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Int'l Business Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Okinawa A Reluctant Host For US Troops 80 Years After WWII
Okinawa resident Hiromasa Iha can still recall the screams of his classmates and teachers after a US military jet crashed into his elementary school, killing 18 people more than six decades ago. As people globally commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the 72-year-old retired businessman is among many residents who oppose the American troops stationed on their island ever since. He joins dozens of islanders in near-daily protests against the US forces. The United States has around 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, mostly on Okinawa, and a string of incidents over the years, including sexual assault cases, have angered residents. "For us, these crimes and accidents are not someone else's business, and we feel a pressing unease that we can't predict when these things may happen again," he told AFP, recalling the 1959 school incident. "We want the bases to go." The island region, a subtropical paradise with a huge tourism industry, hosts 70 percent of all American bases in Japan and serves as a key US outpost to monitor China, the Taiwan Strait and the Korean peninsula. The bloody Battle of Okinawa near the end of the war led to the US occupation of the island until 1972, during which troops seized private land in Okinawa to expand their presence in what is locally known as a "bayonet and bulldozer" campaign. During the Cold War, US troops in Okinawa were seen by Washington as a deterrent against the spread of communism. Now, both Tokyo and Washington stress the strategic importance of Okinawa in the face of China's territorial ambitions. But residents have for years voiced their fury over a spate of crimes and accidents involving American soldiers and base personnel. In 2024 alone, Okinawa police detained 80 people connected to the base -- such as US soldiers or military contractors -- including seven for severely violent crimes. Okinawa erupted in anger after a 1995 gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US Marines. In August 2004, a Marine helicopter crashed at a university in Okinawa, causing no injuries but amplifying fears of accidents. In April 2016, a former Marine, who was working as a military contractor in Okinawa, raped and killed a 20-year-old woman. And as recently as last month, a senior Marine officer visited the Okinawa government to apologise after a Marine was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman. Opinion polls in Okinawa have historically shown that the majority of residents believe the rest of Japan must carry its fair share of the load when it comes to hosting the US military. Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki routinely points out the island's "excessive burden", impacting the daily lives of residents. "It's not that we don't like American people. We are saying, please do something about the bases," she said. When Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972, residents expected that US bases would be spread across Japan -- a vision that never came true, she added. Recent polls suggest growing resignation among the Okinawan public. In a 2023 survey, nearly 40 percent of Okinawan survey participants said the anti-US base movement was powerless to change Tokyo's policy. But many Okinawan residents say they live in fear of crimes by American soldiers, with victims still trying to process their grief. Takemasa Kinjo, 68, was a high school student when his mother was killed by a Marine in 1974 with a brick at their home where she operated a small bar. "It is truly scary if you think crimes can happen in your neighbourhood," Kinjo said. He also joined a recent protest at a Marine base that is being expanded into a secluded bay where dugongs and other protected species live. He believes Okinawa -- where base-related income accounts for just over five percent of its economy -- can thrive thanks to tourism alone, with an increasing number of holidaymakers drawn to the area's turquoise bays and coral reefs. "There should be no base on Okinawa," he said. "We don't need new military facilities." Iha, whose elementary school was destroyed by a US jet, feels the need to explain to future generations what happened -- and warn them it could happen again. At the time of the crash, which also left more than 200 people injured, "everyone thought another war was starting", he recalled. Now, "every day, military jets fly over our houses, and we see helicopters making emergency landings," said Iha. "This is not something that only belongs in the past. This can happen again anytime." Takemasa Kinjo, who was a high school student when his mother was killed by a US Marine in 1974, holding a placard reading "Opposition to War" outside his residence in the Henoko area of Nago city AFP Residents have for years voiced their fury over a spate of crimes and accidents involving American soldiers and base personnel AFP A portrait (L) of Takemasa Kinjo's mother, who was killed by a US Marine in 1974 AFP
Asahi Shimbun
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Ceremony marks 80 years since end of Battle of Okinawa
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, right, and Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki arrive in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, on June 23 to attend a ceremony memorializing the victims of the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. (Hiyori Uchiumi) ITOMAN, Okinawa Prefecture—A solemn memorial service was held here on June 23 honoring the victims of the Battle of Okinawa, which ended here 80 years ago during the final stages of World War II. Held at the Peace Memorial Park, the ceremony was attended by Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, who delivered a peace declaration, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The peace poem featured this year was read by Ibuki Shiroma, a sixth-grader from the neighboring city of Tomigusuku. His poem, titled 'Grandma's Song,' reflects on the sorrow behind a song his grandmother sings. Written after the war in the style of local folk music, the song portrays survivors of the Battle of Okinawa as 'leftovers from naval shelling,' highlighting the devastating U.S. assault that claimed the lives of one in every four residents of the prefecture. 'Leftover or whatever, I am truly glad you survived, however,' the poem went, drawing heartfelt applause from the audience. Tamaki reiterated the ongoing heavy burden Okinawa bears due to the concentration of U.S. military bases on the island. He also pledged to create an international peace research organization based in Okinawa, emphasizing the prefecture's vital role in promoting global peace. The ceremony was also graced by distinguished guests, including Izumi Nakamitsu, U.N. undersecretary general for disarmament affairs; and Shigemitsu Tanaka, co-chairperson of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), which received the Nobel Peace Prize last year. The Battle of Okinawa, fought over three months in 1945, resulted in the deaths of more than 200,000 people from both the Japanese and U.S. sides, including tens of thousands of civilians.
