Defense Ministry under fire over Okinawa election

Defense Ministry under fire over Okinawa election

KADENA, Japan - Okinawa Defense Bureau chief Ro Manabe is surrounded by reporters in front of the bureau in Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture, on the night of Jan. 31, 2012, after allegations surfaced that the regional bureau of the Defense Ministry tried to meddle in the upcoming mayoral election in the city of Ginowan, which hosts the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, in the prefecture.

Defense Ministry under fire over Okinawa election

Defense Ministry under fire over Okinawa election

KADENA, Japan - Okinawa Defense Bureau chief Ro Manabe is surrounded by reporters in front of the bureau in Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture, on the night of Jan. 31, 2012, after allegations surfaced that the regional bureau of the Defense Ministry tried to meddle in the upcoming mayoral election in the city of Ginowan, which hosts the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, in the prefecture.

Locals protest Okada's idea to transfer U.S. base to Kadena

Locals protest Okada's idea to transfer U.S. base to Kadena

KADENA, Japan - Over 2,000 people march through the town of Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture, on Nov. 7, 2009, in protest over Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada's remarks that merging the heliport functions of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station with the nearby Kadena Air Base is an option.

U.S. air force conducts drill on rescue at sea

U.S. air force conducts drill on rescue at sea

OKINAWA, Japan - The U.S. air force conducts a drill in which personnel based in Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture, parachute from a C130 transport plane to give emergency treatment to comrades floating in the sea after a plane crash. The drill, conducted about 5 kilometers east of the Okinawa main island on Nov. 6, was open to the press.

Japanese completes internship at U.S. air base

Japanese completes internship at U.S. air base

NAHA, Japan - Kaori Kudaka (R), 19, a second-year student at a town-run language institute in Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture, has recently completed an internship on the U.S. Kadena Air Base to experience working in an American setting. Eleven fellow students also had similar experiences there.