Japan tightens land use rules near six U.S. military facilities

With national security in mind, the government on Monday added six U.S. military and other key facilities to its list of locations where the acquisition and use of land in nearby areas is subject to tighter regulations.

For the first time, U.S. military bases have been added to the list of sites, which now totals 399 under the land use regulation law enacted in 2021. The six sites, including two ammunition depots in Hiroshima Prefecture, are among 180 locations newly designated across 25 of the country’s 47 prefectures.

This marks the third time the government has regulated how land can be used within one kilometer of sites such as defense-related facilities and key infrastructure such as airports and power plants in addition to remote islands. The law was enacted after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party called for stricter regulations on the use of such land as well as foreign purchases of such land.

Some opposition parties have expressed concerns about the law, saying it could restrict citizens’ rights or the government could abuse it to regulate legitimate activities such as rallies around U.S. military bases.

The newly designated locations include the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido and the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture.

The law empowers authorities to scrutinize the ownership of land near designated facilities and regulate activities there to prevent interference with facility operations such as radio jamming.

Any violation of the government order is subject to imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to ¥2 million ($13,800).

The government is already planning to add a further 184 sites in 28 prefectures for final approval by a panel of experts.