Generational Divides in Okinawa: Perspectives on U.S. Military Presence

Abstract

In the southernmost part of Japan, only 750 kilometres away from Taiwan, Okinawa Island holds approximately 70% of the U.S. military installations in Japan. Okinawans’ antipathy towards the U.S. military bases that have continued to exist from the end of WW2 to the present day, as well as base-related incidents and accidents, continue to be serious problems in the region, even more than 50 years after Okinawa reverted to Japan. Amidst tense international situations like the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Taiwan crisis, the anti-U.S. military movement spurred by a protest against an ongoing base relocation plan is now attracting more attention than before. This research investigates the generational divides in attitudes towards base issues among the younger and older generations in Okinawa, specifically focusing on their perceptions of the U.S. military presence in relation to “national security” and “economy”.