Yokota Air Base Noise Suit Litigation Rejected by 2 Courts, Tokyo High Court Jan. 23, 18:23
In a trial in which residents in the vicinity of the U.S. Army Yokota base in Tokyo appealed for noise damage, the second instance of the Tokyo High Court acknowledged the damage following the first instance and ordered the country to compensate for over 112 million yen. On the other hand, he did not allow suspension of flight of military aircraft.
Approximately 150 residents near Yokota Air Base have called on the government to stop flying during the night and early morning and to compensate for noise damage, alleging that noise from US military aircraft and Self-Defense Forces aircraft has caused health damage.
The Tachikawa Branch of the Tokyo District Court in the first instance ordered a complaint in November of over 95 million yen in November, but did not approve the suspension of the flight and both sides had appealed.
Judge Abe of the Tokyo High Court ruled in the second trial on January 23 that the amount of damage after the first trial was determined to be "exceeding the limit of social life and infringing on rights and interests illegally." And ordered the country to pay a total of 112 million yen.
Meanwhile, he dismissed the complaint regarding suspension of flight and future damages.
Similar rulings have continued in courts around the world since the Supreme Court ruled four years ago that the Atsugi base in Kanagawa had been suspended and that future compensation was not granted.
Lawyer "not dismissed and dissatisfied"
"I think we have kept the minimum line, but in a nutshell, I felt it was the same decision as before," said plaintiff's leader Fukumoto Michio.
Attorney Toshiki Yamaguchi, a lawyer, said, "We have made a little progress in increasing the total amount of compensation, but we have followed the precedent with almost the same content as the first trial. The injunction has been dismissed and the dissatisfaction remains. "