Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2012 October 17 - 23 [TOKYO]

Tokyo governor: lawsuit over excessive US base noise is just egoism of residents

Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro at a regular briefing on October 19 called residents living near a U.S. base wanting quiet evenings “egoists”.

The noise-plagued residents living in the vicinity of the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyo are planning to file another lawsuit seeking an injunction against the late night/early morning flights of the U.S. military aircraft at the base.

Commenting on this, Ishihara said, “That’s just egotism on their part. Their claim that they can’t sleep because of the noise is simply absurd,” adding, “What a nonsensical lawsuit!”

Noise pollution caused by U.S. military aircraft at the U.S. Yokota base, affecting Mizuho Town, Fussa, Musashimurayama, Hamura, Tachikawa, and Akishima cities, has continued even after the previous anti-noise lawsuit in 2007 ordering the government to pay about 3 billion yen in compensation to the plaintiffs.

The Akishima City government last year produced a document recording noise levels, showing that the noise level at a city-owned primary school just under the flight path of the U.S. military aircraft was equal to that of being measured in a moving train. Many citizens complain about the noise disrupting family conversations and being unable to watch TV in the evening.

Ono Yoshikazu who will head a plaintiffs’ group said, “The governor’s remarks have no regard for the residents’ sufferings from the noise. We just want a normal life with quiet evenings. So, I feel angry at his remarks giving approval to the present noisy conditions at night and calling us names.”