The vast majority of Japanese do not want to live close to an American military base, according to a new poll, with people expressing concern about worsening crime, pollution, noise and the risk of the facility being targeted in a potential conflict.
In response to the question on whether respondents could accept an American military base being opened nearby, 82 per cent of the 2,376 people polled said they would not. The newspaper conducted the same survey in 2010, when that figure was 74 per cent.
A total of 1,476 people said they would object on the grounds of noise pollution, while 1,398 said in the multiple-response survey that they would be worried about crimes committed by United States service personnel.
A further 1,388 feared an increase in accidents, while 1,054 said they could not trust Washington to come to Japan’s aid in the event of a war, and 1,044 were anxious about the base becoming a military target.
An additional 950 said US military bases had a negative impact on the surrounding environment and 780 said there was no need for the facilities as military power did not serve as a deterrent to war.
