US returns Negishi base land to Japan under 2004 agreement

The United States military on Tuesday, June 30, returned the 43-hectare Negishi residential site in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, to Japan, in line with a bilateral agreement signed in 2004.

Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka welcomed the development, saying, "We are very glad that our long-held desire was realised," during a meeting with Yukihiro Sukisaki, director-general of the Defence Ministry’s South Kanto Defence Bureau, who formally reported the site’s return. Yamanaka also urged the ministry to ensure the early return of the remaining land covered by the agreement.

Under the 2004 accord, Tokyo and Washington agreed that the U.S. military would return facilities in Kanagawa Prefecture covering a total of 419 hectares, including the Negishi site. In exchange, Japan committed to constructing approximately 700 housing units in the Yokohama area within the U.S. military’s Ikego residential complex.

Prior to the handover of Negishi, Japan had already regained control of several other sites under the agreement, including the Koshiba petroleum, oil and lubricants depot, the Tomioka storage area, and the Fukaya and Kamiseya communication facilities. Together, these sites account for about 375 hectares.

With the return of the Negishi site, only a 1-hectare enclave within the Ikego residential area remains outstanding under the 2004 agreement.

By Tamilla Hasanova