Deal reached on costs Tokyo will bear to continue hosting US troops

TOKYO • The United States and Japan have reached an agreement on costs that Tokyo will bear to continue hosting tens of thousands of American troops, a bulwark against China and a key part of the Pentagon's Indo-Pacific strategy.

The accord, which covers the 2022-2026 period, will see Japan spending an average of 211 billion yen (S$2.5 billion) to host about 50,000 US troops and their families, a presence that has at times been contentious. The figure is roughly in line with expenses in recent years.

"Bilateral defence cooperation under Host Nation Support will contribute to the enhancement of readiness and resiliency of the alliance, including by improving the interoperability of US forces and the Self-Defence Forces of Japan," according to a statement on Tuesday from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Japan and the US reached a five-year deal in 2016 in which Tokyo bears costs for local staff, utilities and training relocation. In 2019, Japan was set to pay about 197 billion yen. The US does not publish costs of maintaining its bases in the country.

Some military experts have said it is probably cheaper for the US to keep its troops in Japan than to bring them home.

Japan's statement was confirmed by a US Department of State official on customary condition of anonymity. During the Trump administration, the US sought to increase payments for hosting US forces by as much as fivefold.

While then President Donald Trump largely focused his demands on South Korea, those negotiations were seen as potentially impacting any future US deal with Japan.

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