Loud noise and foul smells prevent residents near Kadena Air Base from opening windows to help prevent coronavirus infection

Loud noise and foul smells prevent residents near Kadena Air Base from opening windows to help prevent coronavirus infection

U.S. military aircraft adjusting their engines right across the street from local residences, on May 14 in Yara, Kadena


May 26, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Chie Tome

(Kadena) Ensuring good ventilation is an important measure to prevent the spread of infection of the novel coronavirus, but residents of Kadena Town, Okinawa, who live side by side with the U.S. military’s Kadena Air Base, where aircraft engage in takeoff and landing at all hours of the day and night, can’t even open their windows. “I want to open my windows, but the noise and awful smells are too much to bear.” “My income fell drastically this month, but my electricity bill is going through the roof.” More and more residents say they are in dire straights now that they spend most of their time at home during this time of social distancing.

There were 85 complaints made from April 1 to May 15, most concerning noise and foul smells.

Town Councilman Iwao Teruya of Yara, Kadena, who lives quite near the base, has also heard many grievances from local residents. During the Golden Week holiday, unable to go out, he thought he would at least give his children the experience of camping out on a tent on the roof of his home, but the engine noise and smells, which started at 6 a.m., were too much to bear and they had to go back inside. “It’s noisy even when we’re indoors, and mentally it’s very hard. Everyone living around here is suffering,” he said.

“There are announcements around town telling us to open our windows, but it would be impossible live with them open,” said a woman in her twenties who lives in Mizugama, Kadena. She explained that she hasn’t been able to go to her job because of coronavirus, and her income has decreased drastically. “I have very active kids, so we leave the air conditioner on all the time. I’m afraid my electricity bill next month will be double the usual amount,” she said with a sigh, expressing her wish just to be able to breath some fresh air.

(English translation by T&CT and Sandi Aritza)

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