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Okinawa is celebrating the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II’s most bloody battle. The governor called for further reduction of the US military presence as local concerns about the islands of southern Japan being involved in regional military tensions increased. ..
About 200,000 people died in the Battle of Okinawa, and nearly half of them were residents of Okinawa. Japan’s wartime troops essentially sacrificed locals in an attempt to delay the United States’ landing on the main island.
Many in Okinawa are worried about the expansion of Japan’s missile defense and amphibious capabilities on remote islands near geopolitical hotspots such as Taiwan.
At the ceremony on June 23, 1945, when the war ended, about 300 attendees from Okinawa, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, prayed silently at noon and placed chrysanthemums for the war dead. The number of attendees has been reduced due to concerns about the coronavirus.
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At a ceremony in Itoman, Okinawa, Governor Tamaki talked about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the destruction of towns, buildings and local culture, and the constant fear of Ukrainians. Okinawa’s ground battle involving citizens 77 years ago “
“We were in an indescribable shock,” he said.
Mr. Tamaki also vowed to continue his efforts to abolish nuclear weapons and abandon the war “to prevent Okinawa from becoming a battlefield.”
In May, Okinawa celebrated its 50th anniversary since returning to Japan in 1972. This is 20 years after the occupation of the United States ended in most of the country.
Today, a majority of the 50,000 US troops based in Japan under a bilateral security agreement and 70% of US military facilities are still in Okinawa, which occupies only 0.6% of Japan’s land.
Because Okinawa is a US military base, Tamaki said he is facing noise, pollution, accidents and crimes related to the US military.
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Fumio Kishida acknowledged the need for further government efforts to reduce the burden on Okinawa from U.S. military bases and more support for the island’s economic development, which lags behind the 27-year U.S. occupation. ..
In Okinawa, resentment and frustration are deeply rooted in the high presence of the United States and the lack of efforts to negotiate with Washington to balance the security burden between mainland Japan and the southern island nations.
Fumio Kishida will say that in the coming years, including the enemy’s ability to attack, critics say it will interfere with Japan’s peace constitution because of the deteriorating security environment in rural waters facing threats from China, North Korea and Russia. Promised to strengthen Japan’s military power and budget.