Tokyo: An American military helicopter made an emergency landing on aremote Japanese island Tuesday, police and news reports said, the latest ina series of accidents that have fuelled local opposition to US forces basedon Okinawa.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the landing at aheliport in Tonaki, a tiny island in Okinawa prefecture some 60 kilometres(37 miles) west of the main island, a police spokesman told AFP.
There was no immediate comment from the US military.
This month US Secretary of Defense James Mattis apologised to Japanesecounterpart Itsunori Onodera after a string of accidents on the southernJapanese island, where more than half the 47,000 American troops in Japanare stationed.
Earlier in January, two American military helicopters separately madeemergency landings in Okinawa. There were no injuries or damage.
Last month, a window from a US military helicopter fell onto a schoolsports ground near the Futenma marine air base in Okinawa, but again no onewas injured.
In October an American military helicopter burst into flames after landingin an empty field on the island.
Such accidents have sparked opposition to the US bases on the strategicisland, which would serve as a launchpad for any American military activityin Asia.
A series of crimes including rapes, assaults, hit-and-run and drink-drivingaccidents by US personnel have also triggered protests on Okinawa, and area frequent irritant in relations between close security allies Japan andthe United States.
Okinawa was the site of a major World War II battle that was followed by a27-year US occupation of the island.