Tokyo ? The Japanese and U.S. governments have agreed in principle to relocate the headquarters of the U.S. Marine Corps’ III Marine Expeditionary Force – now located at Camp Courtney in Okinawa Prefecture – to Guam and to cut the number of Marines in the prefecture by several thousand as part of measures to reduce the burden of U.S. forces in the prefecture, sources said.

The two governments also are considering moving some exercises conducted by F-15 fighters based at Kadena Air Base to Air Self-Defense Force bases outside the prefecture.

The two governments are considering including other measures aimed at reducing the burden imposed on local people in their interim report on the realignment of the U.S. forces stationed in Japan.

According to the sources, the III MEF command will be relocated on the condition that Japan shoulders the costs of constructing housing and other facilities for the command in Guam.

Offices and houses for the command and more than 4,000 Marines and other people concerned are stationed at Camp Courtney in Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture.

According to the sources, the two sides are discussing a reduction of the number of Marines stationed in Okinawa from their current strength of about 18,000 by between 3,000 and 5,000.