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is a subordinate unified command of the
United States Indo-Pacific Command United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region. Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its inception in 1947, ...
(USINDOPACOM). It was activated at Fuchū Air Station in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, on 1 July 1957 to replace the Far East Command. USFJ is commanded by the Commander, US Forces Japan (COMUSJAPAN) who is dual-hatted as commander of the Fifth Air Force. U.S. Forces Japan is currently headquartered at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo. COMUSJAPAN plans, directs, and supervises the execution of missions and responsibilities assigned by the Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (COMUSINDOPACOM). They establish and implement policies to accomplish the mission of the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
in Japan and are responsible for developing plans for the defense of the country. USFJ supports the Security Treaty and administers the
Status of Forces Agreement A status of forces agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing military forces in that country. SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security ...
(SOFA) between the United States and Japan. They are responsible for coordinating various matters of interest with the service commanders in Japan. These include matters affecting US-Japan relationships among and between the
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...
; DOD agencies and the U.S. Ambassador to Japan; and DOD agencies and the
Government of Japan The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state ...
(GOJ). Under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, the United States is obliged to provide Japan in close cooperation with the
Japan Self-Defense Forces The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, th ...
, with maritime defense, ballistic missile defense, domestic air control, communications security, and disaster response.


History

After the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in Asia, the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
assumed administrative authority in Japan. The Japanese Imperial Army and
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
were decommissioned, and the U.S. Armed Forces took control of Japanese
military bases A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...
until a new government could be formed and positioned to reestablish authority. Allied forces planned to
demilitarize Demilitarisation or demilitarization may mean the reduction of state armed forces; it is the opposite of militarisation in many respects. For instance, the demilitarisation of Northern Ireland entailed the reduction of British security and military ...
Japan, and the new government adopted the
Constitution of Japan The Constitution of Japan (Shinjitai: , Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ) is the constitution of Japan and the supreme law in the state. Written primarily by American civilian officials working under the Allied occupation of Japa ...
with a no-armed-force clause in 1947. After the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
began in 1950,
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...
, the
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) to the Japanese government, aiming to suppress its "milit ...
in Japan and the Japanese government established the paramilitary "
National Police Reserve The , or NPR, was a lightly armed national police force established in August 1950 during the Allied occupation of Japan. In October 1952, it was expanded to 110,000 men and renamed as the . On July 1, 1954, it was reorganized as the Japan Ground ...
", which was later developed into the
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
(JGSDF). In 1951, the
Treaty of San Francisco The , also called the , re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers on behalf of the United Nations by ending the legal state of war and providing for redress for hostile actions up to and including World War II. It w ...
was signed by the allied countries and Japan, which restored its formal sovereignty. At the same time, the U.S. and Japan signed the Japan-America Security Alliance. By this treaty, USFJ is responsible for the defense of Japan. As part of this agreement, the Japanese government requested that the U.S. military bases remain in Japan, and agreed to provide funds and various interests specified in the
Status of Forces Agreement A status of forces agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing military forces in that country. SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security ...
