抄録
PM Sato's Visit to the U.S. in November 1967 was one of the important phases in the process of the reversion of Okinawa to Japan. In the Joint Statement following the summit meeting, the two governments announced the agreement on keeping the status of the Ryukyu Islands under joint review, guided by the aim of reversion. Furthermore, the joint communiqué referred to Sato's hope that the agreement would be reached between the two governments “within a few years” on the date for the reversion of the Ryukyu Islands. As it turned out, the two governments agreed on the time of Okinawa reversion two years later.
This article analyzes the Japan-U.S. summit meeting in November 1967, with special focus on the process of completing the joint communiqué through negotiations. The negotiation process was characterized by its complexity. While Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs conducted negotiations with its U.S. counterparts, Sato sent his personal emissary to the White House to negotiate on setting the timetable for the reversion “within a few years.” This was because the MOFA had had a negative attitude toward Sato's plan. This article examines the development of Japanese “dual diplomacy” on the basis of documents from both countries.
