New association established in Tokyo to consider U.S. Yokota Air Base issue

Japan Press Weekly

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

New association established in Tokyo to consider U.S. Yokota Air Base issue

Residents of cities near the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyo’s western outskirts on April 12 established an “Association to Think about the Issue of the U.S. Yokota Base” to solve the noise pollution and other problems caused by the base.

They are also calling for opposition to the ongoing realignment of U.S. forces in Japan as well as the Japan-U.S. military realignment.

About 100 people, mostly from five nearby cities and one town, took part in the start-up meeting in Akishima City.

Enomoto Shin’ichi, former chief of the lawyers’ group for the U.S. Yokota Air Base noise pollution lawsuit, was elected as representative director.

Handa Shigeru of the daily Tokyo Shimbun, in his commemorative speech stated that the aim of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan is to enhance the efficiency of U.S. bases in Japan as a stepping-stone for wars abroad.

He said that the advocates of constitutional revision want the Japan Self-Defense Forces to wage wars outside of Japan together with U.S. forces.

One of the sponsors stated, “Citizens who have long been disturbed by noise pollution caused by U.S. military aircraft at the Yokota base are called upon to voice their opposition to the plan to permanently use the base to meet the needs of the ‘Japan-U.S. alliance’.”

As part of the USFJ realignment and consolidation, the Air SDF’s Air Defense Command (ADC) will relocate from Fuchu City in Tokyo to Yokota in FY 2010, to operate with the 5th Air Force Headquarters, leading to the strengthening of their “interoperability” in emergencies.

A bilateral, joint operations coordination center (BJOCC) is to be established at the base in accordance with the “United States-Japan Roadmap for Realignment Implementation,” the aim being to “include a collocated air and missile defense coordination function” in the functions of the BJOCC.

Also, a Detachment 1, 13th Air Force, assigned to command air operations in the whole Asia-Pacific region was deployed at Yokota AB.

- Akahata, April 13, 2008