All politics is local, except...

It seems that the Japanese government is keen to maintain the U.S. military presence in that country for its own security, but that local officials on Okinawa (which is home to 3/4s of the U.S. contingent) aren't so keen.

You have to feel for the Okinawans. It's unfortunate if they are unhappy with the presence of U.S. forces while both the Japanese and U.S. governments want to keep them there.

Why not talk about moving some of the bases to other parts of Japan, even if only in the long term?

It's also worth noting, though, that Okinawan buisness owners who serve the U.S. armed forces personnel would not be delighted to see a major redeployment. This is why I stick to the easy questions, like how best to organize schools.