Okinawa protested to the central government Wednesday over the use of the U.S. Kadena Air Base for parachute drop training the previous night despite a bilateral agreement that such drills should be held on a remote island.
"We cannot help but feel strong resentment because the Kadena base has been continuously used for (parachute) training," Deputy Okinawa Gov. Kiichiro Jahana said in a meeting with Japanese foreign and defense ministry officials at the prefectural government building.
"There has been growing mistrust among people in Okinawa," Jahana said.
U.S. forces conducted a parachute drop at the Kadena base on Okinawa's main island Tuesday night, the fourth such exercise this year, despite a 1996 bilateral agreement with Japan that stipulates such training be carried out on Ie Island in the prefecture.
More than 20 U.S. servicemen parachuted down to the Kadena base by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, the Okinawa prefectural government said. Earlier at around 1:45 p.m., two Marines landed in a field about 100 meters away from the designated airport facility in the village of Ie.
Before the deputy governor lodged the protest, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters the parachute drop at Kadena was "a clear violation of the accord" and that the prefectural government has repeatedly called for a halt of such exercises at the base.
Toshinori Tanaka, who heads the Defense Ministry's Okinawa bureau, said the latest incident is problematic and will be discussed with the U.S. side.
"We believe the U.S. explanation given so far is neither sufficient nor appropriate," Tanaka said.
(File photo of parachute drop training at Kadena in September 2017)
Hiroshi Kawamura, the Foreign Ministry's official in charge of Okinawan affairs, said it is "regrettable that the drill was conducted without a shared understanding between Japan and the United States."
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the use of the Kadena base should be limited to exceptional cases and that the Defense Ministry had already conveyed such a view to the U.S. military.
Okinawa hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan and many residents are opposed to the heavy presence due to concerns about base-related accidents and crime.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military in Japan defended the nighttime parachute training at Kadena due to poor weather conditions around Ie Island.
"While the primary drop zone is located at Ie Jima air field, bilateral agreements allow for the use of Kadena as an alternate location in exceptional cases, including poor weather," U.S. Forces Japan said in a statement released Wednesday.
The Okinawa government also urged the central government officials to prevent U.S. military parachute landings in areas away from the designated airport facility on Ie Island.
Related coverage:
U.S. Marines parachute into undesignated area during training
Important documents in postwar Japan court cases disposed of
Okinawa-based U.S. Marines may start moving to Guam in Oct. 2024
