Members of the U.S. Marine Corps engage in a live-fire drill using 155-millimeter howitzers on Feb. 14 at the Ground Self-Defense Force Hijiudai training site. (Julia Maeda)

OITA--Oita Governor Katsusada Hirose lodged a protest with the Defense Ministry over the U.S. Marines repeatedly conducting night live-fire drills at a local training site, violating a Japan-U.S. agreement.

The U.S. Marine Corps carried out the drills at the Ground Self-Defense Force training site in Hijiudai, a highland that straddles Yufu city, as well as Kokonoe and Kusu towns in Oita Prefecture, after 8 p.m., over the prefecture’s objections.

The U.S. Marines, who are stationed in Okinawa Prefecture, conducted another live-fire drill on Feb. 20 as well even though it was not initially scheduled.

The Hijiudai training site has been the venue for U.S. Marines’ live-fire drills since 1999 to ease the U.S. military’s burden on Okinawa Prefecture.

In 2007, Oita Prefecture and local municipalities signed an agreement for live-fire drills, including firearm training, with the Kyushu Defense Bureau, which makes arrangements with the U.S. military over such matters.

In 2012, the local governments signed a memorandum that requires the U.S. military not to conduct live-fire drills after 8 p.m. to mitigate the noise impact on residents.

Local officials have made their requests through the defense bureau since the U.S. military refuses to negotiate directly with local governments.

The drill was conducted between Feb. 12 and 21. The training, which utilized 155-millimeter howitzers and other artillery pieces, was initially scheduled to continue for eight days until Feb. 19, with Feb. 20 an optional drill day.

The U.S. Marines conducted live-fire drills after 8 p.m. in 2015 and 2017 as well. No such drills were confirmed to have taken place after the prefecture protested the incidents to the defense bureau.

A prefectural official said the live-fire drills conducted after 8 p.m. occurred on Feb. 14 and between Feb. 16 and 19. The prefecture lodged complaints with the defense bureau each time it confirmed such nighttime drills were conducted, but the training repeatedly continued even after such protests.

A live-fire drill was also conducted on Feb. 20, which was initially not scheduled to take place.

The U.S. Marines can carry out four live-fire drills at five training sites, including one in Hijiudai, for up to 35 days every fiscal year based on the Japan-U.S. agreement.

According to the prefecture, the U.S. Marines conducted such drills for 27 days at three training sites in fiscal 2019, which ends in March. But the total for the fiscal year would reach 35 days if the ones until Feb. 19 were included.

The prefecture made an inquiry to the Defense Ministry over the Feb. 20 drill, arguing that the Marines violated the Japan-U.S. agreement by exceeding the limit.

The ministry replied that it is natural to use an optional day when the U.S. Marines deem it necessary to conduct firing drills. The ministry added that it doesn’t consider that the Marines violated the agreement.