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U.N. chief Ban, Kitazawa meet in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon (L) and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa shake hands at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Aug. 9, 2011. Kitazawa suggested it would be difficult for Japan to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces to Southern Sudan for a U.N. peacekeeping mission for the time being, responding to a request by the U.N. chief.

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U.N. chief Ban, Kitazawa meet in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon (R) and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (L) meet at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Aug. 9, 2011. Kitazawa suggested it would be difficult for Japan to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces to Southern Sudan for a U.N. peacekeeping mission for the time being, responding to a request by the U.N. chief.

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Japan, U.S. to drop Futenma base relocation deadline

WASHINGTON, United States - (From L) Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hold a joint press conference in Washington on June 21, 2011. Japan and the United States agreed to drop the 2014 deadline for the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.

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Japan to proceed with Futenma relocation

NAHA, Japan - Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima (front R) meets Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (2nd from L) at the Okinawa prefectural hall in Naha on June 13, 2011. Kitazawa formally conveyed to Nakaima that Japan and the United States intend to go ahead with their plan to move the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station within Okinawa Prefecture.

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Japan, China, defense ministers

SINGAPORE, Singapore - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (1st from L) and Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie (1st from R) meet on the sidelines of the annual Asia Security Summit in Singapore on June 4, 2011.

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Japan, China, defense ministers

SINGAPORE, Singapore - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (L) and Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie shake hands ahead of their meeting on the sidelines of the annual Asia Security Summit in Singapore on June 4, 2011.

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Japan OKs U.S. to export missile interceptor

TOKYO, Japan - Combined undated file photos show Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (L) and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Kitazawa told Gates that Japan will allow the United States to export a jointly developed ballistic missile interceptor to third countries during their meeting on June 3, 2011, on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Singapore.

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Defense chief Kitazawa in Okinawa

NAHA, Japan - Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa listens to a question from a reporter after holding talks with Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima in Naha, the capital of the island prefecture on May 7, 2011. During the meeting with the governor, Kitazawa expressed hope that a deal will be struck on new steps to reduce noise from U.S. bases in Okinawa during upcoming high-level talks between Japan and the United States.

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Defense Minister Kitazawa in interview

TOKYO, Japan - Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa speaks during an interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo on April 21, 2011. Kitazawa said the biggest-ever mobilization of around 100,000 Self-Defense Forces personnel for relief efforts in tsunami-hit areas will be maintained for the time being.

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Japanese defense chief thanks U.S. military

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa arrives on the U.S. carrier Ronald Reagan on April 4, 2011. Kitazawa visited the carrier to express his gratitude to members of the U.S. military for their involvement in search and relief efforts in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. (Pool photo)

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Japanese defense chief thanks U.S. military

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (3rd from R) and U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos (2nd from R) listen to a U.S. military official's explanation regarding search and relief efforts in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, aboard the U.S. carrier Ronald Reagan on April 4, 2011. (Pool photo)

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Japanese defense chief thanks U.S. military

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa shakes hands with a U.S. military serviceman as he receives a banner with messages of encouragement from family members of U.S. military personnel, aboard the U.S. carrier Ronald Reagan on April 4, 2011. The defense chief visited the carrier to express his gratitude to members of the U.S. military for their involvement in search and relief efforts in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. (Pool photo)

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Japanese defense chief thanks U.S. military

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa relays Prime Minister Naoto Kan's message, ''All of the disaster-struck people and Japanese people were touched by the hard work exhibited by U.S. troops in rescue efforts,'' to around 2,000 U.S. personnel in the hanger of the U.S. carrier Ronald Reagan on April 4, 2011. (Pool photo)

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Kitazawa in quake-hit Fukushima

FUKUSHIMA, Japan - Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa speaks at a press conference in the quake-hit city of Fukushima, northeastern Japan, on March 24, 2011, after meeting with Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato the same day. Kitazawa also encouraged Self-Defense Forces personnel who are working to contain the crisis at a nuclear power plant crippled by the March 11 catastrophic earthquake and tsunami.

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SDF choppers drop water at Fukushima nuke plant

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on March 17, 2011. Kitazawa said he had given the go-ahead for Self-Defense Forces helicopters to drop water on the troubled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on March 17, 2011.

