Japan ordered to pay $58M for US warplane noise
By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer
1 hr 19 mins ago
TOKYO – A court ordered the Japanese government to pay 5.6 billion yen ($57.7 million) to compensate people whose lives are disrupted by the noise of warplanes at a U.S. air base on the southern island of Okinawa, the Defense Ministry said.
The Fukuoka High Court ruling doubled the 2.8 million yen compensation awarded in 2005 to the people living around Kadena Air Base, and upheld the appeals of 5,540 residents, Defense Ministry spokesman Katashi Toyota said.
The plaintiffs said the noise from aircraft at the Kadena base exceeded bearable levels and caused insomnia and other psychological pain. Tokyo has long insisted the noise levels are bearable and do not cause health problems among nearby residents.
"The court did not fully understand the government position," Toyota said, adding that the ministry would "examine the ruling carefully" and decide whether to appeal the ruling.
Judge Yoshinori Kawabe said the Japanese government was liable to pay compensation in the case because it failed to press Washington to reduce the noise. Tokyo "has a strong political responsibility to reduce the noise pollution," Kawabe said.
But the court added the government would not be responsible to compensate the plaintiffs in any future noise complaints.
Calls to the U.S. Air Force public relations office at Kadena were not answered late Friday.
The court rejected demands that the U.S. military stop conducting early morning and night flights, saying the Japanese government has no authority to suspend U.S. military aircraft flights.
Japan hosts about 50,000 U.S. troops, with two-thirds of them on Okinawa, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) southwest of Tokyo. Residents of Okinawa have long complained about crimes associated with U.S. troops, as well as noise and pollution from the U.S. military bases on the island.
By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer
1 hr 19 mins ago
TOKYO – A court ordered the Japanese government to pay 5.6 billion yen ($57.7 million) to compensate people whose lives are disrupted by the noise of warplanes at a U.S. air base on the southern island of Okinawa, the Defense Ministry said.
The Fukuoka High Court ruling doubled the 2.8 million yen compensation awarded in 2005 to the people living around Kadena Air Base, and upheld the appeals of 5,540 residents, Defense Ministry spokesman Katashi Toyota said.
The plaintiffs said the noise from aircraft at the Kadena base exceeded bearable levels and caused insomnia and other psychological pain. Tokyo has long insisted the noise levels are bearable and do not cause health problems among nearby residents.
"The court did not fully understand the government position," Toyota said, adding that the ministry would "examine the ruling carefully" and decide whether to appeal the ruling.
Judge Yoshinori Kawabe said the Japanese government was liable to pay compensation in the case because it failed to press Washington to reduce the noise. Tokyo "has a strong political responsibility to reduce the noise pollution," Kawabe said.
But the court added the government would not be responsible to compensate the plaintiffs in any future noise complaints.
Calls to the U.S. Air Force public relations office at Kadena were not answered late Friday.
The court rejected demands that the U.S. military stop conducting early morning and night flights, saying the Japanese government has no authority to suspend U.S. military aircraft flights.
Japan hosts about 50,000 U.S. troops, with two-thirds of them on Okinawa, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) southwest of Tokyo. Residents of Okinawa have long complained about crimes associated with U.S. troops, as well as noise and pollution from the U.S. military bases on the island.
