Japanese government buys island for U.S. military exercise

The Japanese government confirmed on the 2nd that it has decided to buy an uninhabited island in southwestern Japan from the developer for 16 billion yen (about 1.03 billion yuan) for U.S. troops stationed in Japan to conduct simulated take-off and landing training on carrier-based aircraft.

    The Japanese and U.S. governments agreed in 2011 to relocate the drill locations of US carrier aircraft based in Japan to Mamo Island. Mamo Island covers an area of 8 square kilometers and is located south of Kyushu Island. It belongs to Nishinoomote, Kagoshima Prefecture, and is about 30 kilometers from the southwest coast of Japan.

    Japan ’s Cabinet Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Wei said at a press conference on the 2nd that the Ministry of Defense and the developer reached a purchase agreement on November 29.

    "From a security standpoint, it is important to ensure training grounds for (US military) carrier-based aircraft to take off and land, so that we can build permanent facilities as early as possible," he said.

    The U.S. aircraft carrier-based aircraft initially simulated landing and landing training at Atsugi Base, Kanagawa Prefecture. The training made a huge noise, and the Japanese residents around the base were unbearable. The training location was changed to Iwo Jima, about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, in 1991. All U.S. carrier-based personnel were transferred to the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Prefecture in western Japan last year.

    Iwakuni base is about 1400 kilometers away from Iwo Jima Island and about 400 kilometers away from Maomao Island. The United States hopes to move to a new training base as soon as possible.

    The mayor of Iwakuni, Ryohiko Fukuda, said the central government ’s decision was “a big step forward” and “the construction of a permanent training facility is a necessary measure to reduce the concerns of Iwakuni residents. We will require the central government to complete the facility (on Mamo Island) as soon as possible ".

    A Tokyo developer owns most of the land on Mamo Island. Due to the replacement of the chairman, the developer broke down with the Japanese government on land purchase in May this year, and the two sides resumed negotiations in the fall.

    Tong Yiwei said that he did not intend to disclose more details because the acquisition was not completed.

    The Mayor of Nishinotable City, Hachibanosuke, previously said that even if the Japanese government signed a land purchase contract with the landowner, Nishinotable City would seek a more appropriate way to use Mamo Island than fighter training.

    Agence France-Presse reported on the 2nd that some residents living on the islands surrounding Maomao Island said they were worried that they would be disturbed by the noise of carrier-based aircraft simulated take-off and landing training.

    The U.S. troops stationed in Japan have caused trouble for residents in many parts of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture has long endured U.S. military crimes, plane crashes and falling objects, noise, etc., and has continuously called for U.S. military bases to be relocated. To this end, it has filed a lawsuit with the Japanese central government. A Tokyo court ruled at the end of last year that the noise of the U.S. Army Yokota base in the suburbs of Tokyo affected the lives of the surrounding residents, and the Japanese government should pay compensation to these residents.