For Okinawa comedian Masamitsu Kohatsu, Aug. 13 is synonymous with the 9/11 terrorist attack in the United States.

Aug. 13, 2004, was the day a U.S. transport helicopter from the Futenma air station in the city of Ginowan crashed on the campus of Okinawa International University, injuring its crew.

Accidents like that, though rarely as serious, are viewed as an everyday threat for Okinawans like Kohatsu, but he was irate when he saw the coverage in the Tokyo-based newspapers. Their top stories included the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Athens and the resignation of the owner of the Yomiuri Giants.