It has been 72 years since the San Francisco Peace Treaty was promulgated, with the relocation of US Military bases from Yamanishi, Shizuoka, and Gifu Prefectures, in mainland Japan, to Okinawa. (29ap24)

Splendor of Okinawa: Purpletop Vervain, roadside Futenma, 26ap24



It has been 72 years since  the San Francisco Peace Treaty came into effect on 28 April 1952, which cut post-war Okinawa off from Japan and placed it under US Government authority, the so-called Day of Humiliation.

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Even after Okinawa’s reversion to Japan, that treaty still invites the concentration of bases in that prefecture.


In the 1950s, movements in opposition to US Military bases in Japan spread widely. The outcry over the occurrence of crimes and accidents emanating from the US bases, as well as citizen movements for peace, which flared up with such opportunities, caused the withdrawal of the US Marines from Yamanishi, Shizuoka, and Gifu Prefectures. 


However, the Marines were redeployed to Okinawa, which was the under US Government administration. Ever since then, the majority of Marines in Japan seem to get placed in Okinawa


Okinawa was reverted to Japan’s control on 15 May 1972. At that time, the total area devoted to US Military facilities in Okinawa was 27,892.5 hectares. That amounted to 58.8% of the total for all of Japan being apportioned to Okinawa Prefecture.


After 50 years had passed since then, as of 31 March 2022. But, in a relatively huge rise, during those years, 70.3% of all facilities dedicated to the US Military in Japan had been centered in Okinawa Prefecture.


Of course when compared to the data at the time of reversion, the 18,452.5 hectares now designated for US Military facilities seems to be a decrease of over 30%.


However, although the pace of return of US Military base facilities out of the prefecture has progressed, the level of concentration within it has proportionately risen.


Prior to China’s sudden rise to great nation status, the region around Okinawa was calm compared to the present. But, the lack of progress in base reduction during that period has had great repercussions.


With rising military tensions over the situation in Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands,  at the present, a reduction in the base burden for Okinawa has become muddied.


With the start of China’s strengthened  advance into nearby seas in 2010, the Japan Self Defense Force (SDF) has proceeded swiftly to prepare  bases in the Southwest (Ryukyu) Island Chain.


Meanwhile, the total area of US Military use facilities and SDF facilities, simply calculated from their low in 2018,  have basically increased.


Governor Denny Tamaki constantly claims that the increase in SDF strength, with the US Military left as is without any structural decrease, “amounts to an in tease in Okinawa’s base burden”, driving a nail into the Government’s stance.


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published, Sunday 28 April 2024 at 19:00

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/29e27a9d0b80f9a56b95d33f63bb17ef0949af66


Denny in the News: news about Governor Denny Tamaki.


Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 


This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 


Any suggestion on improving my translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.


Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

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