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Iwakuni residents work for success of Japan's first plebiscite on U.S. military realignment

Iwakuni City Mayor Ihara Katsusuke on March 5 announced that a referendum will be held on March 12 in which residents will answer yes or no to the question: Do you agree with relocating U.S. carrier-borne aircraft from U.S. Atsugi Base in Kanagawa prefecture to U.S. Iwakuni Base in Yamaguchi Prefecture?"

This is the first referendum to be held in Japan on the U.S. military realignment plan.

At a press conference, the mayor published a statement stressing that this is an important vote in choosing the city's future, and that democracy calls on the residents to express their opinion on the U.S. realignment plan.

Currently, 57 U.S. military aircraft are stationed at the Iwakuni base. The transfer plan will add another 57 aircraft and 1,600 men.

The referendum will be valid if more than 50 percent of the city's 85,000 eligible voters go to the polls.

On March 5, Iwakuni citizens carried out various actions to meet this requirement and for the transfer plan to be rejected.

Near Kintai Bridge, one of Iwakuni's sight-seeing spots, 1,500 people spelled out "3.12" in the human letters. Others paraded in cars or distributed handbills at the shopping district to call on citizens to vote.

Okawa Kiyoshi, a representative of the Association calling for Success of the Referendum, said at a rally held near Kintai Bridge, "The citizens of Iwakuni City have been adversely affected by the noise of military aircraft and by U.S. soldiers' crimes. The U.S. base doesn't help the city to prosper. Let's make a success of the referendum and force the transfer plan to be withdrawn."
- Akahata, March 6, 2006