50 years after return, Okinawa's strategic importance grows for U.S.

With China still on the rise, I already expected this. But it is still a good thing that Okinawa is back in Japanese hands. If the US can't grow its military boot print in southern Japan, then it can look to other friendly countries in the western Pacific to host its forces instead. I mean, Japan places the US at the best position to counter China, but it also puts Okinawa in a precarious spot.

The island was also affected by the September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States as shifting military priorities led to efforts to reorganize U.S. forces, including those stationed in Japan.

Yeah and dont ever forget that there were thousands of US Military members, stationed in Okinawa, who were on the scene, following the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. Operation Tomodachi!

People with an agenda, like the media in Okinawa, and this "group" noted here, to push will always conveniently leave out the truly good and decent things that the US Military does here on Okinawa.

I'm sure that's exactly what the people of Okinawa want is to be the very first to be aware of and suffer greatly from any U.S. overstep in the Western Pacific. If America were to finally initiate the war it's behavior so strongly suggests it wants, with today's weapons and "strategic importance", Okinawa would be largely destroyed in the opening MINUTES of that war whoever fired first. It is grossly unfair and clearly pathological thinking by both the U.S. and Japanese governments to make the people of Okinawa into sacrificial victims for the benefit of the warmongers. Given what the People of Okinawa have sacrificed in the past to protect an unappreciative Japan ("Around 94,000 civilians, about a quarter of Okinawa's population at the time..."), and the level of destruction that occurred with what would seem now 'primitive' weapons, America and Japan's clear efforts to shield themselves behind massive death to these 'other' people is disgusting, but characteristic of the current craven and soulless leadership of both countries. ALL military resources, both U.S. and Japanese, should be removed and moved to unpopulated locations, however that might be accomplished, and Okinawa declared a neutral zone and preserved for its natural beauty and variety of life. But, of course, that would be TOO sane...

Give Okinawa independence and let them fend for themselves if that is what they want.

An independent Okinawa can become a tax free Asian financial center in tandem as a world class tourist destination. Or another US battleground.

Like any country that interests the US, it invades it, then uses it and finally abandons it..

TokyoLiving

Today 09:46 am JST

Like any country that interests the US, it invades it, then uses it and finally abandons it..

One: Okinawa isn't a country. Two: It was invaded as a stepping stone toward invading Japan during WW II, but the A-bomb took care of that part. Three: Okinawa is a part of Japan, which is also using it strategically and is the one that has pretty much abandoned it financially and otherwise. They were lied to by the government back then and nothing has changed.

Stories in the Japanese press, textbooks, and other sources constantly get the death toll from The Battle of Okinawa wrong. Almost always low (way low in the case of this story, 200,500). There is one definitive source: The actual names of all people who died in The Battle of Okinawa are listed at a memorial site, "The Cornerstone of Peace" in Okinawa. Names are in the person's language and grouped by country. Each name is backed by careful research. Names are added each year as more remains or other evidence is obtained. The current total is 249,000 human beings. Okinawa prefecture observes its own holiday, "Irei no Hi" (The way to console the dead) each year. The national government has refused to establish this as a holiday.

Well according to the agreement regarding US in Okinawa, America can stay there as long as they deem it necessary and nothing Okinawa or the J-Gov can do about it.

It really isn't up to Japan I guess that is the result of losing war.

If Japan wants, they can ask the US to leave. It will take a few years, leave a huge mess, create a local depression for about a decade after closure, but the US will leave. Expect the defense agreement to be drastically modified if that happens.

If that's fine for Japan, fantastic.

Does Japan want to help Taiwan resist China? Without the US close, how will that work?

William BjornsonToday 08:07 am JST

I'm sure that's exactly what the people of Okinawa want is to be the very first to be aware of and suffer greatly from any U.S. overstep in the Western Pacific. If America were to finally initiate the war it's behavior so strongly suggests it wants, with today's weapons and "strategic importance", Okinawa would be largely destroyed in the opening MINUTES of that war whoever fired first. It is grossly unfair and clearly pathological thinking by both the U.S. and Japanese governments to make the people of Okinawa into sacrificial victims for the benefit of the warmongers.

Hate to break it to you, but it is not only the Okinawans who are facing this fate: What do you think will happen to Tokyo and Yokohama given the proximity of several US bases in and around that area?

Fact is, the whole of Japan is in the firing line if America decides to go to war in Asia.

Has frustrated locals who have long chafed at the presence of foreign troops on their soil .

Who's soil ?

The okinawans or Japanese ?

Well...the locals the real locals not transplanted Japanese are Ryukyu natives and they are more concerned what the Japanese government will do .

The USA military has contributed more to Okinawa than Japan ever has .

Taiwan is a province of China and was originally part of the Ryukyu kingdom.

