News / Military

US airbase in Japan warns residents to shelter in place

Saturday, 26 December 2015 1:49 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 26 December 2015 1:48 PM ]

US Yokota Air Base is on the Japanese island of Honshu, 45 kilometers northwest of Tokyo.

US residents of a military base in Japan have been warned to shelter in place in the wake of a security incident.

"Yokota Air Base leadership issued a shelter in place in response to a security incident on base as a precaution to protect all base residents," officials at the base said Saturday.

They later announced that they arrested a suspect who had entered the base without an authorization.

"Security Forces personnel apprehended a suspect who gained unauthorized entry into Yokota Air Base with a suspicious package," the officials said, adding that an investigation is underway regarding the incident.

The base is on the Japanese island of Honshu, 28 miles (45 kilometers) northwest of Tokyo.

The United States has had military presence in Japan since the end of World War II. Under a mutual security treaty, about 50,000 US troops are currently stationed in the Asian country, half of whom are at the Okinawa base.

The heavy US troop presence on the tiny island, however, sparked anger among residents who call for the entire removal of the base. They have been long complaining about noise, pollution and crime associated with the US bases.

American troops have reportedly been in over 1,000 sex crimes between 2005 and 2013 in Japan.

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