Iwakuni residents submit 110,000 signatures opposing construction of U.S. military housing units

Japan Press Weekly

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

Iwakuni residents submit 110,000 signatures opposing construction of U.S. military housing units

Residents of Iwakuni City in Yamaguchi Prefecture on April 7 submitted to Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu 110,000 signatures bearing the demand that the plan to construct off-base housing units for U.S. military personnel and their families be canceled.

Iwakuni citizens in December last year started the campaign to collect signatures to block the housing construction planned in preparation for the relocation of U.S. carrier-borne aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni Air Station from the U.S. Atsugi Naval Air Station in Kanagawa Prefecture.

The signatures were submitted during the 12th meeting of the conference of opposition party members of the Diet on U.S. base issues in Okinawa and other parts of Japan.

Fifteen representatives of Iwakuni residents met with 16 Dietmembers of the Japanese Communist, Democratic, Social Democratic parties as well as independents, and requested that they work to halt the construction of housing units for the U.S. forces.

They explained that about 50,000 out of 110,000 signatures were signed by Iwakuni residents, amounting to one-third of the 150,000 Iwakuni population.

JCP member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken and JCP member of the House of Councilors Nihi Sohei expressed their determination to make every effort to cancel the planned construction. The representatives of Iwakuni included JCP member of the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly Kume Keisuke and JCP member of the Iwakuni City Assembly Yamada Yasuyuki.

- Akahata, April 8, 2009