Plaintiffs enter the Miyazaki District Court in Miyazaki Prefecture ahead of a ruling over aircraft noise around the Air Self-Defense Force's Nyutabaru Air Base on June 28, 2021. (Kyodo)

       MIYAZAKI, Japan (Kyodo) -- A Japanese court ordered the government on Monday to pay damages to residents near an Air Self-Defense Force base in Miyazaki Prefecture in southwestern Japan over aircraft noise.

       While the amount of damages awarded to the plaintiffs is not immediately known, the Miyazaki District Court dismissed their demand to halt flights at Nyutabaru Air Base between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. and during the day if the noise level is at 75 or higher on an internationally recognized index for aircraft noises.

       A measure of 75 or above on the Weighted Equivalent Continuous Perceived Noise Level has formed the benchmark when requesting compensation in past lawsuits in Japan.

       The Miyazaki court also rejected the plaintiffs' call on the government to compensate for any future health damage due to continued flights at the air base.

       In the trial, 178 original plaintiffs demanded a monthly payment of 35,000 yen ($320) each and their legal fees to be paid, saying many residents experienced deafness, tinnitus and sleep disorders.

       The government argued that the aircraft noise has been alleviated by the houses being soundproofed and that such measures should be considered in determining the amount of compensation and the scope of its recipients.

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