

Japan says US military flights over school in Okinawa ‘unacceptable’

Japan criticized the US military on Friday for breaking a pledge to avoid flying helicopters over a school next to its base on the southern island of Okinawa, Reuters said. The school next to the Futenma base has become a focal point for discontent over the US presence on the island since a window fell from a US helicopter onto a playground last month. The Marines had promised to try to fly around the school in future. “It is unacceptable. We would like the US to deal with this,” Japan’s Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said. The ministry had clear evidence of Thursday’s flyover, including radar data and video.