Japan agrees to pay US$9.33 billion for upkeep of US forces over five years to 2026

Japan has agreed with the United States to pay 1.06 trillion yen (US$9.33 billion) to share the upkeep of US forces stationed in Japan over five years from next April, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Tuesday.That amounts to 211 billion yen a year, up from 201.7 billion yen for the current year ending March 2022.About 54,000 US military personnel are stationed in Japan.“With the security environment surrounding Japan getting tougher, we have been negotiating (with the US) to support…