Arab News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Okinawa marks 80 years since end of one of harshest WWII battles with pledge to share tragic history
TOKYO: Okinawa marked the 80th anniversary of the end of one of the harshest battles of World War II fought on the southern island. With global tensions escalating, its governor said on Monday it is the Okinawan 'mission' to keep telling the tragic history and its impact today. The Battle of Okinawa killed a quarter of the island's population, leading to a 27-year US occupation and a heavy American troop presence to date. Monday's memorial comes one day after US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, adding to a sense of uncertainty on the island about the heavy American military presence and in its remote islands, already worried about getting embroiled in a potential conflict in Taiwan. Gov. Denny Tamaki, noting the escalating global conflicts and nuclear threats, made a resolve to contribute to global peace studies, disarmament and the preservation of war remains. 'It is our mission, as those living in the present, to preserve and pass on the reality and lessons to future generations.' Fierce battle and civilian deaths US troops landed on the main Okinawa island on April 1, 1945, beginning a battle in their push toward mainland Japan. The Battle of Okinawa lasted nearly three months, killing some 200,000 people — about 12,000 Americans and more than 188,000 Japanese, half of them Okinawan civilians including students and victims forced into mass suicides by Japan's military. Okinawa was sacrificed by Japan's Imperial Army to defend the mainland, historians say. The island group remained under US occupation until its reversion in 1972, two decades longer than most of Japan. Monday's memorial was held at the Mabuni Hill in Itoman City, where the remains of most of the war dead reside. Remembering the tragedy Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was in a hot seat when he attended Monday's ceremony. Weeks earlier, one of his ruling party lawmakers Shoji Nishida, known for whitewashing Japan's wartime atrocities, denounced an inscription on a famous cenotaph dedicated to students as 'rewriting history' by portraying the Japanese army as having caused their deaths, while Americans liberated Okinawa. Nishida also called Okinawa's history education 'a mess.' His remark triggered an uproar in Okinawa, forcing Ishiba days later to apologize to the island's governor, who had criticized the remark as outrageous and distorting history. The Himeyuri Cenotaph commemorates student nurses who were abandoned near the end of the battle and killed, some in group suicides with teachers. Japan's wartime military told the people never to surrender to the enemy, or die. Nishida's remarks add to concerns about the whitewashing of Japan's embarrassing wartime past as memories of the tragedy fade and ignorance about the suffering grows. Ishiba, at Monday's memorial, said Japan's peace and prosperity is built on the sacrifices of Okinawa's history of hardship and that it is the government's responsibility to 'devote ourselves to achieve a peaceful and prosperous Okinawa.' Postwar years and growing fear Okinawa remained under US occupation from 1945 until the 1972 reversion to Japan. The US military maintains a heavy presence there due to Okinawa's strategic importance for security in the Pacific. Their presence serves not only to help defend Japan but also for missions elsewhere, including in the South China Sea and the Middle East. Private properties were confiscated to build US bases, and the base-dependent economy has hampered the growth of local industry. Fear of a Taiwan conflict rekindles bitter memories of the Battle of Okinawa. Historians and many residents say Okinawa was used as a pawn to save mainland Japan. There are also ancient tensions between Okinawa and the Japanese mainland, which annexed the islands, formerly the independent kingdom of the Ryukus, in 1879. Burden of history Okinawa remains home to the majority of about 50,000 US troops stationed in Japan under a bilateral security pact. The island, which accounts for only 0.6 percent of Japanese land, hosts 70 percent of US military facilities. Even 53 years after its reversion to Japan, Okinawa is burdened with the heavy US presence and faces noise, pollution, aircraft accidents and crime related to American troops, the governor said. Nearly 2,000 tons of unexploded US bombs remain in Okinawa, with some regularly dug up. A recent explosion at a storage site at a US military base caused minor injuries to four Japanese soldiers. Remains of hundreds of war dead are still unrecovered on Okinawa, as the government's search and identification effort is slow to make progress.
