Japan delays decision on US bases

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WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (AFP): Japan's Ambassador to the United States, Ichiro Fujisaki, has told US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that his country needs more time to decide on the future of US military bases in Japan.
"I think the message that Japan... gave to us yesterday was this is just going to take a little more time," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley on Tuesday.
The future of US military bases located in Japan has become one of the most sensitive diplomatic issues in the US-Japanese relationship.
Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is currently reviewing agreements governing the bases and the status of some 47,000 US troops stationed in Japan.
At particular issue is the Futenma airbase on southern Okinawa island, which Hatoyama has suggested he intends to move to a new location on the sub-tropical island, or even outside Okinawa.