The USA isn't going to intervene in China's unification of Taiwan .

Japan would like to believe it could tell the USA military to leave but... that would more than likely make Okinawa a USA territory.

This is what happens when you wage war against the USA and surrender your country.

Japan wasn't only defeated it also surrendered it's country and that's why the Japanese constitution was written by foreigners.

The USA isn't innocent when it comes to involving itself in others conflicts .

However the USA doesn't have ridiculous territorial disputes and issues like Japan does.

Okinawa prefecture observes its own holiday, "Irei no Hi" (The way to console the dead) each year. The national government has refused to establish this as a holiday.

Keep in mind, Hiroshima Prefecture and Nagasaki Prefecture as well I believe, also have prefectural only holidays, to commemorate the atomic bombs that were dropped there.

Irei-no-hi sadly has lost a lot of it's meaning for the younger generation's

Kyo wa heiwa dayo neToday 12:52 pm JST

The USA isn't innocent when it comes to involving itself in others conflicts .

However the USA doesn't have ridiculous territorial disputes and issues like Japan does.

yes all solved by Yankees in 18-19th Century,just ask native american Indians.../irony off/,say Wounded Knee etc and list goes on...

Someone mentioned Operation "Tomodachi"

Some "friends" these turned out to be:

https://japantoday.com/category/national/79-u-s-sailors-sue-tepco-over-radiation

It was just another PR caper.

I note that the article itself has mysteriously been removed, but the headline remains,

"79 U.S. sailors sue TEPCO over radiation during Operation Tomodachi"

Fact is, the whole of Japan is in the firing line if America decides to go to war in Asia.

I saw Japan described as "Uncle Sam's Asian meat shield" somewhere on the internet recently. An ugly expression but very much straight to the point.

Fact is, the whole of Japan is in the firing line if America decides to go to war in Asia.

Some of you are supremely naive. If US forces leave Japan, including Okinawa, China will attack in earnest. Taiwan and Okinawa would be taken outright and kept as part of China. Japanese cities would be flattened by air and missile attacks. You simply cannot get into your heads that most Chinese and in particular the CCP hate Japan for what they did to them during WWII and before. The CCP and Chinese nationalists burn for revenge. Those US forces you claim to hate so much are the only thing between you and a destructive war you have no possibility of winning alone.

Fact is, the whole of Japan is in the firing line if America decides to go to war in Asia.

Not really. Only mainland China would consider attacking Japan if there is a war with China, and only with China. I doubt China would get directly involved even if NK attacks Japan or SK, pulling the US into the conflict. Asia is much more than China.

Japan has very little to be worried about, unless a minor incident at sea enforcing territorial claims for uninhabited islands begins a shooting war with Russia or China.

I can't see Japan and Taiwan in a shooting war.

If you want to see the US squirm, a skirmish between Japan and SK could do it.

However the USA doesn't have ridiculous territorial disputes and issues like Japan does.

Sadly, the US does. Canada and the US have 4 disputes over territories/borders. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20191215-the-little-known-us-canada-border-war There are a number of US areas that can only be entered by land through Canada. Some US mail has to be delivered through the Canada Post to US territories. The state capitol of Alaska is water-bound too.

I think the claims by both Canada and the US are sorta funny, but Americans and Canadians still remember when Canada invaded Washington DC and burned the White House down. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/today-we-celebrate-the-time-canada-burned-down-the-white-house-127844144/

The US decided long ago that using distance from enemies was a good thing, so that's why there are so many US military people deployed outside the US and why the carrier fleet is the largest in the world. If you fight at remote locations, local attacks on US soil will be relatively small. That's what Sept 11 was about ... and Bin Laden misjudged the response. He expected a few cruise missiles, not wars that took over in 2 countries. Projecting power away from America is expensive in more ways than just money.

@theFu

Japan has very little to be worried about

Are you trying to convince yourself of that ? Because Japan is always worried about it's superiority and territorial issues are obviously an issue.

Sadly the US does

No the USA and Canda doesn't have ridiculous feeble territorial issues like Japan does with Russia ,Korea,China whilst be occupied by a foreign military.

Juneau Alaska is most certainly not a territorial issue with Canada.

Alaska was purchased from Russia before becoming part of the Union.

Perhaps your referring to Hyder that was a necessary deep water port used to rid a USA ship of undesirables ?

Besides the USA and Canada are very strong allies and destined for the Northern alliance.

Perhaps your unaware of where all the settlers and immigrants came from that make up the majority of USA and Canada.

Japan's territorial issues are completely different and quite pathetic.

No the USA and Canda doesn't have ridiculous feeble territorial issues like Japan does with Russia ,Korea,China whilst be occupied by a foreign military.

You've lost me here. I don't understand this sentence. Who is occupying whom?