Washington Post
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Okinawa marks 80 years since end of one of harshest WWII battles with pledge to share tragic history
TOKYO — Okinawa marked the 80th anniversary of the end of one of the harshest battles of World War II fought on the southern island. With global tensions escalating, its governor said on Monday it is the Okinawan 'mission' to keep telling the tragic history and its impact today. The Battle of Okinawa killed a quarter of the island's population, leading to a 27-year U.S. occupation and a heavy American troop presence to date. Monday's memorial comes one day after U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities , adding to a sense of uncertainty on the island about the heavy American military presence and in its remote islands , already worried about getting embroiled in a potential conflict in Taiwan. Gov. Denny Tamaki, noting the escalating global conflicts and nuclear threats, made a resolve to contribute to global peace studies, disarmament and the preservation of war remains. 'It is our mission, as those living in the present, to preserve and pass on the reality and lessons to future generations.' U.S. troops landed on the main Okinawa island on April 1, 1945, beginning a battle in their push toward mainland Japan. The Battle of Okinawa lasted nearly three months, killing some 200,000 people — about 12,000 Americans and more than 188,000 Japanese, half of them Okinawan civilians including students and victims forced into mass suicides by Japan's military. Okinawa was sacrificed by Japan's Imperial Army to defend the mainland, historians say. The island group remained under U.S. occupation until its reversion in 1972 , two decades longer than most of Japan. Monday's memorial was held at the Mabuni Hill in Itoman City, where the remains of most of the war dead reside. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was in a hot seat when he attended Monday's ceremony. Weeks earlier, one of his ruling party lawmakers Shoji Nishida, known for whitewashing Japan's wartime atrocities, denounced an inscription on a famous cenotaph dedicated to students as 'rewriting history' by portraying the Japanese army as having caused their deaths, while Americans liberated Okinawa. Nishida also called Okinawa's history education 'a mess.' His remark triggered an uproar in Okinawa, forcing Ishiba days later to apologize to the island's governor, who had criticized the remark as outrageous and distorting history. The Himeyuri Cenotaph commemorates student nurses who were abandoned near the end of the battle and killed, some in group suicides with teachers. Japan's wartime military told the people never to surrender to the enemy, or die. Nishida's remarks add to concerns about the whitewashing of Japan's embarrassing wartime past as memories of the tragedy fade and ignorance about the suffering grows. Ishiba, at Monday's memorial, said Japan's peace and prosperity is built on the sacrifices of Okinawa's history of hardship and that it is the government's responsibility to 'devote ourselves to achieve a peaceful and prosperous Okinawa.' Okinawa remained under U.S. occupation from 1945 until the 1972 reversion to Japan. The U.S. military maintains a heavy presence there due to Okinawa's strategic importance for security in the Pacific. Their presence serves not only to help defend Japan but also for missions elsewhere, including in the South China Sea and the Middle East. Private properties were confiscated to build U.S. bases, and the base-dependent economy has hampered the growth of local industry. Fear of a Taiwan conflict rekindles bitter memories of the Battle of Okinawa. Historians and many residents say Okinawa was used as a pawn to save mainland Japan. There are also ancient tensions between Okinawa and the Japanese mainland, which annexed the islands, formerly the independent kingdom of the Ryukus, in 1879. Okinawa remains home to the majority of about 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan under a bilateral security pact. The island, which accounts for only 0.6% of Japanese land, hosts 70% of U.S. military facilities. Even 53 years after its reversion to Japan, Okinawa is burdened with the heavy U.S. presence and faces noise, pollution, aircraft accidents and crime related to American troops, the governor said. Nearly 2,000 tons of unexploded U.S. bombs remain in Okinawa, with some regularly dug up. A recent explosion at a storage site at a U.S. military base caused minor injuries to four Japanese soldiers. Remains of hundreds of war dead are still unrecovered on Okinawa, as the government's search and identification effort is slow to make progress.
