Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga on Friday called on Tokyo to pressure Washington to stop conducting parachuting drills at Kadena Air Base because they apparently violate a 1996 Japan-U.S. accord.
The use of the U.S. Air Force base for the drills was supposed to be an "exception" under the agreement. But a series of training sessions conducted or planned at the base over the past few months suggest it is becoming the "norm" instead, and that is unacceptable, Onaga told Defense Minister Tomomi Inada during a meeting in Tokyo.
Onaga also protested the continuing use of an aircraft parking space at the Kadena base that was previously used by the U.S. Navy, even though its function was transferred to a new space at the base in January to address noise concerns expressed by residents near the original spot.