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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Unannounced SDF drill scares crew of a fishing boat on Japan Sea

Japan's Self-Defense Forces conducted a drill that scared the crew of a fishing boat on the Sea of Japan off Hyogo Prefecture on July 25. On the next day, the Japanese Communist Party's local district committee sent Defense Agency Director General Nukaga Fukushiro a telegraph demanding an apology and preventive measures.

The Hyogo Prefectural Government also lodged a protest with the agency and the Fisheries Agency against the unannounced drill, complaining that it could have had "fatal consequences."

According to the prefecture and a local fisheries cooperative, crewmembers of the fishing boat operating on the sea 130 km off the mainland coast saw five plumes rising from the water soon after military aircraft circled at low altitude. Fearing that these might be bombs, they immediately left the area.

The Defense Agency explained that it was a missile-detecting test conducted jointly by the Air SDF and Maritime SDF, and that they did not actually launch missiles.

JCP Hyogo Prefectural Assembly member Tsutsui Motoji said, "Because the fishermen felt so much fear that they could no longer operate, the government first of all should provide sufficient explanation about this."
- Akahata, July 27, 2006