March 5, 2011
The U.S. forces repeatedly conduct low-altitude flight training exercises over residential areas throughout Japan. Residents living in such areas are raising their voices in anger and urging the Japanese government to demand that the U.S. forces stop the low-flight exercises.
As well as local residents, relevant local governments also demand the cancellation of such U.S. flight exercises. In August 2010, a group of prefectural leaders of the Chugoku district, consisting of five prefectures located in western Japan, urged the national government to stop the U.S. forces from carrying out the low-altitude flight exercises. The Hiroshima governor late last year and the Gunma governor in February this year also made the same request.
The Democratic Party of Japan government under Prime Minister Kan Naoto does not respond to the requests made by local residents and local governments, following the same stance as the former Liberal Democratic-Komei government. It is obvious that the government’s attitude of being unwilling to stop the lawless U.S. flight exercises helps to increase the arrogance of the U.S. military.
Outlawed in US
U.S. military aircraft flying over residential areas across the country emit a tremendous amount of noise. Residents suffer from the noise and fear as U.S. military airplanes fly overhead. If PM Kan cares about people’s living conditions, he should make the utmost effort to relieve residents from the suffering and the fear. The Japanese government claims that it will sincerely respond to demands of local governments and their residents but it continues to allow the U.S. military to conduct the low-altitude flight exercises without restraint.
In the United States, U.S. military airplanes are prohibited from flying over residential areas in the first place. When a Japanese Communist Party representative at a House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee meeting on July 1, 2009 revealed this fact, Umemoto Kazuyoshi, the director-general of the North American Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, admitted it to be true.
If that is the case, the Japanese government should fulfill its responsibility to urge the U.S. military to follow U.S. law and stop conducting the low-altitude flight exercises in Japan.
The Japanese government and the U.S. forces have claimed that U.S. military aircraft maintain the minimum safe altitude (MSA). This argument, however, cannot justify the low-altitude flight activities as Diet discussions revealed.
The MSA, set by Japan’s aviation law, is 300m over populated areas and 150m over other areas. In response to Japanese Communist Party representative Inoue Satoshi, a Transport Ministry official stated at a House of Councilors Defense Committee meeting on April 8, 2010 that the MSA requirement applies to helicopters and other types of aircraft in order for them to make safe sightseeing flights. The official also said that the Aviation Law does not assume that jet aircraft fly at the MSA.
Fighter jets create incomparably greater noise than aircraft on sightseeing flights. Just because they maintain the SMA, their low-altitude flights cannot be permitted.
The Japanese government must regulate the low-altitude flight exercises of the U.S. forces which are conducted all throughout Japan without their flight routes being verified by the Japanese side.
The situation in Gunma Prefecture is particularly severe. The Defense Ministry received about 200 complaints in FY2009 and 500 complaints in FY2010 in regard to the U.S. military flight exercises conducted at any time of the day or night. The noise pollution, believed to affect nearly 800,000 people in Maebashi, Takasaki, and Shibukawa cities alone, can no longer be disregarded.
As well as local residents, relevant local governments also demand the cancellation of such U.S. flight exercises. In August 2010, a group of prefectural leaders of the Chugoku district, consisting of five prefectures located in western Japan, urged the national government to stop the U.S. forces from carrying out the low-altitude flight exercises. The Hiroshima governor late last year and the Gunma governor in February this year also made the same request.
The Democratic Party of Japan government under Prime Minister Kan Naoto does not respond to the requests made by local residents and local governments, following the same stance as the former Liberal Democratic-Komei government. It is obvious that the government’s attitude of being unwilling to stop the lawless U.S. flight exercises helps to increase the arrogance of the U.S. military.
Outlawed in US
U.S. military aircraft flying over residential areas across the country emit a tremendous amount of noise. Residents suffer from the noise and fear as U.S. military airplanes fly overhead. If PM Kan cares about people’s living conditions, he should make the utmost effort to relieve residents from the suffering and the fear. The Japanese government claims that it will sincerely respond to demands of local governments and their residents but it continues to allow the U.S. military to conduct the low-altitude flight exercises without restraint.
In the United States, U.S. military airplanes are prohibited from flying over residential areas in the first place. When a Japanese Communist Party representative at a House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee meeting on July 1, 2009 revealed this fact, Umemoto Kazuyoshi, the director-general of the North American Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, admitted it to be true.
If that is the case, the Japanese government should fulfill its responsibility to urge the U.S. military to follow U.S. law and stop conducting the low-altitude flight exercises in Japan.
The Japanese government and the U.S. forces have claimed that U.S. military aircraft maintain the minimum safe altitude (MSA). This argument, however, cannot justify the low-altitude flight activities as Diet discussions revealed.
The MSA, set by Japan’s aviation law, is 300m over populated areas and 150m over other areas. In response to Japanese Communist Party representative Inoue Satoshi, a Transport Ministry official stated at a House of Councilors Defense Committee meeting on April 8, 2010 that the MSA requirement applies to helicopters and other types of aircraft in order for them to make safe sightseeing flights. The official also said that the Aviation Law does not assume that jet aircraft fly at the MSA.
Fighter jets create incomparably greater noise than aircraft on sightseeing flights. Just because they maintain the SMA, their low-altitude flights cannot be permitted.
The Japanese government must regulate the low-altitude flight exercises of the U.S. forces which are conducted all throughout Japan without their flight routes being verified by the Japanese side.
The situation in Gunma Prefecture is particularly severe. The Defense Ministry received about 200 complaints in FY2009 and 500 complaints in FY2010 in regard to the U.S. military flight exercises conducted at any time of the day or night. The noise pollution, believed to affect nearly 800,000 people in Maebashi, Takasaki, and Shibukawa cities alone, can no longer be disregarded.
