The new head of the Ground Self-Defense Force's 8th Division on Saturday said it is vital to investigate the cause of a recent GSDF helicopter accident and explain it to the public.
Lt. Gen. Shinichi Aoki, who was appointed to replace Lt. Gen. Yuichi Sakamoto, who perished in the crash, was speaking at a press conference at the GSDF's North Kumamoto Camp in Kumamoto City.
"I sincerely apologize for causing worry and anxiety among local residents," Aoki said in connection with the accident in which a helicopter with 10 personnel on board went missing off Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture.
