Japan Press Weekly

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2014 August 27 - September 2 [US FORCES]

US Ospreys conduct 1st training exercises in Tokyo

About 150 citizens, including peace activists and victims from the noise pollution of military aircraft, on August 31 held a protest rally against Osprey training exercises being carried out for the first time at the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyo.

In the rally held at a park near the Yokota base, Takahashi Mieko of a citizens’ group calling for the removal of the base said on behalf of organizers, “Osprey flights to and from their training exercises at the Yokota base affect Tokyo as a whole. We do not want to see Ospreys anywhere in Japan.”

Japanese Communist Party member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Ozaki Ayako also spoke at the rally, “I have taken up this issue in assembly sessions in opposition to Osprey flights in Tokyo. I will push the Tokyo governor to say something in this regard with the United States.”

The two MV-22 Ospreys flew to Tokyo from the U.S. Futenma base in Okinawa and took part in drills loading and transporting supplies as well as in flight training exercises.

Ospreys on July 19 and 21 stopped by the Yokota base for refueling purposes, but they flew to the base this time for the purpose of conducting training exercises which took place for the first time in Tokyo.

The U.S. Marine Corps often conducts its parachute training exercises at the Yokota base and increasingly uses this base as its training hub.

Past related article:
> Citizens protest against Osprey aircraft flying across Japan [July 16 and 20, 2014]