March 18, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
On March 17 it came to light that townspeople had been successively lodging complaints concerning the national anthems of Japan and the United States being projected at 90 decibels or higher at around 8:00 a.m. from on the compound of MCAS Futenma in Ginowan City, Okinawa.
On the same day at a general inquiry session at the city council, the head of Ginowan City’s Military Base Policy Committee, Koji Suzuki, explained the matter.
Suzuki reported that on March 11 Mayor Masanori Matsukawa was on a phone call with the Commanding Officer for MCAS Futenma Col.
David Steele and spoke with him concerning the national anthem noise levels.
Mayor Matsukawa had taken notice of that the anthem noise levels had been rising and requested that the level be returned to that of one month prior.
Suzuki’s answers were in response to Hiroyuki Uezato (Kyosei no Kai) and Seiji Miyagi (Citizen’s Network).
(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)
