THE island of Tinian in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is getting some additional attention this week, with a major Japanese newspaper, the Yomiuri, reporting that Tokyo is willing to consider shouldering a big part of the cost of constructing U.S. Marine training facilities on the island.

The Department of Defense – actually the Navy – has leased about 70 percent of the atomic bomb island for more than 35 years, but hasn’t used it much. Recently, CNMI Gov. Benigno Fitial initiated some discussion with U.S. officials about the possibility of renegotiating the lease, which is for 50 years with a renewal option for another 50. The first tranche is up in about 15 years.

Thoughts of renegotiation might have been triggered by some delayed sellers’ remorse, but in fact the entire lease including the renewal period was paid for in advance by the U.S. government. The amount paid was about $33 million. Given the CNMI’s current financial woes, however, nobody can blame the governor for at least testing the renegotiation waters.

The agreement between Japan and the U.S. to move a substantial number of Marines from Okinawa to Guam, reached in 2006, raised the possibility of increased use of Tinian. The Marine Corps and the Navy are scheduled to conduct a big joint training exercise there next month, Operation Geiger Fury, which will involve about 200 Marines and construction on the old North Field to enable the Navy’s F-18 hornets to land and take off. Tokyo has reportedly agreed to pay for the entire cost of refurbishing North Field, with an eye toward utilizing the facility for joint training exercises more frequently.

Residents of Tinian are anticipating some increased economic benefit coming out of the exercise. And World War II history buffs are looking forward to some activity after nearly 70 years at what was once the largest military airfield in the world. Hundreds of B-29s were based there toward the end of the war, and of course the Enola Gay and Bok’s Car were loaded on Tinian with the nuclear bombs, which ended the war.

The irony of Japan participating in joint military exercises on Tinian, and paying for the reconstruction of North Field, is not lost on observers. But for the people of Tinian, and indeed for us on Guam – where we do not have the room for the kind of training the Marines need to undertake – the use of Tinian for some of that training is a good idea. The current military and self-defense requirements of Japan and the U.S. have replaced enmity with cooperation.