The Mouse that Roared

The Asahi Shinbun has a fascinating narrative piecing together what hapened last year when the US military requested to use the civilian Aomori Airport in the prefecture of Aomori in northern Japan. Using documents recording phone conversations between the prefectural government, the central government and the U.S. military, they provide a blow-by-blow account of 18 hours that shows the tensions between an urban political capital and a rural local government

On April 19, 2006, the U.S. military called the Aomori prefectural government’s Ports, Harbors and Airport Division (PHAD). U.S. military brass were due to make a courtesy call on Aomori Governor Shingo Mimura to discuss a new surveillance device installed in June 2006 in Tsugaru, on the coast of Aomori Prefecture. The X-band radar was installed at the Air Self-Defense Force’s Shariki air station in Tsugaru to detect missile launches overseas, including those from North Korea.

The reasons for not using the Misawa Air Base in the eastern part of Aomori Prefecture is that the Aomori Airport is within the Aomori city limits and would save a 90 minute car drive. However, the Aomori PHAD refused. It said that the U.S. military should use the civilian airport only in emergencies.

The Foreign Ministry quickly sought an explanation from the prefectural government for rejecting the U.S. military request. Later that day at 6 p.m., a prefectural official returned the ministry’s call, to which the Foreign Ministry stated that the Status of Forces Agreement allows the US military the use of civilian airports, there was no basis for the refusal in the Aviation Law, and even the Aomori prefecutral bylaw stated that a mere prior notification was required for the US military to use the airport. The prefecture actually had no grounds to reject the landing. Aomori remained adamant—there was no emergency, so they must decline.

At 6:40 p.m., the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport called Aomori, where an official from the Administration Division, Aerodrome Department of the Civil Aviation Bureau pleaded with Aomori: “We understand there are issues involving the environment, noise and public sentiment that need to be addressed, but is it not possible to make a special consideration?” The Ports, Harbors and Airport Division decline.

At 7:30 p.m., the prefecture called the Foreign Ministry, which asked the Civil Aviation Bureau to reconsider, to which they responded: “In the current climate, the wishes of people in regional areas should be respected. There is no change to our beliefs.”

The battle continued the next morning at 10:15 a.m., when an official from the Foreign Ministry’s SOFA Division phoned Aomori: “We would like you to allow the use of the Aomori Airport. The request has been placed by the U.S. Embassy, and it is a right set forth in the Status of Forces Agreement. Denying the request would amount to a breach of the agreement. This is a matter concerning Japan-U.S. relations. We need you to take up the issue with the governor and report back to us.”

The Director of the Department of Land and Infrastructure, Aomori prefectural government: ” I will talk to the governor.”

Governor Mimura told senior aides he would not back down, and then pulled out a real threat: if the US military insists on using the airport for their courtesy call, he would refuse to meet them.

At 11:45 a.m., Aomori made a call to the Foreign Ministry to deliver its final notification of the refusal. The director of the Department of Land and Infrastructure refused to accept te reasons, but the Foreign Ministry folded and later that day withdrew the request to use the airport.

Plans for the courtesy visit were also nixed.