Ishiba’s goal of revising U.S. troops pact likely long-term project

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said that he “definitely” wants to make revisions to a key military pact with Washington “a reality,” but his push to change the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) governing the U.S. military presence in Japan is unlikely to happen any time soon, if at all.

Ishiba repeatedly referenced revising the SOFA during his successful campaign for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency, and has continued to face questions from inside the party and from reporters on the dearth of details about the proposal, as well its feasibility and necessity.

“As this is a matter that involves other parties, I am well aware of how difficult it is to actually work on revising the Status of Forces Agreement,” he said during a debate over the weekend with other party leaders. “However, we must not give up, so we will discuss within the party and with other parties how we can take steps to gradually move toward this goal. I am determined to make this happen.”