Opinion

Just Move!

By SCOTT T. HARDS

In Japan, every couple of weeks you hear something on the news about airports and the complaints of nearby citizens. There are the struggle to acquire land from stubborn farmers in Narita, the complaints of Okinawans about the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station and U.S. military bases in general, lawsuits over noise at the Atsugi base and more.

And when some of these people appear on television, their anger is clear as they half-shout demands that a base be closed or that the jets stop flying. What's more, most media reports are quite sympathetic to their cause, treating the airports as evil intruders in otherwise peaceful communities.

But wait a minute. Airports and aviation are an absolutely vital part of any modern economy. Be it the transport of people or cargo, it's hard to imagine what life would be like without them. The presence of an airport, particularly a major one like Narita, or even a military base, brings billions of yen into the local econ omy in various ways, benefiting all. So why are these people so upset?

Of course, their concerns center on noise and safety. People don't like to hear the roar of jet engines all day. People are worried that a plane will crash into their neighborhood. "Why do we have to live in such fear?" asked an Okinawan of a TV reporter on a broadcast I saw recently.

The answer is, you don't. If you're unhappy about living near an airport, why not just move? Why is it that the media never broach this subject, despite the fact that it must be a hundred times easier and cheaper to relocate unhappy residents than to relocate a major airport?

Witness the struggle to find a new place for Futenma: How much money has been wasted on that effort so far? For the same amount of time and money, the local residents upset about the base all could have probably been moved to new homes, far away from aircraft noise.

The situation around Atsugi is even worse. Courts just approved millions of yen in damages for local residents because of noise at the base.

The interesting thing is that if you look at aerial photographs of the base taken in the 1960s, there are virtually no buildings nearby. It sat isolated in the middle of farmland. So most of the people who will receive these funds are people who moved into their new homes in the '70s and '80s, knowing full well that there was an air base nearby (Atsugi has been around since World War II). Frankly, that's hardly a fair way to spend our tax money. If these people don't like the noise, they can move back out.

I'm not trying to suggest that moving is an easy or enjoyable process. It's not, and I should know. For various reasons, I've moved nine times in the last 12 years and I wouldn't recommend such a lifestyle to anybody. But in the debate about airport troubles in Japan, moving people away from the problem is a valid option that has not received the consideration it deserves.

Shukan ST: Sept. 17, 1999

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