(Provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only)
Today, I have one announcement at the outset. Yesterday, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) announced that Aviation Training Relocation will be conducted from the U.S. Air Force’s Kadena Air Base to the Air Self-Defense Force’s Tsuiki Air Base, from October 19 to 29. In this training relocation, some of the training activities conducted at Kadena Air Base will be relocated outside of Okinawa Prefecture. This measure is intended to mitigate the impact of training activities on Kadena Air Base for the duration of the relocation and contribute to mitigating the impact of bases on Okinawa. We take it seriously that the people of Okinawa continue to be significantly impacted by the bases even now, more than 80 years after the end of World War II. The MOD will continue to steadily implement measures to mitigate the impact of bases, one by one. At the same time, it is essential that we obtain the understanding and cooperation of the residents around Tsuiki Air Base, which will host the training. In conducting the training, we will take every possible measure to ensure its safety and make effort to minimize the impact on local communities. That concludes today’s opening remark.