Okinawans March for Peace as Japan Beefs Up US Military Alliance

Okinawa, the southernmost Japanese prefecture where many Japanese choose to spend their holidays thanks to its stunning beaches and rich cultural heritage, has evolved into the battleground of a long-running conflict. For over 60 years, the local populace has voiced its discontent with the presence of U.S. military outposts on the islands.

One of the key milestones in the history of Okinawa’s protests against the U.S. military presence occurred in the 1960s. At that time, the United States and Japan were negotiating the reversion of Okinawa to Japanese control. In 1972, Okinawa was finally returned to Japanese administration, marking the end of U.S. governance. However, the issue of the military bases remained unresolved, leading to ongoing protests and demonstrations in subsequent years.

Today the island hosts around 26,000 U.S. military personnel, about half of the total complement of the United States Forces Japan, spread among 31 areas. While Okinawa constitutes only 0.6 percent of the landmass of Japan, 70 percent of all the U.S. bases in Japan are in the prefecture.

For the U.S. and Japanese governments, the grounds for the bases’ continued existence are obvious: to protect Japan’s security and foster regional stability. But the military outposts are divisive, straining relations between Okinawans and the United States, and between Okinawans and their own central government.

Fanning the flames of local anger, in recent years new problems have emerged, like the presence of pollution in the groundwater.

On May 13, over a thousand people gathered for a peace walk along the main island of Okinawa. The next day, demonstrators held an annual symposium gathering all the peace groups of the country. Each year, similar events take place, centered around the May 15 anniversary of Okinawa’s reversion to Japanese control.