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Okinawa wants U.S. base out

NAHA, Japan - Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima (R) hands a set of written requests regarding U.S. military bases in his prefecture to Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa in the prefectural office on Jan. 20, 2011. Nakaima called on the central government again to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station out of Okinawa.

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Cabinet reshuffle in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa speaks in a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 14, 2011, after a Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Naoto Kan on the same day. Kitazawa who remained in his post indicated he will visit Okinawa soon to discuss the relocation plan of a key U.S. Marine base in the prefecture.

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U.S. defense chief in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (L) and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates attend a joint press conference in Tokyo on Jan. 13, 2011. They agreed in a meeting the same day to pursue talks on possibly providing a jointly developed sea-based missile shield system to other countries and reaffirmed cooperation on regional issues such as tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

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U.S. defense chief in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (2nd from L) and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates (R) head to their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Jan. 13, 2011, over bilateral defense issues and tensions on the Korean Peninsula. (Pool photo by Kyodo News)

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U.S. Defense Secretary Gates arrives in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrives at Haneda international airport in Tokyo on Jan. 12, 2011, after wrapping up his trip to China. Gates is scheduled to meet Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa to possibly discuss the growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the issue of relocating a key U.S. Marine base in Okinawa Prefecture (Pool photo by Kyodo News)

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U.S. Defense Secretary Gates arrives in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrives at Haneda international airport in Tokyo on Jan. 12, 2011, after wrapping up his trip to China. Gates is scheduled to meet Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa to possibly discuss the growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the issue of relocating a key U.S. Marine base in Okinawa Prefecture (Pool photo by Kyodo News)

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Japanese Defense Minister Kitazawa in S. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung Hwan (R) and Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa meet in Seoul on Jan. 11, 2011. Kitazawa expressed his eagerness to boost defense cooperation between the countries, while Kim appeared cautious about rushing the process, given South Korean sensitivity about Japan's past colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

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Japanese Defense Minister Kitazawa in S. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung Hwan (R) and Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa shake hands in Seoul on Jan. 11, 2011, prior to their meeting. Kitazawa expressed his eagerness to boost defense cooperation between the countries, while Kim appeared cautious about rushing the process, given South Korean sensitivity about Japan's past colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

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Japan minister in Panmunjom

SEOUL, South Korea - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (C) visits the truce village of Panmunjom between South and North Korea on Jan. 11, 2011.

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Japan minister in Panmunjom

SEOUL, South Korea - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (2nd from L) visits a building of the Military Armistice Commission in the truce village of Panmunjom between South and North Korea on Jan. 11, 2011.

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Japan minister in Panmunjom

SEOUL, South Korea - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (front L) visits the truce village of Panmunjom between South and North Korea on Jan. 11, 2011.

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Japan, S. Korea defense ministers' meeting

SEOUL, South Korea - People protest against Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa's visit to South Korea in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Jan. 10, 2011. Kitazawa and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan Jin agreed in a meeting the same day to begin discussions toward signing pacts to boost cooperation between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the South Korean military.

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Japan, S. Korea defense ministers' meeting

SEOUL, South Korea - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (R) and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan Jin meet in Seoul on Jan. 10, 2011.

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Japan defense minister meets U.S. joint chiefs of staff

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (R) welcomes U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Dec. 9, 2010.

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PM Kan speaks to reporters

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan speaks to reporters at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Nov. 23, 2010. Kan said he instructed Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa to gather information and brace for contingencies, referring to North Korea's attack on South Korean waters and a populated island near the tense western sea border the same day.

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Japan, U.S. affirm cooperation on disputed Senkaku Islands

HANOI, Vietnam - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (L) and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates (R) meet in Hanoi on Oct. 11, 2010. They agreed their countries will jointly respond in line with a bilateral security pact toward stability in areas in the East China Sea covering the Senkaku Islands that came into the spotlight in disputes between Japan and China.

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Japan, China defense chiefs affirm importance of avoiding conflicts

HANOI, Vietnam - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (L) and Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie shake hands as they meet in Hanoi on Oct. 11, 2010. They reaffirmed the importance of establishing early a bilateral liaison mechanism to prevent conflicts at sea, keeping in mind the disputed Senkaku Islands, and agreed on promoting strategic mutually beneficial relations.

