Japan Press Weekly

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2013 May 15 - 21 [US FORCES]

Tokyoites hold 50th monthly sit-in protest against US base

Local residents on May 19 staged their 50th sit-in demanding the removal of the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyo.

The base stretches over six municipalities in Tokyo’s western outskirts. The U.S. forces have enhanced its functions at the base and increased military training exercises there since the Japanese and American governments agreed on the realignment of the U.S. forces in Japan in 2005.

People living near the base formed a local association in August 2008 to call for the removal of the base. Aiming at having more people think about the continued existence of the base, group members have held monthly sit-ins at a park opposite the base since April 2009, on the third Sunday of every month.

Akamatsu Fumiyo, a 68-year-old woman participating in the protest on May 19, said, “The engine exhaust emitted by U.S. aircraft when they take off and land has damaged the environment, to say nothing of the noise pollution and the danger of accidents.” In those areas, due to the noise of U.S. aircraft lasting into the night, residents often cannot have conversations, hear the TV, and enjoy family time together.

The U.S. forces held a fourth meeting at the base this April with the aim of preventing in-flight collisions, with the attendance of Japanese private organizations consisting of pilots. The U.S. provided information regarding the contents of the meeting for the first time to the municipal governments surrounding the base. These materials indicate the airspace used during low-altitude flight training exercises by C-130 cargo planes, and reveal the fact that U.S. aircraft are flying over densely populated areas at a lower level than the legally established minimum safety altitude.

The civil group and local assembly members of the Japanese Communist Party have repeatedly called on the local governments to request the U.S. to disclose the information about its military exercises.

Takahashi Mieko, the acting representative of the association, said, “In Yokota base, a total of over 600 soldiers took part in parachute training exercises last year. Can Japan be regarded as a truly independent state while such dangerous exercises are being routinely carried out in its capital? I will continue working to build a U.S. base-free Japan where everybody can lead a peaceful life without the fear.”