U.S. nuclear sub visit sparks Japanese anger

The Chicago docked at the Yokosuka naval base in Japan in late March

In this story: Japan demands explanation 'Shake the trust' RELATED STORIES

TOKYO, Japan -- The surprise visit of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine into a Japanese port has sparked anger among locals, still reeling from a February collision.

The 6,200-ton Chicago entered Sasebo port, 982 kilometers (609 miles), southwest of Tokyo, on Monday, but U.S. military officials had only told the city government that it would stop outside the port, said city spokesman Keiichi Matsuda.

The submarine arrived from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The 20-minute stop violated a 1964 bilateral accord requiring the United States to notify Japan 24 hours in advance of port calls for U.S. nuclear-powered submarines.

The notice gives time for local authorities to check radioactivity levels in ports before and after U.S. submarine visits.

Japan demands explanation

Japan's foreign minister demanded an explanation for the U.S. nuclear-powered sub's entry, and suggested further port calls should be put on hold.

"Until I receive the report, I cannot cooperate with U.S. nuclear submarines making port calls," Yohei Kono told reporters.

The U.S. Navy acknowledged the violation of the accord, attributing it to "an internal administrative error." But the Navy defended its safety record and said its ships pose no environmental hazards.

The port call has inflamed tensions between Japan and the U.S. military in the wake of a series of crimes linked to American bases here and the collision of a U.S. submarine and a Japanese fishing vessel off Hawaii that killed nine Japanese.

'Shake the trust'

Sasebo City Mayor Akira Mitsutake called the Chicago's port call an "act of bad faith." It was the first port entry to violate the U.S.-Japan pact, he said.

Sasebo port is used jointly by the U.S. Seventh Fleet and Japan's Maritime Self Defense Forces.

Prefectural officials have said that more U.S. nuclear subs are visiting Japanese ports after giving less than 24 hours notice. In Sasebo alone, it has happened five times in the last three years.

Sensitivities towards even nuclear-powered vessels run high in Japan -- the only country ever to have experienced the devastation of a nuclear attack.

In this case, sensitivities have been exacerbated by the recent collision between the USS Greeneville and the Ehime Maru.

Sasebo is a port that is used jointly by the U.S. Seventh Fleet and Japan's Maritime Self Defense Forces.

The U.S. Embassy had no immediate comment.

Hideo Sawada, mayor of Yokosuka city, warned the sub's unannounced port call could unnerve Japanese, particularly in cities that host U.S. troops.

Yokosuka, located 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Tokyo, is the site of a U.S. Naval base.

Nearly 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan under a joint security treaty.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Collision's aftermath
Collision at sea

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