Arrangements under way for Obama`s Japan visit Nov. 12-13

TOKYO, Oct. 7 Kyodo -
Japan and the United States are making arrangements for U.S. President Barack
Obama's visit to Japan on Nov. 12-13 for a meeting with Prime Minister Yukio
Hatoyama, sources close to Japan-U.S. relations said Wednesday.
Japan is likely to be the first country Obama will visit on his Asian tour that
will also take him to China and South Korea, as well as Singapore to attend the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit there on Nov. 14-15, they said.
Hatoyama and Obama are expected to discuss the realignment of U.S. forces in
Japan and Hatoyama's plan to withdraw Japan's maritime forces from a refueling
mission in the Indian Ocean in support of U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in
and around Afghanistan.
Hatoyama is currently trying to formulate a government policy on the plan to
relocate U.S. Marine Corps Futemma Air Station within Okinawa Prefecture and
alternative support measures for Afghanistan.
Hatoyama and Obama agreed last month in New York to realize a visit to Japan by
Obama sometime in November.
==Kyodo