EXPLAINER: Why Frustration Lingers in Okinawa 50 Years Later
Okinawa was sacrificed by Japan's imperial army to defend the mainland, historians say. The island group remained under U.S. occupation for 20 years longer than most of Japan, until 1972.The U.S. military recognized Okinawa's strategic importance for Pacific security and planned to maintain its troop presence to deter Russia and communism in the region.
Economic, educational and social development in Okinawa lagged behind as Japan enjoyed a postwar economic surge that was helped by lower defense spending because of the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.File Photo: Relatives of victims of the Battle of Okinawa at the closing days of World War II touch the Cornerstone of Peace memorial in Itoman city on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, on June 23, 2005.
Many Okinawans demanded tax reform, wage increases and better social welfare systems to correct disparities between Okinawa and the rest of Japan. Okinawa’s average household income is the lowest and its unemployment is the highest of Japan's 47 prefectures. If land taken by the U.S. military is returned to the prefecture for other use, it would produce three times more income for Okinawa than the island now makes from bases, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said.
Despite 72% opposition in Okinawa's 2019 referendum, Tokyo has forced the construction of a new runway at Henoko Bay off Okinawa’s eastern coast. Opponents have cited environmental destruction, structural problems and soaring costs. But the prospects for completion remain uncertain. There are also ancient tensions between Okinawa and the Japanese mainland, which annexed the islands, formerly the independent kingdom of the Ryukus, in 1879.
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