The US and Japan on Monday finalised a deal to consolidate 50,000 American troops in Japan as part of a broader realignment of the US military presence in Asia.

Tokyo and Washington have been wrangling for months over the details of the plan that would reduce US troops in Japan by transferring 8,000 marines from Okinawa to Guam by 2014. Under the deal, the US will also relocate a controversial runway from Futenma to Nago. The deal was made possible after Tokyo recently reached agreement with Okinawan politicians to reduce local opposition to the move.