tsuiki

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Residents oppose U.S. aircraft relocation

On December 4, about 800 residents of the Nakatsu school district in Yukuhashi City, Fukuoka Prefecture, held a rally to oppose a planned relocation of a U.S. aircraft unit to the Air Self-Defense Force Tsuiki Base in the prefecture.

Participants, including the elderly, young people, and children, braved the cold wind and rain to attend the rally with placards that read, "Don't bring in U.S. aircraft!" and "Block noise pollution!"

With the initiative of a group of chairs of residents associations, residents' organizations including women's groups and the elderly's groups jointly organized the rally opposing the relocation of U.S. aircraft exercises to the Tsuiki base and their use of the base in the event of emergencies in line with the Japan-U.S. "interim report" on U.S. military realignment in Japan.

Ikeda Tatsuo representing the group of chairs of residents' associations said, "Let us increase our struggle to prevent the U.S. forces from bringing in any aircraft."

Participating as a guest, Yukuhashi City Mayor Yatsunami Koichi expressed his determination to oppose the relocation plan.
- Akahata, December 5, 2005

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A residents' association has been established in western Hiroshima Prefecture in opposition to the relocation of an aircraft carrier-based aircraft unit from the U.S. Atsugi Naval Air Station in Kanagawa Prefecture to the U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni Air Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture, located in the west of Hiroshima.

On December 3, about 200 residents participated in the rally to celebrate the association's foundation in Hiroshima's Hatsukaichi City.

Hatsukaichi Mayor Yamashita Saburo, representing an association of heads of local municipalities opposing the relocation of "night landing practice" (touch-and-go exercises), stated, "We must oppose the relocation plan because it will threaten residents' safety and negatively affect Miyajima, a world heritage. Residents' cooperation is needed by local governments."
- Akahata, December 4, 2005