U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement

U.S.–Japan Status of Forces Agreement (official name: Agreement under Article VI of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States of America, Regarding Facilities and Areas and the Status of United States Armed Forces in Japan) is an agreement between Japan and the U.S. approved and enacted in 1960 as stipulated in article VI of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty

Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan

The was signed between the United States and Japan in Washington, D.C. on January 19, 1960. It strengthened Japan's ties to the West during the Cold War era...

, signed January 19, 1960 in Washington

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

. It is a status of forces agreement

Status of Forces Agreement

A status of forces agreement is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing forces in that country. SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security arrangement...

that concerns the treatment of United States Armed Forces stationed in Japan

United States Forces Japan

The refers to the various divisions of the United States Armed Forces that are stationed in Japan. Under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, the United States is obliged to defend Japan in close cooperation with the Japan Self-Defense Forces for...

.

The SOFA has become a major political issue following instances of violent crimes allegedly committed by servicemembers. The U.S. has argued that the extraterritoriality

Extraterritoriality

Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations. Extraterritoriality can also be applied to physical places, such as military bases of foreign countries, or offices of the United Nations...

granted its military members under the SOFA is necessary to afford them the same rights that exist under the U.S. criminal justice system. Because the SOFA exempts most U.S. military members from Japanese visa and passport laws, past incidents occurred in which U.S. military members were transferred back to the U.S. before facing charges in Japanese courts. Since the 1995 Okinawan rape incident

1995 Okinawan rape incident

The 1995 Okinawa rape incident refers to a rape that took place on September 4, 1995, when three U.S. servicemen, U.S. Navy Seaman Marcus Gill and U.S. Marines Rodrico Harp and Kendrick Ledet, all from Camp Hansen on Okinawa, rented a van and kidnapped a 12-year-old Japanese girl. They beat her,...

, the U.S. has agreed to favorably consider handing over suspects in serious cases such as rape and murder before they have been charged. But Japanese authorities often cite that they still do not have regular access to question or interrogate U.S. servicemembers, making it difficult for Japanese prosecutors to prepare cases for indictment.

See also