. At the expiration of the treaty, the United States and Japan signed the new Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan. The status of the United States Forces Japan was defined in the U.S.–Japan Status of Forces Agreement. This treaty is still in effect, and it forms the basis of Japan's foreign policy. During the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, US military bases in Japan, especially those in the
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
, were used as important strategic and logistic bases. In 1970, the
Koza riot The was a violent and spontaneous protest against the US military presence in Okinawa, which occurred on the night of December 20, 1970, into the morning of the following day. Roughly 5,000 Okinawans clashed with roughly 700 American MPs in an ...
occurred against the US military presence on Okinawa. The USAF
strategic bomber A strategic bomber is a medium- to long-range Penetrator (aircraft), penetration bomber aircraft designed to drop large amounts of air-to-ground weaponry onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating the enemy's capacity to wage war. Unl ...
s were deployed in the bases on Okinawa, which were still administered by the U.S. government. Before the 1972 reversion of the island to Japanese administration, it has been speculated but never confirmed that up to 1,200 nuclear weapons may have been stored at Kadena Air Base on
Okinawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...
during the 1960s. , there are approximately 50,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan, along with approximately 40,000 dependents of military personnel and another 5,500 American civilians employed there by the
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...
. The
United States Seventh Fleet The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of ...
is based in Yokosuka,
Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kanag ...
. The
3rd Marine Expeditionary Force III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and ...
(III MEF) is based on
Okinawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...
. 130 USAF fighters are stationed in the Misawa Air Base and Kadena Air Base.Yoshida, Reiji,
Basics of the U.S. military presence
, ''
Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...
'', 25 March 2008, p. 3.
The
Japanese government The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state, ...
paid ¥217 billion (US$2.0 billion) in 2007 as annual host-nation support called . As of the 2011 budget, such payment was no longer to be referred to as ''omoiyari yosan'' or "sympathy budget". Japan compensates 75 percent of U.S. basing costs — $4.4 billion. Immediately after the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The occurred at 14:46 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peni ...
, 9,720 dependents of United States military and government civilian employees in Japan evacuated the country, mainly to the United States. The relocation of the U.S.
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 3,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and other units, and has been a U.S. military ...
to Henoko was resolved in December 2013 with the signing of a landfill agreement by the governor of Okinawa. Under the terms of the U.S.-Japan agreement, five thousand U.S. Marines were relocated to
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
and four thousand U.S. Marines to other Pacific locations such as
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
or
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
while around ten thousand Marines were to remain on
Okinawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...
. No timetable for the Marines redeployment was announced, but ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' reported that U.S. Marines would leave Okinawa as soon as suitable facilities on Guam and elsewhere were ready. The relocation move was expected to cost 8.6 billion US dollars, including a $3.1bn cash commitment from Japan for the move to Guam as well as for developing joint training ranges on Guam and on Tinian and
Pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. I ...
in the
Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonw ...
. Certain parcels of land on Okinawa which were leased for use by the American military were supposed to be turned back to Japanese control via a long-term phased return process according to the agreement. These returns have been ongoing since 1972. In October 2020, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz was activated on
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
. The new base is meant to house Marine relocated from Okinawa, with the final relocation planned for 2025. In May 2014, in a strategic shift by the United States to Asia and the Pacific, it was revealed the US was deploying two unarmed Global Hawk long-distance surveillance drones to Japan for surveillance missions over
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
and
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
.


