Earlier this month, a U.S. military helicopter crashed and burst into flames on a university campus in Okinawa Prefecture. The accident has highlighted dilemmas faced by the island that hosts two-thirds of the U.S. troops stationed in Japan. At the same time, it has exposed some of the flaws in the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA, as evidenced by the inability of local police to take part promptly in an on-site inspection of the aircraft.
Given the increasing frequency of U.S. flight training -- a situation that seems to reflect the added strategic importance of the U.S. forces in Japan -- there is the possibility of similar accidents occurring elsewhere in Okinawa or in other parts of the country. U.S. bases exist in 14 prefectures, including Hokkaido, Aomori and Tokyo.
The accident in Okinawa occurred at a time when local communities are increasingly concerned about the planned "transformation," or global redeployment, of U.S. forces overseas. On the afternoon of Aug. 13, a transport helicopter from the Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in the city of Ginowan crashed on the campus of Okinawa International University. Three crew members on board were injured, although no one on the ground was hurt.