U.S. Aegis warship enters a Kyoto port amid citizens' protests

Japan Press Weekly

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

U.S. Aegis warship enters a Kyoto port amid citizens' protests

Amid citizens' protests, the USS aegis destroyer Curtis Wilber from its homeport, the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base in Kanagawa Prefecture, on September 14 entered a civil port in Kyoto Prefecture.

Peace activists, including labor and women's organizations, requested Kyoto Governor Yamada Keiji to express opposition to the port call of the Curtis Wilber which is equipped with nuclear capable Tomahawk missiles.

They also questioned his responsibility as the head of local government for managing all civil ports in the prefecture by asking, "Do you think it's okay to allow a warship which we don't know if it is carrying nuclear weapons or not to freely enter Kyoto's civil ports?"

Japanese Communist Party representative Maekubo Yoshiyuki, a Kyoto Prefectrural Assembly member, demanded that the prefectural government ask the U.S. forces if the aegis destroyer carries nuclear weapons.

- Akahata, September 15, 2009