Japan Press Weekly

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2025 August 27 - September 2 [SDF]

JCP Chiba urges gov’t to cancel Japan-Australia joint military drills

The Japanese Communist Party Chiba Prefectural Committee and JCP local assemblypersons on August 25 made representations to the Defense Ministry, demanding that Defense Minister Nakatani Gen cancel a field training exercise scheduled to be held by the Ground Self-Defense Force with the Australian force at the GSDF Narashino Training Area (Funabashi and Yachiyo cities, Chiba Pref.).

The military drill in question is part of Orient Shield 25 major field training exercises to be conducted jointly by the GSDF along with the U.S. and Australian militaries mainly at a GSDF training field in Niigata Prefecture between September 16 and 24.

In the representations, a Defense Ministry official explained that at the Narashino training area, 30 GSDF members and 20 Aussie soldiers will carry out combat exercises which include a parachute jump from a helicopter.

The JCP group pointed out that the safety and security of residents living near the GSDF training facility could be threatened due to the excessive noise from military helicopters and other joint military drill-related issues which may arise. They urged the ministry to cease not only the war drills in Chiba but also the trilateral joint military drills.