Japan Press Weekly

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2013 June 5 - 11 [POLITICS]

Shii opposes Osaka’s proposal to allow use of civil airport for Osprey flight training

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on June 6 expressed his opposition to a proposal from the Osaka governor and Osaka City mayor to the prime minister to host U.S. Osprey training at Yao Airport in Osaka Prefecture, saying, “That is preposterous.”

Earlier that day, Osaka Mayor Hashimoto Toru (Japan Restoration Party co-leader) and Osaka Governor Matsui Ichiro (JRP secretary general) in a meeting with Prime Minister Abe Shinzo proposed inviting to Osaka’s Yao Airport part of the training exercises of MV22 Osprey aircraft currently deployed to the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station (Ginowan City in Okinawa).

Following the proposal from the JRP executives, Abe ordered the defense minister to study the feasibility of implementing their offer.

Citing that Hashimoto in the meeting also suggested moving the aircraft’s training exercises to the Self-Defense Forces’ facilities and civil airports in mainland Japan, Shii stressed, “Okinawan people’s demand is the total withdrawal of the aircraft from Japan, and certainly not to have their training exercises conducted in other parts of the country. Hashimoto’s suggestion totally goes against Okinawan demand.”

Shii pointed out that in the background behind the Osaka mayor’s proposal, there may be his desire to repair his image after his abusive remarks on the so-called “comfort women” issue, and criticized the mayor for playing politics with the Osprey flight training exercises.

Yao City Mayor Tanaka Seita on the same day again objected to the proposal made by the Osaka governor and Osaka City mayor.

Related past article:
> JCP Ichida criticizes Hashimoto’s offer to host Osprey training [June 4, 2013]