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YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — The Army has relieved the commander of its largest base in Japan after an investigation into alleged misconduct, according to a U.S. Army Japan press statement sent late Friday. The investigation had been ongoing since June 7, when Col. Eric Tilley was suspended from his job as commander of U.S. Army Garrison Japan. Maj. Gen. James C. Boozer, Sr., commander of U.S. Army Japan and I Corps (Forward), officially relieved Tilley on Friday for “lack of confidence” based on the results of the inquiry, according to the press statement. The statement provided no other details....

Blast close to US base in JapanThere has been a small explosion near a United States' military base south of the Japanese capital, Tokyo, US officials have confirmed. The blast happened outside the Camp Zama army base around 40km (25 miles) south-west of Tokyo. Police found two pipes believed to have contained explosives close to the camp, Kyodo News agency reported. A Pentagon official said that there were no reports of injuries caused by the blast. "A small explosion was heard in the vicinity of the base," said Air Force Maj David Smith. "It did not occur on the base."...

Monitoring

TOKYO (AP) -- An explosion was heard near a U.S. Army base south of Tokyo late Monday and police suspected an attempted attack on the base, Kyodo News agency reported. The blast was in the area of the U.S. Army's Camp Zama, Kyodo said. The report did not say whether there were injuries or damage. Police found parts of "launch pad" near the base, Kyodo said, and investigators suspected a "guerrilla attack." No further details were immediately available

Escalating tension with China, violently illustrated by renewed anti-Japanese protests in Shanghai and other big cities at the weekend, is increasing pressure on Tokyo to expand its military capabilities and back a deepening strategic alliance with the US reaching from east Asia to the Gulf. Japan's pacifist postwar constitution restricts its armed forces to self-defence. About 50,000 US troops in Okinawa and other bases guarantee the country's security in return for a $5bn (£2.6bn) Japanese cash contribution. But defence analysts say the perceived Chinese threat, a more assertive, nationalistic Japanese mindset, and Washington's wish to use Japan as a command...

Published on TaipeiTimes http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2005/04/14/2003250381 Japan agrees to realignment of US' 1st Corps STAFF WRITER , WITH AP Thursday, Apr 14, 2005,Page 1 Advertising The Japanese government has agreed to allow the US Army's 1st Corps headquarters to move from its current location in Washington State to Camp Zama outside Tokyo, a report in the Japanese-language daily Asahi Shimbun said yesterday. Camp Zama is located in the cities of Zama and Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture. The restructuring of the US Army's 1st Corps headquarters is part of an adjustment to allow for better defense cooperation between the US and Japan in...