July 2, 2021

The Misawa City Committee of the Japanese Communist Party in Aomori Prefecture on July 1 requested that the Defense Ministry's local defense office lodge a protest to the U.S. Misawa Air Base commander in regard to low-altitude flights conducted on the previous day by U.S. Osprey aircraft right above a lake known for its longline fishery.

Two U.S. Osprey aircraft, without prior notification, carried out flight training on June 30 at ultralow altitudes over Ogawara Lake in Aomori's Tohoku Town. The aircraft repeatedly circled around at altitudes of several tens of meters over the lake, descended close to the lake surface, and hovered near the surface creating waves. The noisy propellers were heard for more than one hour in the surrounding areas of the lake.

A local fisherman angrily said, "The lake is our longline fishing ground."

The Defense Ministry announced that four Osprey aircraft of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station will conduct training drills from July 14 at the U.S. Misawa ground-strafing range. However, an official of the Defense Ministry's local defense office told JCP representatives that the office did not receive any information about the flight exercises over Ogawara Lake.

JCP Misawa City assemblymember Okumoto Naomi said to the official, "The U.S. military has been doing what it wants to do with no consideration for local residents. If the situation is left as it is, local residents cannot believe anything coming from the Japanese authorities. An immediate investigation and the prevention of a recurrence should be taken."