Okinawa

Japanese island that was the site of one of the fiercest battles between Allied and Japanese forces during World War II. The island of Okinawa is now home to one of the largest U.S. Marine Corps military bases.

After the Japanese defeat in World War II, the United States occupied Okinawa and used the island as a major strategic base for American forces in Asia. A presence in Okinawa allowed the United States to project power in Asia and deter communist threats from the Soviet Union and China. In 1960, the United States signed the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security with Japan, which stipulated that the United States would respond to an attack against Japan and placed Japan under the protection of the U.S. nuclear umbrella. The treaty obligated Japan to provide land for U.S. military bases to be financed mainly by the Japanese. Okinawa was the site of the largest and most important of those bases.

Okinawa was officially returned to Japan in 1972, but the United States retained the right to station troops there indefinitely. The Marine Corps base on the island is one of the largest regular marine deployments in the world. There are currently about 20,000 marines stationed in Okinawa in addition to civilian employees and dependents. The total number of U.S. military and civilian personnel has been estimated at 52,000.

The large U.S. military presence on the island of Okinawa has been a source of contention with the local population and has placed strains on the U.S.–Japan security alliance. Because the island of Okinawa is becoming increasingly urbanized, there have been rising complaints from Okinawans over issues including the proximity of the large military facilities to urban areas, as well as environmental problems, training accidents, and crimes committed by U.S. personnel against local citizens. Despite these disputes, the United States is likely to continue to maintain a presence in Okinawa in light of potential trouble spots in East Asia such as Taiwan, China, and North Korea.