Japan Press Weekly

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2021 November 24 - 30 [US FORCES]

JCP Akamine protests against water bottle drop accident by US military aircraft in Okinawa

The Okinawa Prefectural Committee of the Japanese Communist Party and the JCP Okianwa Prefectural Assemblymembers' group on November 26 visited the Okinawa Defense Bureau to protest against an incident of the dropping of a stainless steel water bottle from a U.S. military aircraft, stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, onto a residential area in Okinawa's Ginowan City.

Akamine Seiken, JCP member of the Lower House and the JCP Okinawa Committee chair, earlier on the same day observed the site of the drop accident which occurred on November 23 and the U.S. Naha Military Port which three MV-22 Osprey aircraft flew to on November 19 without prior notice.

Pointing out that the U.S. military often explains that Osprey aircraft hardly use the Naha Port, Akamine in the Defense Bureau demanded an explanation about the fly-in of the three MV-22s and the unloading of the same type of aircraft several days later.

A Defense Bureau official in response could not give Akamine a clear response and said, "We will ask the U.S. side to provide necessary information and will inform the municipalities concerned of the information as soon as we obtain it."

Akamine also demanded that the unintended use of the Naha Port be prohibited, the port be unconditionally returned to Japan, and the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement be fundamentally revised.