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Japan eyes new SDF deployment near disputed waters

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Oct. 5, 2010. Kitazawa said the Defense Ministry has been studying a new Self-Defense Forces' deployment covering Japan's southwestern islands in view of China's stepped-up naval activities there near disputed waters.

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Defense Minister Kitazawa at press conference

TOKYO, Japan - Japan's Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa speaks at a press conference at the premier's office in Tokyo on Sept. 17, 2010, after retaining his post in a major Cabinet reshuffle conducted following Prime Minister Naoto Kan's reelection as head of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan. Kitazawa vowed to tackle the issue of the relocation of a U.S. military base in Okinawa Prefecture in cooperation with local people.

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Kan receives salute

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Naoto Kan (3rd from L), accompanied by Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (2nd from L), received the salute of a guard of honor at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sept. 8, 2010. (Pool photo)

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Japan to send chopper unit to flood-hit Pakistan

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (R, standing) addresses a meeting with defense bureaucrats and Self-Defense Force leaders at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Aug. 20, 2010. Kitazawa ordered the Ground Self-Defense Force the same day to dispatch a helicopter unit to flood-hit Pakistan.

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U.N. chief Ban meets with Defense Minister Kitazawa

TOKYO, Japan - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon (L) and Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa shake hands at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo on Aug. 4, 2010. During their meeting, Ban requested Japan to dispatch helicopters in future U.N. peacekeeping missions.

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Defense Minister Kitazawa secures reelection

NAGANO, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa celebrates after securing his seat in the House of Councillors in Nagano on July 11, 2010.

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Defense Minister Kitazawa

TOKYO, Japan - Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa speaks at a press conference after he was retained in the post at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on June 9, 2010.

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Kitazawa reappointed as defense minister

TOKYO, Japan - Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on June 8, 2010, after being reappointed to his post by Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

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Japan, S. Korea, U.S. reaffirm cooperation

SINGAPORE, Singapore - (From R to L) Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae Young join hands prior to their meeting in Singapore on June 5, 2010. The defense chiefs reaffirmed that the three countries will boost their cooperation in dealing with North Korea's alleged sinking of a South Korean warship.

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Japan, S. Korea, U.S. reaffirm cooperation

SINGAPORE, Singapore - (From R to L) Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae Young pose for a photo prior to their meeting in Singapore on June 5, 2010. The defense chiefs reaffirmed that the three countries will boost their cooperation in dealing with North Korea's alleged sinking of a South Korean warship.

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Defense Minister Kitazawa at Arlington National Cemetery

WASHINGTON, United States - Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa (2nd from R) offers a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington on May 25, 2010.

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Kan to reappoint Kitazawa as defense chief

TOKYO, Japan - This file photo taken May 24, 2010, shows Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa entering the prime minister's office in Tokyo. Kitazawa has been picked to stay on as defense chief in the Cabinet of Prime Minister-elect Naoto Kan.

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Japan says N. Korea's involvement in ship sinking unforgivable

TOKYO, Japan - Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on May 20, 2010, to attend a meeting of Cabinet ministers responsible for Japan's security to discuss what steps should be taken against Pyongyang after Seoul officially blamed North Korea for the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship in March that killed 46 sailors.

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U.S. envoy Roos talks with Defense Minister Kitazawa

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos (R) leaves the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on May 18, 2010, after a meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa to discuss the issue of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.

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Gov't gives up on solving Futemma issue by May 31

TOKYO, Japan - Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on May 11, 2010, to attend a Cabinet meeting. Later, Kitazawa effectively admitted that the government has given up on meeting the May 31 deadline set by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama for settling the relocation of a U.S. Marine base in Okinawa Prefecture.

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Hatoyama gives up on settling Futemma issue by May 31: sources

TOKYO, Japan - Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on May 10, 2010, for a meeting with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Seiji Maehara, state minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories, to discuss the issue of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.

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Hatoyama gives up on settling Futemma issue by May 31: sources

TOKYO, Japan - Seiji Maehara, state minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories, arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on May 10, 2010, for a meeting with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa to discuss the issue of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.

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Hatoyama gives up on settling Futemma issue by May 31: sources

TOKYO, Japan - Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on May 10, 2010, for a meeting with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and Seiji Maehara, state minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories, to discuss the issue of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.