United States presence debate

As of May 2022, the stationing of U.S. military personnel at military facilities across Okinawa Island remains a hotly-contested and controversial issue, with the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma often being at the forefront of protests against the presence of U.S. military presence on the island. Despite an agreement to relocate Marine Corps Air Station Futenma first being reached by the Japanese and U.S. governments in 1996, progress to relocate the base has stalled due to widespread anti-base protests across Okinawa centering on concerns relating to crimes perpetrated by U.S. military personnel stationed on Okinawa and the existence of environmental pollution resulting from the construction, operation and potential relocation of U.S. military bases on Okinawa. Okinawa makes up only 0.6 percent of the nation's land area; yet, approximately 62% of United States bases in Japan (exclusive use only) are on Okinawa. The U.S. government employs over eight thousand Master Labor Contract (MLC)/Indirect Hire Agreement (IHA) workers on Okinawa (per the Labor Management Organization), not including Okinawan contract workers.


Survey among Japanese

In 2002, 73.4% of Japanese citizens stated that the Japan-US security treaty is useful for Japan's peace and security but part of the population demands a reduction in the number of U.S. military bases on Okinawa. In May 2010, a survey of the Okinawan people conducted by the ''
Mainichi Shimbun The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English language news website called ''The Mainichi'' (prev ...
'' and the '' Ryūkyū Shimpō'', found that 71% of Okinawans surveyed thought that the presence of Marines on Okinawa was not necessary (15% said it was necessary). When asked what they thought about 62% of exclusive use United States Forces Japan bases being concentrated on Okinawa, 50% said that the number should be reduced and 41% said that the bases should be removed. When asked about the US-Japan security treaty, 55% said it should be a peace treaty, 14% said it should be abolished, and 7% said it should be maintained. Many of the bases, such as Yokota Air Base,
Naval Air Facility Atsugi is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean and once housed the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), which ...
and Kadena Air Base, are located in the vicinity of residential districts, and local citizens have complained about excessive aircraft noise. The 2014 poll by ''Ryūkyū Shimpō'' found that 80% of surveyed Okinawans want the
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 3,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and other units, and has been a U.S. military ...
moved out of the prefecture. On 25 June 2018, Okinawan residents protested against the construction of a new airfield intended for the US military base in the United States. The activists, armed with placards and banners, went to sea on seventy boats and ships. Protesters urged the Japanese authorities to stop the expansion of the US military presence on the island. Some of the boats went to the guarded construction site, where they came across the Coast Guard patrol vessels. Some activists were arrested for entering a prohibited zone. On 11 August 2018, about 70,000 protesters gathered at a park in the prefecture capital of Naha to protest the planned relocation of a U.S military base on the southern Japanese island. Opponents of the relocation say the plan to move U.S.
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 3,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and other units, and has been a U.S. military ...
from a crowded neighborhood to a less-populated coastal site would not only affect the environment, but would also go against local wishes to have the base moved from the island entirely.


Status of forces agreement

There is also debate over the
Status of Forces Agreement A status of forces agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing military forces in that country. SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security ...
due to the fact that it covers a variety of administrative technicalities blending the systems which control how certain situations are handled between the U.S.'s and Japan's legal framework.


United States service member behavior

Between 1972 and 2009, U.S. servicemen committed 5,634 criminal offenses, including 25 murders, 385 burglaries, 25 arsons, 127 rapes, 306 assaults, and 2,827 thefts. Yet, per
Marine Corps Installations Pacific Marine Corps Installations Pacific (MCIPAC) is the single, regional authority for accountability of regional installation management resources and services within the Pacific area of operations. MCIPAC was established to increase regional installa ...
data, U.S. service members are convicted of far fewer crimes than local Okinawans. According to the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, when U.S. personnel crimes are committed both off-duty and off-base, they should always be prosecuted under the Japanese law. On 12 February 2008, the National Police Agency (of Japan) or NPA, released its annual criminal statistics that included activity within the Okinawa prefecture. These findings held American troops were only convicted of 53 crimes per 10,000 U.S. male servicemen, while Okinawan males were convicted of 366 crimes per 10,000. The crime rate found a U.S. serviceman on Okinawa to be 86% less likely to be convicted of a crime by the Japanese government than an Okinawan male.