Associated Press
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Okinawa marks 80 years since end of one of harshest WWII battles with pledge to share tragic history
TOKYO (AP) — Okinawa marked the 80th anniversary of the end of one of the harshest battles of World War II fought on the southern island. With global tensions escalating, its governor said on Monday it is the Okinawan 'mission' to keep telling the tragic history and its impact today. The Battle of Okinawa killed a quarter of the island's population, leading to a 27-year U.S. occupation and a heavy American troop presence to date. Monday's memorial comes one day after U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, adding to a sense of uncertainty on the island about the heavy American military presence and in its remote islands, already worried about getting embroiled in a potential conflict in Taiwan. Gov. Denny Tamaki, noting the escalating global conflicts and nuclear threats, made a resolve to contribute to global peace studies, disarmament and the preservation of war remains. 'It is our mission, as those living in the present, to preserve and pass on the reality and lessons to future generations.' Fierce battle and civilian deaths U.S. troops landed on the main Okinawa island on April 1, 1945, beginning a battle in their push toward mainland Japan. The Battle of Okinawa lasted nearly three months, killing some 200,000 people — about 12,000 Americans and more than 188,000 Japanese, half of them Okinawan civilians including students and victims forced into mass suicides by Japan's military. Okinawa was sacrificed by Japan's Imperial Army to defend the mainland, historians say. The island group remained under U.S. occupation until its reversion in 1972, two decades longer than most of Japan. Monday's memorial was held at the Mabuni Hill in Itoman City, where the remains of most of the war dead reside. Remembering the tragedy Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was in a hot seat when he attended Monday's ceremony. Weeks earlier, one of his ruling party lawmakers Shoji Nishida, known for whitewashing Japan's wartime atrocities, denounced an inscription on a famous cenotaph dedicated to students as 'rewriting history' by portraying the Japanese army as having caused their deaths, while Americans liberated Okinawa. Nishida also called Okinawa's history education 'a mess.' His remark triggered an uproar in Okinawa, forcing Ishiba days later to apologize to the island's governor, who had criticized the remark as outrageous and distorting history. The Himeyuri Cenotaph commemorates student nurses who were abandoned near the end of the battle and killed, some in group suicides with teachers. Japan's wartime military told the people never to surrender to the enemy, or die. Nishida's remarks add to concerns about the whitewashing of Japan's embarrassing wartime past as memories of the tragedy fade and ignorance about the suffering grows. Ishiba, at Monday's memorial, said Japan's peace and prosperity is built on the sacrifices of Okinawa's history of hardship and that it is the government's responsibility to 'devote ourselves to achieve a peaceful and prosperous Okinawa.' Postwar years and growing fear Okinawa remained under U.S. occupation from 1945 until the 1972 reversion to Japan. The U.S. military maintains a heavy presence there due to Okinawa's strategic importance for security in the Pacific. Their presence serves not only to help defend Japan but also for missions elsewhere, including in the South China Sea and the Middle East. Private properties were confiscated to build U.S. bases, and the base-dependent economy has hampered the growth of local industry. Fear of a Taiwan conflict rekindles bitter memories of the Battle of Okinawa. Historians and many residents say Okinawa was used as a pawn to save mainland Japan. There are also ancient tensions between Okinawa and the Japanese mainland, which annexed the islands, formerly the independent kingdom of the Ryukus, in 1879. Burden of history Okinawa remains home to the majority of about 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan under a bilateral security pact. The island, which accounts for only 0.6% of Japanese land, hosts 70% of U.S. military facilities. Even 53 years after its reversion to Japan, Okinawa is burdened with the heavy U.S. presence and faces noise, pollution, aircraft accidents and crime related to American troops, the governor said. Nearly 2,000 tons of unexploded U.S. bombs remain in Okinawa, with some regularly dug up. A recent explosion at a storage site at a U.S. military base caused minor injuries to four Japanese soldiers. Remains of hundreds of war dead are still unrecovered on Okinawa, as the government's search and identification effort is slow to make progress.
