Video proves US Marines broke promise not to fly over Okinawa schoolyard: Japanese minister

The Japanese government on Friday released a video that it says proves the US Marine Corps is flouting safety concerns by flying helicopters directly over a school near a US airbase in Okinawa.

“As you can see from the video footage, the helicopters’ underbellies are clearly visible as they flew,” Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said on Friday.

The video was shot on Thursday from a school where a heavy helicopter window plummeted to the ground on December 13, narrowly missing a group of primary pupils during a physical education class and sparking outrage from school authorities, parents and political figures.

The US has denied that it has continued to fly over the school, but Onodera saif the video refuted this.

“Children, teachers and parents will certainly be worried. This is a kind of flight we don’t want to see,” the minister said. Onodera also said he will continue to urge the US military to avoid flying over the school just outside the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga also expressed strong disappointment over what he sees as a “broken promise” that the US military would avoid flying over the school as much as possible since the December incident.