usf

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Hiroshima's five mayors urge government to foil U.S. Iwakuni base build-up plan

Five mayors of three cities and two towns in Hiroshima Prefecture have jointly made representations to the government demanding that it not accept the planned relocation of the U.S. Naval Facility Atsugi's units and night landing practices (NLPs) to U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni Air Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture, which is next to Hiroshima.

The mayors, including Yamaguchi Saburo (Hatsukaichi City), Nakagawa Hiroshi (Otake City), and Sone Kaoru (Edajima City) sent a letter on June 21 to the foreign minister and the Defense Agency director general via the Hiroshima Prefectural government. The letter warned that the U.S. Marine Corps base is close to Miyajima, one of Japan's "three most beautiful spots" designated as a World Heritage, saying, "Once operational capability of the base is enhanced, it will cause immeasurable damage to this region."

The U.S. forces in Japan plan to further reinforce the facilities at Iwakuni base by adding another runway by reclaiming about 213 hectares of sea off the present base site. They are planning to redeploy the U.S. Carrier Air Wing Five and NLPs from Kanagawa and mid-air refueling aircraft from the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa to Iwakuni.

In Yamaguchi Prefecture, assemblies of Yuu and Wagi towns adopted resolutions in opposition to the U.S. plan to relocate the aircraft and other units to Iwakuni. -Akahata, June 22, 2005