Opposition to the deployment of the Osprey aircraft is running high throughout Japan, especially in the Okinawa prefecture, home to the base where the aircraft is stationed.

Japanese public discontent originates from the Osprey's poor safety record, which includes crashes in overseas locations, Japan's Kyodo News Agency said.

Prior to the US-Japan military exercise that began on Tuesday, local papers said more than 1,000 people convened on Monday near the training area to protest the joint drills.

As the discontent was obvious, the prefecture office had already urged both forces to keep the US teams from flying over commercial and residential areas or the country's biggest freshwater lake, Lake Biwa, located in the center of the prefecture.

The foreign and defense chiefs of the United States and Japan agreed earlier this month to move some Osprey training flights from Okinawa in response to the widespread protests.

China Daily

(China Daily 10/09/2013 page10)