Japan Press Weekly

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2017 May 17 - 23 [US FORCES]

Gov’t pays no attention to US military’s use of Japanese companies to transport munitions

The Japanese government has an irresponsible attitude in regard to preparedness for a major accident like an explosion during transportation of U.S. military munitions by Japanese commercial firms. This was revealed by the Defense Ministry’s response to local peace groups.

Kanagawa residents in the Japan Peace Committee together with Japanese Communist Party Dietmember Hatano Kimie on May 22 petitioned the Defense Ministry to provide information regarding Nippon Express Co., Ltd and its contract with the U.S. Forces Japan to transport containers holding munitions, explosive materials, and other military supplies.

Nippon Express in 2016 delivered a total of 12 containers filled with military munitions from U.S. Army Kamikawa Ammunition Depot in Hiroshima to U.S. Camp Zama in Kanagawa. The transport company used its trucks and Japan Railway’s freight service to carry those military goods which included hazardous and explosive materials.

In the petitioning, a Defense Ministry official said that the ministry has no detailed information about the contract that the U.S. military concluded with commercial firms. Furthermore, the official showed no intent to determine where and how the containers are stored, saying that such information is a matter of U.S. military operations.

Peace Committee member Suganuma Mikio said, “The Japanese government should look into how the U.S. military transports and stocks military supplies in Japan because this is a serious matter endangering Japanese people’s safety.”

Past related articles:
> US military in Japan intends to mobilize civilian transport companies for munitions deliveries [March 1, 2017]
> US military in Japan intends to mobilize Japanese firms for military operations [September 19, 2016]