Japan approves U.S. Marine flights of Ospreys after crash

Aug 11, 2017 | News On Japan

Aug 11, 2017 (Japan Today) - Japan on Friday said it would allow Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to continue to operate in the country, accepting U.S. assurances that the flights are safe following a fatal crash off Australia.

The U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft, which was based at an air base in Japan, crashed last Saturday while on exercises off the Australian coast, leaving three service members missing and presumed dead.

Itsunori Onodera, Japan's new defense minister, had asked the U.S. to temporarily stop flying the aircraft in his country following the accident, the latest deadly incident involving Ospreys.

But on Friday, the defense ministry issued a statement saying that the U.S. military "is taking reasonable measures" and "the U.S. forces' explanation that it can conduct safe flights of MV-22 Ospreys is understandable."

According to a U.S. official, the Osprey crashed after clipping the back of the USS Green Bay while trying to land on the amphibious transport ship.

The MV-22 -- a hybrid helicopter-turboprop -- has two engines positioned on fixed wingtips that allow it to land and take off vertically. It can travel much faster than a helicopter.

The aircraft has been involved in a series of fatal incidents, mostly in the United States.

In April 2000, 19 Marines were killed in an MV-22 crash in Arizona.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.