Ryukyu Shimpo front-paged a report that Mayor Iju of Higashi, Okinawa, made a written request to LDP prefectural assembly members on Aug. 17 for their support in establishing a new framework in which the GOJ directly compensates the village for noise and other problems in the Takae district caused by helicopter operations at the Northern Training Area. The mayor also requested that the helicopters’ flight routes be changed and their night operations be suspended. This is the first time for the village to seek GOJ subsidies in connection with the construction of landing zones in Takae. The local assembly members plan to relay the mayor’s requests to the LDP headquarters and the GOJ next week. Local residents’ dissatisfaction with Ospreys’ operations at the helipads and the confusion created between the GOJ and protesters over the resumption of construction at the training area are behind the mayor’s requests.