Okinawa marks 49 years since return to Japan rule

May 16, 2021 | News On Japan

May 16, 2021 (NHK) - Japan's southwestern prefecture of Okinawa has marked the 49th year since its return to the country from US rule. People have held a rally to call for removal of US bases that are concentrated in the island prefecture.

Around 40 members of civic groups and labor unions gathered on Saturday in front of US Marine Corps Camp Foster, also known as Camp Zukeran, where the US military in Okinawa is headquartered.

People from across the prefecture usually take part in a "Peace March" to commemorate the May 15 anniversary. However, the march this year was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking on behalf of the organizers, Yamashiro Hiroji said 49 years have passed quickly, but that peace without bases has still not materialized in Okinawa. He added that the bases have actually been strengthened.

About 70 percent of the area used exclusively by US forces in Japan is concentrated in Okinawa. Local residents have had to put up with airplane noise, low-altitude flights and unruly behavior of US service personnel.

In a bid to reduce the burden on Okinawa, steps are being taken to relocate the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station to a less populated area within the prefecture. Landfill work is underway at the planned relocation site off the coast of Henoko, despite local opposition.

Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny plans to call on both the Japanese and US governments to reduce the area occupied by the US military facilities in Okinawa to less than 50 percent of the total area across Japan, in the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of the reversion next year.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.