By Futoshi Okamoto and Masashi Hara

The Ministry of Defense (MOD) has told the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and municipalities near Yokota Air Base (straddling Fussa and other cities in Tokyo) that it will end its daily visual observation survey of takeoffs and landings of the U.S. Air Force’s CV-22 Osprey transport aircraft deployed to the base, sources said. On Sept. 30, the metropolitan government along with five cities and one town near the base verbally requested the ministry to continue its monitoring. (Abridged)