Japan Press Weekly

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2024 November 20 - 26 [US FORCES]

Civic group demands cancellation of USMC live-shell firing drills at GSDF training area in Miyagi

A Miyagi liaison council against Japan-U.S. joint military exercises on November 20 visited the Miyagi prefectural government office, accompanied by Japanese Communist Party Miyagi prefectural assemblymembers Amashita Miyuki and Kaneda Motoru, to demand that the U.S. Marine Corps live-shell firing drills scheduled to be held at the Ground Self-Defense Force Ojojihara training field be cancelled.

The planned exercises will take place from December 1 to December 10 at the GSDF training area (Shikama Town, Taiwa Town, and Ohira Village) in Miyagi Prefecture as part of the implementation of the live-firing practice plan using 155 mm Howitzer shells in Okinawa Prefecture.

The liaison council made a similar demand to the Defense Ministry Tohoku Defense Bureau as well.

Sato Haruji of the liaison council pointed out that it has been reported that lives are being taken every day in overseas conflicts and that war must never be waged. He stated, “Training for war should be cancelled.”

Sato stressed that if the drills are to be conducted, appropriate measures should be taken to minimize adverse effect on local residents, such as by reducing the number of days and hours of the drills and not conducting them on weekends and at night, adding, “At the very least, local residents should be informed of the details of the training schedule in advance.” He demanded that white phosphorus munitions not be used and that U.S. soldiers not be allowed to leave the training area.

Defense Bureau officials said in response, “We will make every effort to disclose the requested information.”

Past related article:
> Civic group in Miyagi urges prefectural and defense authorities to cancel Japan-France joint military drills [September 5, 2024]