TOKYO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government on Friday reasserted its claim that U.S. military helicopters had flown over an elementary school in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.
The U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa denied however that three of its helicopters flew over an elementary school close to the controversial Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, despite Japan's defense ministry releasing video footage to the contrary.
United States Forces, Japan had agreed with the defense ministry that aircraft from the Futenma base would avoid flying over schools following a window falling from one of its choppers and landing on the playground of the same elementary school where children were taking a sports class on Dec. 13 last year.
The footage released by the defense ministry, which clearly shows the underbellies of three U.S. choppers as they flew over the school, was shot by newly installed cameras at the school and a nearby kindergarten.
According to Japan's public broadcaster NHK, Marine Corps officials said Friday that its pilots are avoiding flying above the school.
The Marine Corps said they have confirmed this through their radar equipment and through interviews with their pilots.
Japan's defense ministry is adamant that the footage and witness testimony confirms that the Marine Corps made the flights, leading to stern condemnation from the central government.
"As you can see from the video footage we have, the helicopters' underbellies are clearly visible as they flew," Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said at a press briefing on the matter.
"Children, teachers and parents will certainly be worried. This is a kind of flight we don't want to see," Onodera said.
He added that he will continue to press the U.S. military to stick to their word and not fly their aircraft over the school.
Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga was also quick to express his condemnation at the events that took place just one day after the Japanese government lodged an official protest with the U.S. military for flying its helicopters above the school.
Onaga told local reporters the actions by the U.S. military were a "broken promise" and were "completely outrageous."
As a result of ongoing mishaps and accidents involving U.S. military aircraft, the Okinawa prefectural assembly on Friday adopted a resolution stating that the U.S. military should cease to fly aircraft over private property.
The resolution, which also called for the suspension of the operation of the Futenma base by February next year, the removal of Marines from Okinawa and the country as soon as possible, was unanimously endorsed by the assembly.
Anti-U.S. sentiment has been rising on Okinawa following the window falling from the large CH-53E transport helicopter last December and narrowly missing 50 children who were on the playground at the time, and two emergency landings made by attack helicopters in Okinawa earlier this month.
The resolution will be sent to the U.S. Embassy in Japan, U.S. Forces, Japan and senior personnel at the Futenma base.
Okinawa hosts the bulk of U.S. military bases in Japan yet accounts for just a fraction of Japan's total land mass.
Amid rising anti-U.S. sentiment, calls have become ever more vociferous from officials and locals on the sub-tropical island to have their decades-long base-hosting burdens lifted.