Crime

At the beginning of the
occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States ...
, in 1945, many U.S. soldiers participated in the Special Comfort Facility Association. The Japanese government enslaved 55,000 women to work providing sexual services to US military personnel. The Association was closed by the
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) to the Japanese government, aiming to suppress its "milit ...
. In more recent history, "crimes ranging from rape to assault and hit-and-run accidents by U.S. military personnel, dependents and civilians have long sparked protests in the prefecture," stated ''
The Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched b ...
''. "A series of horrific crimes by present and former U.S. military personnel stationed on Okinawa has triggered dramatic moves to try to reduce the American presence on the island and in Japan as a whole," commented ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
'' in 2009. In 1995, the abduction and rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl by two U.S. Marines and one U.S. sailor led to demands for the removal of all U.S. military bases in Japan. Other controversial incidents include helicopter crashes, the Girard incident, the Michael Brown Okinawa assault incident, the death of the Kinjo family and the death of Yuki Uema. In February 2008, a 38-year-old U.S. Marine based on Okinawa was arrested in connection with the reported rape of a 14-year-old Okinawan girl. This triggered waves of protest against American military presence on Okinawa and led to tight restrictions on off-base activities. Although the accuser withdrew her charges, the U.S. military court-martialed the suspect and sentenced him to four years in prison under the stricter rules of the military justice system. U.S. Forces Japan designated 22 February as a "Day of Reflection" for all U.S. military facilities in Japan, and established the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Task Force in an effort to prevent similar incidents. In November 2009, Staff Sgt. Clyde "Drew" Gunn, a U.S. Army soldier stationed at Torii Station was involved in a hit-and-run accident of a pedestrian in Yomitan Village on Okinawa. Later, in April 2010, the soldier was charged with failing to render aid and vehicular manslaughter. Staff Sgt. Gunn, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was eventually sentenced to two years and eight months in jail on 15 October 2010. In 2013, two U.S. military personnel, Seaman Christopher Browning of
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, Texas, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Skyler Dozierwalker of Muskogee, Oklahoma, were found guilty by the Naha District Court of raping and robbing a woman in her 20s in a parking lot in October. Both admitted committing the crime. The case outraged many Okinawans, a number of whom have long complained of military-related crime on their island, which hosts thousands of U.S. troops. It also sparked tougher restrictions for all 50,000 U.S. military personnel in Japan, including a curfew and drinking restrictions. On 13 May 2013, in a controversial statement,
Toru Hashimoto TORU or Toru may refer to: *TORU, spacecraft system *Toru (given name), Japanese male given name *Toru, Pakistan Toru Mardan Toru is a village and union council in Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It has an altitude of 291 m (958 fe ...
, co-leader of the Japan Restoration Association said to a senior American military official at the Marine Corps base on Okinawa that "we can’t control the sexual energy of these brave marines." He said that United States soldiers should make more use of the local adult entertainment industry to reduce sexual crimes against local women. Hashimoto also spoke of the necessity of former Japanese Army
comfort women Comfort women or comfort girls were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term "comfort women" is a translation of the Japanese '' ian ...
and of prostitutes for the U.S. military in other countries such as Korea. In June 2016, after a civilian worker at the base was charged with murdering a Japanese woman, thousands of people protested on Okinawa. Organizers estimated turnout at 65,000 people, which was the largest anti-base protests on Okinawa since 1995. In November 2017, an intoxicated U.S. service member was arrested following a vehicle crash on Okinawa that killed the other driver.


Osprey deployment on Okinawa

In October 2012, twelve MV-22 Ospreys were transferred to the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to replace aging Vietnam-era
Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is a medium-lift tandem-rotor transport helicopter powered by twin turboshaft engines. It was designed by Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol following Vertol's acquisition by Boeing. Development o ...
helicopters on Okinawa. In October 2013, an additional 12 Ospreys arrived, again to replace CH-46 Sea Knights, increasing the number of Ospreys to 24. Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto explained that the Osprey aircraft is safe, adding that two recent accidents were "caused by human factors". Japanese Prime Minister
Yoshihiko Noda is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 2011 to 2012. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the House of Representatives (lower house) in the Diet (national legislature). He was named to succeed Naoto ...
also stated that the Japanese government was convinced of the MV-22's safety. Various incidents involving V-22 Ospreys have occurred on Okinawa. On 5 April 2018, it was announced that the U.S. Air Force would officially deploy CV-22 Osprey aircraft at its Yokota Air Base on the outskirts of Tokyo. The deployment would be the first of Ospreys in Japan other than on Okinawa, where the U.S. Marines had already deployed their version of the aircraft, known as the MV-22s.


Environmental concerns

More recently, environmental concerns have taken the forefront of the debate over the presence of U.S. military forces on the island of Okinawa. Since the late 1990s, environmental concerns elevated by both local residents as well as larger Okinawan and Japanese environmental action groups and independent activists have often resulted in public protests and demonstrations against the relocation of existing U.S. military bases and the construction of new replacement facilities, which have been labelled by some as examples of "modern colonialism". In particular, lingering environmental concerns over the disruption or destruction of coastal and marine habitats off the shores of Okinawa from construction, relocation and operation of U.S. military bases on Okinawa, has resulted in the protracted and continuing delayal of plans to relocate military facilities, such as Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.


