Air base residents win $6.1m damages for noise

A court in Japan's southernmost Okinawa Prefecture ruled on Thursday that the Japanese government must pay about 754 million yen ($6.1 million) in damages to residents who live around the controversial US Futenma air base because of aircraft noise.

About 2,200 plaintiffs, who live in Ginowan, where the base is located, said they suffer from mental distress as aircraft noise disrupts their sleep and daily lives and creates worries about plane crashes.

The plaintiffs sought 1 billion yen in compensation, according to local report. A similar case was filed in 2002, resulting in a court ruling that the government must pay about 369 million yen in damages.