JAPAN plans to ask the United States to move some US marine bases from its southernmost prefecture of Okinawa to a location outside Japan, a Japanese newspaper said yesterday.

The report comes as Washington considers the details of its Global Defence Posture Review, under which it plans to cut the number of US troops deployed overseas by up to 70,000.

In return for the removal of the 2,600 marines, Japan would offer the US extra storage facilities for weapons, fuel and other military equipment, the daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported.