Japan’s Okinawa marks half century since US handover

The Japanese island chain of Okinawa marked the 50th anniversary of the end of US occupation and its return to Japan yesterday, with calls for more economic growth and fewer US bases despite growing worries over its proximity to an increasingly assertive China.

Okinawa, a string of tropical islands off far southwest Japan much closer to Taiwan than Tokyo, suffered massive devastation in World War 2.

Nearly 30 years of US rule followed.

On May 15 1972, the islands were finally returned to Japan in what was seen as a hopeful step forward from the war’s painful legacy.

But today they still host the majority of US military bases in Japan, a devil’s bargain that has provided jobs but also fed worries about crime and military accidents.

Now, as China grows increasingly assertive in the Pacific region and tensions rise around nearby Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province, Okinawans are concerned that they could once more end up on the front lines — especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“These are small islands,” said a protester on the island of Miyako, host to Japan’s newest army base, declining to give her name.

“Building up a military base will not protect them, but rather make them a target of attack.”

Okinawans have long resented having to bear the outsize burden of hosting US bases, and the issue has occasionally sparked massive protests.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida acknowledged this, as well as the economic inequalities that still make Okinawa one of Japan’s poorest areas, in remarks at a government ceremony in Okinawa.

“Even now, 50 years on, Okinawa still bears a heavy burden,” he said.

In a written message, US President Joe Biden — who will visit Japan this week — lauded bilateral ties and shared values.

“I am profoundly grateful for Japan’s resolute support for democracy, freedom, and the rule of law and for Okinawa’s contribution to advancing these ideals,” he said.