Residents in the city of Saga filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the construction of a Ground Self-Defense Force garrison site for Osprey transport aircraft, amid safety concerns following the recent crash of a U.S. military Osprey.
Local fishermen and other landowners involved in the suit filed with the Saga District Court claim joint ownership of the land designated for the garrison near a local airport. They argue that a fishermen's cooperative that sold the land did not own it, and was not entitled to sell it to the government earlier this year.
The suit also cites the potential risks to public safety and the severe impact the garrison could have on the fishing industry, referencing the Osprey crash that occurred off Japan's southwestern coast in November.