Unresolved problems of Okinawa: Towards the 50th anniversary of Okinawa Prefecture’s reversion to Japan

Abstract

The article addresses the current problems of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, the origins of which should be sought in the post-war history of the Ryukyu Islands, which were put under the occupation of the United States in 1945–1972. The authors have identified several problems that remain unresolved after Japan regained all legal and administrative rights to Okinawa in 1972. These issues include the economic development of Okinawa lagging behind the so-called “Japan proper” and the high concentration of American military bases and American servicepersons, which also exerts negative influence on the environmental and security situations in the island. Currently, more than 70% of all US military bases in Japan are located in Okinawa Prefecture. Against the background of emerging threats to regional and national security of Japan, which are associated with China’s growing military power and its territorial claims against Japan, as well as fears of change of the global order due to Russia conducting the special military operation in Ukraine and the escalation of tensions over Taiwan, the government of Japan tends to continue fulfilling their allied obligations to the United States. In this regard, the reduction of US military presence in Okinawa seems unlikely. On the contrary, future militarization of the region is to be expected. Meanwhile, prefectural authorities and the islands’ residents fear that, in the case of a military conflict, Okinawa will be the main target of enemy strikes. The results of public opinion polls of Okinawa residents, which have been conducted since the 1970s to the present times, show that, while the level of public support for the reversion of Okinawa to Japan is high, at the same time, dissatisfaction with the presence of US military bases in Okinawa persists. Most Okinawans support either a complete withdrawal of military facilities from the territory of the prefecture, or a fair division of the burden of US military bases’ presence with other prefectures, emphasizing their own distinct identity.