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On December 18, Prime Minister Naoto Kan kicked off his second day in Okinawa with a visit to the Japan Air Self Defense Forces’ Kadena Airbase, following the previous day’s inspection tour and discussions with Governor Nakaima. After receiving an explanation regarding the Nansei Islands, the island chain that includes Okinawa and the Senkakus, Kan boarded a JASDF helicopter and made an aerial inspection of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Kadena Airbase, Camp Schwab and Camp Hansen, while listening to an explanation from Ro Manabe, Director of the Ministry of Defense’s Okinawa Defense Bureau.
Kan then travelled to Ginowan City, where he visited Futenma air station. He was greeted by Lieutenant General Terry Robling, the commander of the US Marines stationed on Okinawa, and took an inspection tour of the base. After hearing an explanation about the base and the situation facing the Marines from the control tower, Kan received a report from Robling regarding the impact of noise from the base on the surrounding areas. Kan called on the US side to make further efforts to reduce noise levels.
Following the inspection tour, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukuyama, who had accompanied Kan to Okinawa, commented on the tour of Futenma. Fukuyama reported that Kan had expressed his appreciation to Robling for the contribution the US forces are making to the security of Japan and of Asia, and for taking the initiative in working to avoid incidents involving US military personnel and accidents in Okinawa, as well as urging him to implement a system that would prevent such incidents and accidents from reoccurring in future.
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