Japan passed a law Wednesday to fund the reorganization of U.S. forces in Japan and help move thousands of Marines from the country's south to the U.S. territory of Guam. Tokyo and Washington agreed last year on a plan to streamline American troops and give Japan greater responsibility for security in Asia. The deal also envisioned lightening the burden on local communities by downsizing U.S. bases and consolidating troops at other ones throughout the region. Japan has agreed to pay US$6 billion (¤4.46 billion) for the transfer of troops to Guam about 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) south of Tokyo in the Pacific, while Washington has said it will contribute US$4 billion (¤2.97 billion). The prefecture of Okinawa, a cramped southern island, hosts more than half of the 50,000 U.S. troops based in Japan. «The realignment of the U.S. troops in Japan will contribute to maintaining peace and security in Japan. The realignment is also extremely important to reducing the burden on residents near defense facilities,» the legislation said, according to a report of the Associated Press.