◎ Heo Donghyun
A robbery and murder case involving U.S. soldiers stationed in Japan occurred in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan on October 3. After the incident, the US military stationed in Okinawa announced that it would implement 30-day control measures starting from October 9, prohibiting officers and soldiers from going out and drinking alcohol between 0:00 and 5:00 in the morning. However, on the 31st of the same month, another US soldier was arrested by the Japanese police on suspicion of drunk driving, which once again raised questions about the discipline of the US military.
A robbery and murder case involving U.S. soldiers stationed in Japan occurred in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan on October 3. People gathered in front of the Prime Minister's official residence in Tokyo on October 5 to protest. (AFP file photo) In the Okinawa Prefecture governor election held on September 13, Genta Furusha (42 years old), supported by the Liberal Democratic Party, defeated Tamaki Dani (66 years old) who has served as governor since 2018. Although Tamaki has a father who is a U.S. Army soldier, he has long criticized the policy of U.S. troops stationed in Okinawa and has received support from the cross-party alliance "All Okinawa" (All Okinawa).
Koshe's election was originally seen as conducive to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's promotion of the "Southwestern Defense" policy. However, the crime problem of the US military has long plagued Okinawa. The recent series of incidents may add resistance to the Japanese government's security policy.
Takaichi stated in Congress in November 2025 that "something happened in Taiwan" may constitute an "existential crisis situation" in Japan. In February this year, the Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the House of Representatives election. As Taiwan's local elections in November receive increasing attention, if anti-U.S. military sentiment is revived in Okinawa, which is adjacent to Taiwan, it may also bring uncertainty to regional security cooperation.
The complex feelings of Okinawa residents towards Japan and the United States have their historical background. Okinawa was once the core area of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Japan changed it to Ryukyu Domain in 1872 and officially established Okinawa Prefecture in 1879. This process is called the "Ryukyu Disposal". During the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, a large number of civilians lost their lives, and some residents were forced to commit mass suicide under pressure from the Japanese army, leaving behind the historical memory of "Okinawa being sacrificed by the Japanese mainland."
Genta Furusha (front row, center), a candidate supported by the Sanae government in Takaichi, Japan, won the Okinawa Prefecture governor election on September 13. (AFP file photo) After the war, Okinawa was under the administration of the United States for a long time and did not return to Japan until 1972. Today, about 70% of Japan's dedicated facilities are still concentrated in Okinawa, and the bases account for about 15% of the main island of Okinawa, causing some residents to believe that the burden on the bases is unfairly distributed. However, Okinawa is deeply influenced by American culture, and some residents have friendly relations with Americans and U.S. military families. Opposing the base does not necessarily mean being anti-American.
The US military also distinguishes Okinawa from mainland Japan in terms of military deployment. When the author talked with US military personnel stationed in Japan, I found that they often explained the two separately when introducing the base. This may be related to Okinawa's long-term rule by the US military, the huge local military facilities, and the close ties between the US military and local society.
According to the U.S.-Japan Status Agreement, qualified U.S. military personnel are exempt from general entry inspections, and there are also special arrangements for the jurisdiction of criminal cases and detention procedures; these regulations apply throughout Japan.
In 1995, three US military personnel kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl, triggering approximately 85,000 people to participate in a protest rally. Japan and the United States subsequently agreed to return the Futenma Airfield in 1996, and in 1999 decided to use Henoko in Nago City as the relocation location. However, opponents argue that moving the base to another part of Okinawa does not really reduce the burden on the local area.
In 2014, the "All Okinawa" alliance opposed Henoko's transfer swept the governor's election and four small Okinawa constituencies in the House of Representatives, and continued to hold the governor's position until 2026. In addition, in the 2019 county residents’ vote, about 72% of the valid votes were against Henoko’s reclamation.
However, since 2018, some people in the business community have gradually distanced themselves from the alliance due to dissatisfaction with the alliance's decision-making methods and the increasingly clear influence of innovative parties such as the Social Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party; Tamaki's visit to China in 2023 was also criticized by conservatives. In February this year, the Liberal Democratic Party swept four small House of Representatives constituencies in Okinawa and regained the governorship in September.
Tamaki Dani, the former governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, visited China in 2023 and was criticized by conservatives. . (AP file photo) On the other hand, due to factors such as the anti-base movement, the relocation of the Futenma base has not yet been completed. In addition, in March this year, a boat carrying high school students from Kyoto participating in Henoko peace study activities capsized, killing one student and a captain, raising questions about the safety management of the anti-base movement. However, it is still difficult to determine whether the accident has changed the attitude of county residents towards the relocation of the base.
After Gushe was elected, the differences between Okinawa and the central government on base policies might have narrowed, but the incident involving the US military in October once again triggered protests. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated on November 2 that he has asked the United States to completely implement travel restrictions.
As the political landscape of Okinawa changes, it is still worth continuing to observe whether the long-standing problems of US military crime and base burden will once again become an obstacle to Japan's promotion of its southwest defense policy and further become a variable affecting Taiwan's security situation.
Affected by factors such as the anti-base movement, the relocation of Futenma Base has not yet been completed. (AP file photo) (The author is a freelance writer)
