The defense minister insisted on a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the crash as well as on the provision of complete information regarding the incident and on effective measures to be taken in order to prevent something similar from recurring, the Kyodo news agency reported.
Speaking during a meeting with US Forces Japan Deputy Commander Charles Chiarotti, Inada stressed that the crash could have been a disaster had it occurred in a residential area of Okinawa.
Chiarotti responded by stating that the current temporary pause in AV-8 flights was being used for preventive action in order to exclude similar incidents in the future. He added that the Japanese government's questions would be answered as quickly as possible.
On Friday, the US III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan announced a halt on all Harrier jet flights in response to the incident, adding that all of the jets would be inspected to make sure they meet operational readiness standards.
Okinawa occupies less than 1 percent of Japan's territory but hosts some 74 percent of the country's total US military presence.
