TOKYO: April 28 markedthe 72ndanniversary of the implementation of the San Francisco Treaty, also known as theTreaty of Peace with Japan, whichre-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers. Theoretically, it gave Japan back its independence, but many in Japan feel it made the country a vassal state of America.

A group of prominent Japanese, calling itself the “Expert Council for Aiming at Japan’s True Independence” (ECAJTI), has issued an open statement to the governments of Japan and the United States with the aim of revising relations between the two countries and “realizing a truly independent Japan.”

TheSan Francisco Treaty came into force on April28,1952, andended Japan’s role as an imperial poweras well asthe Allied post-war occupation of Japan.

The group’s statement is addressed to Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and US President Joe Biden andis titled“A New Kind of US-Japan Relationship.”It says the US and Japan are facing their greatest challenge ever from China and warns that the United States“may not be able to cope with China by itself. Thus, Japan must playa much bigger role in the Indo-Pacific region.To this end, Japan must become a truly independent nation.”

“Japan musthave the Three Sacred Emblems of Sovereign Rules of an independent country: ourown constitution, national defense forces, and an integrated national intelligenceagency backed by counterintelligence laws. Consequently, Japan must abolish ordrastically alter Article 9 of the Constitution and turnits‘Self-Defense Forces’intoNational Defense Forces.”

Article 9 forbids Japan resorting to war as a means of settling disputes, but the group warns,“In order to confront almost totalitarian autocracies such as China andRussia, free and democratic nations which believe in‘free and open international orderbased on the rule of law’must implementthe‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’(FOIP)initiative.”FOIP was first proposed byformerJapanese Prime Minister ABE Shinzoin2016and the group believes Japan should take the lead in the initiative.

To do this, the group wants a revision to Japan’s relationship with the US military, which has tens of thousands of personnel stationed in Japan.“The Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement(SOFA)putsJapan in the position as a non-independentnation because of its extreme lack of equality,”the letter says.The US has extensive control over Japanese airspace and controls vast areas of land for military use.

“Japan and the Japanese peoplecontinue to shoulder the vast burden of expansive US military bases on a daily basis,”the group’s statement said.“We propose a thorough revision of the Japan-US SOFA.”

The groups saysJapan will never have a major role informulatingIndo-Pacific strategyunder present arrangements and should have a strong say in decisions affectingJapanandits people“because US policy failures in this region will have devastating consequences on Japan.”

“The US and Japan have common values. However, the historical and cultural backgrounds ofthe two countries greatly differ. In this sense, the US and Japan are the mostunlikely pair of countries in the world. Itisvery important for bothcountriestorecognize each other’s difference of national character, and to beconsideratetothe other party’s point of view in negotiations.”

The Expert Council for Aiming Japan’s True Independence (ECAJTI)

Founding Members

Chairman KOBORI Keiichiro, Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo, Ph.D.

Vice Chairman TANAKA Hidemichi, Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University, Ph.D.

Vice Chairman YAMASHITA Eiji, Professor Emeritus, Osaka City University, Ph.D.

Expert TAMOGAMI Toshiro, Former Chief of Staff (Air General), Air SDF

Expert MATSUDA Manabu, Former Member of the House of Representatives

Expert YANO Yoshiaki, Ph.D., Retired General of Ground SDF

ExpertMembers

HIGUCHI Ryuichi, Professor Emeritus, Meiji Gakuin University, Ph.D.

INAMURA Kobo, Former Vice Chairman, Japan Post

INOUE Masayasu, Professor Emeritus, Osaka City University, Ph.D.

IRIE Takanori, Professor Emeritus, Meiji University

MOTEKI Hiromichi, Representative, Society for the Dissemination of Historical Facts

ORIMOTO Tatsunori, Chiba Prefectural Councillor

TANUMA Takashi, Chiba Prefectural Councillor, Former Member of the House ofRepresentatives

TSUBOUCHI Takahiko, Journalist

YAMADA Hiroshi, Member of the House of Councilors

YAMAGUCHI Noriyuki, Journalist, Former Washington D.C. Bureau Chief of TBS

YAMANAKA Sen, Founder, International Freedom Alliance (IFA)

WATANABE Toshio, Former Chancellor, Takushoku University, Ph.D.