數萬名住在日本南部沖繩美國嘉手納（Kadena）空軍基地的居民，於4月28日提出訴訟，對飛機噪音造成傷害求償，並要求實施夜間飛行禁令。
據日本NHK電視臺表示，約有22,000名來自5個城市的居民，於那霸地方法院對日本政府提出訴訟。
聲稱飛機噪音干擾他們的睡眠，造成聽力問題，原告因此要求約 5.4億美元的賠償金。此外還要求禁止清晨與夜間時段飛行。
嘉手納空軍基地是美國在太平洋空中霸權的樞紐，同時就分配的飛機數量而言，也是美國空軍駐海外規模最大的作戰飛行基地。
約有100架飛機駐紮在嘉手納基地，其中包括一數量達81架戰備機的機隊。按美國空軍説法該機隊專司「執行空中優勢、空中加油、空中預警和控制，以及戰鬥搜索和救援等功能。」
原告就日本政府提供美軍設立軍事基地的責任進行追訴。
沖繩總督仲井眞弘多向NHK表示，最大問題在於美軍基地在二戰結束超過65年，同時於沖繩回歸日本40年後依然存在，也沒有任何改變。
這是繼1982年和2000年訴訟案之後，針對此類嘉手納基地噪音提告的第3個集體訴訟案件。
以往兩個案件中，法庭下令日本政府進行賠償，但駁回原告對飛行禁令的要求。
NHK援引沖繩市原告發言人荒川村田的話說，儘管居民不斷投訴，嘉手納基地的噪音污染仍持續惡化。
荒川表示，居民對此不斷惡化的問題進而產生的憤怒，導致這次原告人數衆多，比前兩次訴訟案都來得多。
而針對此訴訟案件，美國軍方和日本政府雙方都拒絕發表評論。
坊間有爲數不少的醫學文獻記載，因居住機場附近而曝露於其生活環境的噪音中，會產生血壓升高和心髒病發作頻率增加的現象。
Thousands of people who live near the U.S. Kadena Air Base on Okinawa in southern Japan, today filed a lawsuit seeking damages over aircraft noise and a ban on night flights.
Roughly 22,000 residents from five municipalities filed the complaint against the Japanese government with the Naha District Court, according to Japan's public broadcaster, NHK TV.
Claiming that the aircraft noise disturbs their sleep and causes hearing problems, the plaintiffs are seeking about US$540 million in damages. They are also demanding that flights during the night and early morning hours be banned.
Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the U.S. Air Force's largest operational combat wing overseas in terms of the number of aircraft assigned.
About 100 aircraft are based at Kadena, including a fleet of 81 combat-ready aircraft, "to perform air superiority, aerial refueling, airborne warning and control, and combat search and rescue functions," according to the U.S. Air Force.
The plaintiffs will pursue the Japanese government's responsibility for providing the base to U.S. forces.
Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima told NHK the biggest problem is that U.S. bases continue to exist unchanged more than 65 years after the end of World War Two and nearly 40 years after the reversion of Okinawa to Japan.
This is the third group lawsuit of this kind over noise from the Kadena base, following lawsuits filed in 1982 and in 2000.
In both the previous cases, the court ordered the Japanese government to pay compensation, but rejected the plaintiffs' demand for a flight ban.
NHK quoted plaintiff spokesman Shusei Arakawa from Okinawa City as saying that the noise pollution at Kadena has worsened regardless of residents' continued complaints.
Arakawa said that residents' anger at the worsening situation has led to the large number of plaintiffs, more than in either of the two previous lawsuits.
Both the U.S. forces and Japanese government have declined comment on the latest lawsuit.
There is extensive medical literature on increases in blood pressure and in frequency of heart attacks from exposure to environmental noise from living near airports.
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