Nago, Okinawa Pref., Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–The official campaign period started on Sunday for the Jan. 23 mayoral election in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, which will focus on a controversial U.S. base relocation project.   Candidacies were filed by Nago assembly member Yohei Kishimoto, 49, and incumbent Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi, 60, whose term of office is set to end on Feb.….Read more

Sunday’s Asahi reported from Washington that an unnamed State Department official commented in an interview with the paper on Thursday on the new five-year agreement on the cost of stationing U.S. troops in Japan. The official reportedly said the two governments were able to reach the agreement “in a very useful form” and added that the establishment of funding for….Read more

Mainichi and Nikkei wrote that Foreign Minister Hayashi reportedly said at a news conference held at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Thursday that concerning the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in communities surrounding U.S. military facilities, he cannot rule out the possibility that infections at the facilities are a factor behind the spread of the virus in….Read more

Thursday evening’s Asahi wrote that concerning a plan to construct an SDF base on Mageshima in Nishinoomote City in Kagoshima Prefecture as the relocation site for field carrier landing practice (FCLP) by U.S. carrier-based aircraft, the Ministry of Defense told Nishinoomote Mayor Yaita on Wednesday that the GOJ has decided to select the island as the site for the SDF….Read more

Yomiuri wrote that a Futenma-based AH-1Z helicopter made a precautionary landing at a heliport owned by Tonaki Village in Okinawa at around 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. There were no reports of injuries or property damage. The paper wrote that the U.S. military explained that the aircraft made a precautionary landing due to a mechanical abnormality.

While Prime Minister Kishida has not formally declared a sixth wave, it is apparent that the nation is now in the midst of one.   A pre-emergency is in effect for Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima prefectures due to a surge in new hospitalizations. Most of the new cases are the omicron variant. What distinguishes them from other prefectures is they….Read more

In a development related to the possible leakage of contaminated water from U.S. Naval Air Facility (NAF) Misawa, the Too Nippo learned that ice fishing of Japanese smelt [Hypomesus nipponensis] at nearby Lake Anenuma (Tohoku-machi, Aomori Prefecture) has been halted since Jan. 12. The measure was taken due to the possibility that the contaminated water has flowed into the lake. The….Read more