Japan's alliance with the U.S. will only grow in importance amid the increasingly difficult security situation surrounding our country, thus I think it is necessary to keep the marines in Okinawa, a geographically strategic location from the standpoint of maintaining deterrence.

He was first elected to the assembly of Chiba Prefecture in 1987 at the age of 29. Noda graduated from Chiba Prefectural Funabashi Senior High School in 1975. Position on war responsibility

In October 2005 Noda criticized Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for his position on Japanese class A war criminals as "war criminals".

Yoshihiko Noda (野田 佳彦 Noda Yoshihiko? born 20 May 1957) is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 2011 to 2012. He was succeeded by Shinzō Abe as Prime Minister on 26 December 2012.