Interview with Atsushi Ootsuki, director of the movie ``300 Meters Above Tokyo,'' which questions the low-altitude flight of U.S. military helicopters.

US military helicopters are repeatedly flying low over Tokyo's downtown areas such as Shinjuku and Shibuya. A dangerous flight permitted by the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. Why is something that is not allowed on Japanese helicopters allowed? The movie ``300 Meters Above Tokyo,'' which explores these questions, will be released nationwide from the 10th. We asked director Atsushi Otsuki (63) about the background of filming.

It began in 2020 with Mainichi Shimbun's ``Questioning Privilege,'' a project that examines the issues surrounding the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. Is it possible to make a documentary film using the footage of the strange low-altitude flights of US military helicopters that I gathered during my research? Talks about making it into a movie started in 2024.

A US military helicopter flies through the skyscrapers of Shinjuku. Under Japan's aviation law, aircraft must fly at least 300 meters above the top of buildings, in line with world standards. This is the altitude required for a safe emergency landing in the event of an aircraft malfunction.

However, it does not apply to the U.S. military due to special provisions in aviation law based on the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. What happens if an accident occurs? The director says, ``Even if there is no immediate solution or answer, it's a problem that we need to keep thinking about.''

The issues surrounding the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement are not limited to low-altitude flights. When making the film, he visited the site of the base issue. Recognizing that there are various problems not only in Okinawa, where the burden is particularly concentrated, but all over the country, he strengthened his desire to "get as many people as possible to see it."

New footage has been added, such as the issue of sex offenders and traffic accident perpetrators being protected by the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, making it difficult to punish them. The work incorporates the voices of those for and against the U.S. military, as well as the voices of young people.

There are various points of contention and angles regarding the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. It's about two hours long, starting with low-altitude flight and learning a wide range of topics, and the director recommends that people who say, ``I've always wanted to think about it'' or ``I didn't really understand even after reading a book'' see it.

◇Director Atsushi Ootsuki

Atsushi Ogaki Born in 1963. Born in Chiba Prefecture. After graduating from Hitotsubashi University, he began producing documentary, cultural, welfare, and history programs for NHK in 1986. Professor at Oberlin University since 2019. His works include "Shunga and the Japanese" (2018), "Suzu-san: A Story of Housework and Family in the Showa Era" (2022), and "Our National Museum of Western Art" (2013).