Tokyo lodged a protest with Washington on Tuesday over two forced landings by American military helicopters in the past few days in Okinawa Prefecture, while U.S. defense chief Jim Mattis apologized to his Japanese counterpart over the incidents.
"Frequent accidents amplify locals' anxiety," Foreign Minister Taro Kono was quoted as telling U.S. Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty during a telephone conversation, according to Japanese government officials.
Kono told Hagerty that the central government has "a serious concern" about the frequency of such accidents and incidents and called on the United States to take "fundamental measures" to prevent future occurrences.