Latest news with #KazufumiKaneko
Asahi Shimbun
a day ago
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
4 in Okinawa unexploded bomb disposal unit hurt in explosion
A perimeter fence around the Kadena Ammunition Storage Area in Yomitan, Okinawa Prefecture, on June 9 (Kazufumi Kaneko) Four Self-Defense Force members were slightly injured in an explosion on June 9 while handling unexploded bombs at a storage facility on Okinawa's main island. The injuries were the first for members of the 101st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company of the Ground SDF's 15th Brigade, which deals with at least one request per day for removing unexploded ordnance left from World War II. The explosion occurred around 11:15 a.m. at a temporary depot for unexploded bombs inside the U.S. military's Kadena Ammunition Storage Area, which straddles Yomitan village, Okinawa city, Kadena town and other municipalities, a Defense Ministry official said. The four suffered minor injuries, including burns on their fingers, which were not considered life-threatening. At the time of the explosion, the unit members were scraping rust off unexploded bombs and engaged in other work at the depot, which is managed by the Okinawa prefectural government. The Kadena Ammunition Storage Area, which spans about 2,600 hectares, includes an SDF training area and munitions depot, as well as facilities used by the prefectural government, an electric power company and other parties. The 101st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, based in the prefectural capital of Naha, defuses unexploded bombs at the sites when necessary and brings them to the depot. Okinawa, Japan's southwestern island prefecture, was the site of a fierce ground battle against the United States in the closing months of the Pacific War. It is estimated that more than 1,800 tons of unexploded bombs still remain buried at the end of 2023. Okinawa accounted for about 52 percent of all unexploded bombs that were disposed of around the country in fiscal 2023. Unexploded ordnance detonations have continued to plague Okinawans. While Okinawa was under U.S. administration through 1971, 704 people were killed by explosions and other accidents. Four people, including a small child, were killed and 34 others were injured when an unexploded bomb detonated during sewerage work in Naha in 1973. Two elementary school pupils suffered burns from an explosion in the southern part of Okinawa's main island in 1975. In 2009, a construction worker was seriously injured in an accident in Itoman in the prefecture.
Asahi Shimbun
14-05-2025
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
U.S. military chopper drops flammable object in Okinawa
A UH-1 helicopter deployed by the U.S. military in Okinawa Prefecture (Taro Ono) NAHA--A U.S. military helicopter flying over northern Okinawa Prefecture accidentally dropped a bag containing a flammable item during a training exercise, creating a fire danger, according to the Defense Ministry. The incident occurred around 4 p.m. on May 13 when a UH-1 helicopter based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan inadvertently released the bag in mid-flight. There have been no reports of injuries or damage to residents or property. The item was described as an 'accessory gear bag' weighing approximately 18 kilograms and measuring about 90 centimeters in length and 30 cm in height. It is believed to have fallen near the border between the municipalities of Nago and Nakijin. The bag reportedly contained a signal flare canister and accessories for a life raft. Authorities have urged the public to avoid approaching the object if found and to report it immediately due to the potential fire hazard. The U.S. military in Okinawa told The Asahi Shimbun that no civilians were present in the area at the time of the incident. The accident adds to longstanding concerns in Okinawa over the safety risks associated with hosting 70 percent of all exclusively U.S. military facilities in Japan on the island. In 2017, a window from a U.S. military helicopter from the Futenma base accidentally fell onto a local school playground in mid-flight, narrowly missing dozens of students. (This article was written by Kazufumi Kaneko and Satsuki Tanahashi.)
Asahi Shimbun
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Okinawa police, U.S. military go on joint patrols to prevent crime
Okinawa prefectural police officers, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki and U.S. military staff members patrol Gate Street that runs from Kadena Air Base to the downtown area late in the evening on April 18. (Kazufumi Kaneko) OKINAWA, Okinawa Prefecture—Okinawa prefectural police and U.S. service members conducted a joint patrol here near the U.S. Kadena Air Base late on April 18 due to a recent series of sexual assaults involving U.S. military personnel in the prefecture. Prefectural police and city government officials have been patrolling the area following the incidents. However, this time the U.S. military joined in as well. The last time a joint patrol was held was in 1974, two years after the prefecture was returned to Japanese control. It has not yet been decided whether the joint patrols will continue. About 120 people, including police officers from the Okinawa Police Station, city government officials and U.S. soldiers, were divided into three groups. Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki and Brian Wolford, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations Pacific, joined as well. The groups patrolled the area around Gate Street, which runs from Kadena Air Base to the downtown area, for about four hours from 10 p.m. on April 18 to 2 a.m. on April 19. In a ceremony before they departed, Wolford said that this patrol represents a joint effort between Japan and the United States to build local communities where residents can feel more secure. The patrol is in response to a series of sexual assault cases that have come to light since June last year. Last year, four sexual assault incidents involving U.S. service members—the highest on record in the last decade—were identified by the prefectural police. In one of these cases the accused was not indicted. In response, the U.S. military stationed in Japan announced last July that they would conduct joint patrols with Japanese police as one of the countermeasures to prevent further instances of sexual assault by U.S. service members. Under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), when both Japanese and U.S. investigative authorities are present at the scene of a crime committed by an U.S. military member, the U.S. authorities will detain the suspect with the possibility that the Japanese police will have a limited right to investigate. Because of this, the prefectural police didn't immediately try to involve the U.S. military in joint patrols of the area. However, the joint patrol on April 18 was conducted as a crime prevention measure where participants walk around the main street. So, the prefectural police agreed that the U.S. military could join the patrol. On the day, no incidents were identified by the U.S. military. After the patrol, Tamaki told reporters that, 'Issues with the SOFA have not yet been sorted out. However, it is important for related authorities to cooperate like we did here.' A 67-year-old man who runs a restaurant near Gate Street said, 'Conducting patrols could lead to security, but if it ends up being just for show, similar incidents will occur again.' The city government said it wants to continue the joint patrols, but no specific schedule has been decided yet. The U.S. military has said it plans to hold a forum where U.S. military senior officials, prefectural officials and local residents can exchange opinions on the issue. However, this forum has not yet been scheduled.
