Kagoshima Gov. Yuichiro Ito plans to express his opposition to a plan to conduct U.S. carrier-based aircraft landing drills on Mage Island to Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa next week, a prefectural source said Thursday.
Ito will submit written opposition to the ministry's plan to relocate takeoff and landing drills for U.S. aircraft to the island when he meets with Ichikawa on Monday at the Defense Ministry. Masuo Kaneko, head of the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly, will also attend the meeting.
The request points out that an overwhelming majority of residents in Iriomote, the city that administers Mage Island, and in three surrounding towns are fiercely resistant to the plan to move the drills to Mage due to concerns over noise, the source said.
About 24,700 local residents have signed a petition opposing the relocation of carrier landing practice to Mage from Iwojima, now known as Iwoto Island.