Japan Press Weekly

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2008 November 5 - 11 [US FORCES]

Citizens’ organization urges defense bureau to return U.S. Naval facility site

A citizens’ organization demanding the return of the U.S. Naval Facility Kamiseya in Yokohama and discussing its alternative usage on November 6 visited the regional Defense Administration Bureau in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture to urge the complete and immediate return of the U.S. Naval Facility Kamiseya because all U.S. military residents have already left.

Japan and the United States in 2004 agreed that when the U.S. use of the Kamiseya naval facility terminated, the two countries should begin the procedure for returning it to Japan.

The communications facility at the Kamiseya facility as well as the residential area is presently not in use. Participants insisted that the Kamiseya facility no longer has a role in Japan.

A defense administration bureau official said, “The U.S. forces still carries out training exercises and uses a part of the Kamiseya facility as a storage facility.” He added, “The training exercise is a fire drill for protecting the facility”.

Citing the official website of the U.S. Navy that showed that U.S. forces call fire fighters all the way from the Atsugi Base to the Kamiseya facility in case of an airplane crash, participants stressed that the defense administration bureau should request the U.S. forces to return the Kamiseya facility immediately.