Japan eliminates stockpile of antipersonnel land mines

Japan eliminates stockpile of antipersonnel land mines

SHINASAHI, Japan - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi gives a signal at a ceremony in Shinasahi, Shiga Prefecture, on Feb. 8 to a Hokkaido firm on a satellite hookup to detonate the last 25 mines of about 1 million antipersonnel land mines held by the Self-Defense Forces. Japan thus destroyed its land mine stockpile in line with the Ottawa Treaty.

Japan eliminates stockpile of antipersonnel land mines

Japan eliminates stockpile of antipersonnel land mines

SHINASAHI, Japan - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi gives a signal at a ceremony in Shinasahi, Shiga Prefecture, on Feb. 8 to a Hokkaido firm on a satellite hookup to detonate the last 25 mines of about 1 million antipersonnel land mines held by the Self-Defense Forces. Japan thus destroyed its land mine stockpile in line with the Ottawa Treaty. (Kyodo)

SDF, Asahi Chemical begin destroying land mines

SDF, Asahi Chemical begin destroying land mines

SHINASAHI, Japan - Photo shows the ''explosion dome'' of Asahi Chemical Industry Co. in Shinasahi, Shiga Prefecture, where the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and Asahi began destroying nearly one million antipersonnel land mines belonging to the SDF on Jan. 17. The action is in line with an international treaty that bans the devices.

Japan begins destroying land mines

Japan begins destroying land mines

SHINASAHI, Japan - Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (2nd from L) pushes a button sending a signal to destroy antipersonnel land mines belonging to the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), in a ceremony held Jan. 17 at an Air Self-Defense Force base located next to an ''explosion dome'' in Shinasahi, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan. The action was taken under the 1997 Ottawa treaty to ban antipersonnel land mines, which took effect in March last year. The SDF and Asahi Chemical Industry Co., which has been commissioned for the task, will destroy nearly one million antipersonnel land mines belonging to the SDF by 2003.