University head calls for shutdown of Futenma 22 years after U.S. chopper crash
The large transport helicopter, which belonged to the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station, crashed into the premises of the Okinawa International University in 2004.
Okinawa International University President Hajime Asato has called for the immediate closure of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station, marking 22 years since a U.S. military helicopter crash that occurred on campus. Asato urged Japanese and U.S. governments to remove the base. The gathering, attended by around 120 people, took place near a tree damaged by the August 13, 2004, helicopter crash.
The university president pointed to another incident in March where a U.S. military helicopter made an emergency landing at a baseball field in Nago, saying it reinforced the danger faced by Okinawa. Fourth-year student Momoka Maehara, born in the year of the helicopter crash, also addressed the gathering, noting that lectures are often disrupted by the noise of U.S. military aircraft, and the threat of another accident remains 22 years after the initial incident.
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