To: U.S. Congress, the Department of Defense, and the Biden Administration

We, the undersigned, call for an immediate halt to the Pentagon’s plans to upgrade U.S. Forces Japan into a joint warfighting headquarters. This expansion is not a step toward peace—it is a dangerous escalation that threatens regional stability, undermines diplomacy, and diverts precious resources away from human needs.

The move to transform U.S. Forces Japan into a “warfighting” command not only deepens military entanglement in the Indo-Pacific, but places local communities at increased risk of being caught in the crossfire of great-power conflict. The people of Okinawa and other Japanese regions have long endured the environmental, social, and economic burdens of hosting U.S. military bases. This upgrade would only intensify those harms.

Moreover, expanding the U.S. military footprint in Japan escalates tensions with China, increases the likelihood of conflict in the Taiwan Strait, and signals a commitment to force over diplomacy at a time when global cooperation is urgently needed to address climate change, pandemics, and economic inequality.We believe peace is not achieved through militarization. Real security comes from investment in diplomacy, education, healthcare, climate resilience, and community well-being—not an arms race in East Asia.

We demand:

• An immediate pause on the reorganization of U.S. Forces Japan into a joint force headquarters
• Congressional hearings to assess the full costs—financial, human, and environmental—of the military upgrade
• A redirection of funds from military expansion toward diplomacy, community investment, and peacebuilding programs
• Accountability to both American and Japanese citizens whose voices have been excluded from this decision

The future of our planet cannot be built on warfighting. It’s time to choose peace.

Add your name. Stand for diplomacy. Stop the militarization of Japan.