The U.S. military resumed aerial refueling drills for Osprey aircraft in Okinawa Prefecture on Friday, Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said amid local protests.
The move comes less than a month after one of the tilt-rotor aircraft was forced to ditch in nearby waters, injuring only the crew.
Speaking to reporters in Paris, Inada said the U.S. side informed the Japanese government that the drills restarted off the coast of Okinawa around Friday at noon local time.