Okinawa dugong lawsuit

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, initial plans to relocate Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to a new facility located offshore in Henoko Bay were met with strong resistance after sightings of dugong were reported in areas surrounding territory earmarked for the relocated airbase. A critically endangered species, dugong were traditionally fished and hunted throughout Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands. This drew the attention of local, national and international environmental action groups, who raised concerns that land reclamation projects tied to the construction of a new offshore airbase in Henoko Bay would result in the destruction of nearby dugong habitats and coastal ecosystems. Despite this, plans were set forth to continue ahead with the relocation of the base, notably, flouting the results of a 1997 referendum where the majority voted to reject a replacement facility. In opposition to this, in September 2003, a group of Okinawan, Japanese and U.S. environmental organizations filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Federal Court to protest the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. This lawsuit, initially entitled ''Okinawa Dugong v. Rumsfeld'', argued that the U.S. Department of Defense failed to consider the impacts that relocating the base would have upon the local dugong population, in turn, violating the U.S. National Historic Preservation Act. This case was closed in January 2008; notably for the plaintiffs, it was ruled that the Department of Defense, by not considering the impacts of the relocated airbase upon the local dugong population, had in fact violated the National Historic Preservation Act, thus delaying the relocation of the base.


Water contamination

Concerns over water contamination have also exasperated recent tensions surrounding the presence of U.S. military bases in Okinawa. In June 2020, following the announcement of an earlier leak of firefighting foam from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in April 2020, a water quality study conducted by the Japanese
Ministry of the Environment An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...
published findings of elevated contamination levels of
PFOS Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (conjugate base perfluorooctanesulfonate) is a chemical compound having an eight- carbon fluorocarbon chain and a sulfonic acid functional group and thus a perfluorosulfonic acid. It is an anthropogenic (man-m ...
and PFOA at 37 different water sources near U.S. military bases and industrial areas which exceeded provisional national targets. Further incidents concerning the release of the cancer-inducing toxins also occurred in August 2021, further worsening tensions over the presence of 'alarming' levels of these toxic chemicals. Subsequent tests around Kadena Air Base, specifically the training site 50 meters west of Dakujaku River, confirmed severe contamination in the water system with PFAS chemicals. These chemicals reach 10s of meters underground while plumes spread for several kilometers from these contaminated training sites flowed into nearby wells and waterways of Dakujaku River and Hija River which contaminated the drinking water of 450,000 residents. These toxic chemicals originate from firefighting foams which contain PFAS and were used at training sites of oversees US facilities during the 1970s and 80s. However, the US and Japanese governments say that the source of the issue cannot be confirmed.


Facilities


List of current facilities

The USFJ headquarters is at Yokota Air Base, about 30 km west of central Tokyo. The U.S. military installations in Japan and their managing branches are as follows: The table above show 84 in total. * Camp Smedley D. Butler,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
,
Yamaguchi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 km2 (2,359 sq mi). Yamaguchi Prefecture borders Shimane Prefecture t ...
s. (Although these camps are dispersed throughout Okinawa and the rest of Japan they are all under the heading of Camp Smedley D. Butler): ** Camp McTureous,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
**
Camp Courtney is a U.S. Marine Base located in Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the larger Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler and home to the III Marine Expeditionary Force, 3rd Marine Division, and 3d MEB Headquarters. It is named ...
,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
** Camp Foster,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
** Camp Kinser,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
**
Camp Hansen Camp Hansen is a United States Marine Corps base located in Okinawa, Japan. The camp is situated in the town of Kin, near the northern shore of Kin Bay, and is the second-northernmost major installation on Okinawa, with Camp Schwab to the nort ...
,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
** Camp Schwab,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
**
Camp Gonsalves Camp Gonsalves is a U.S. Marine Corps jungle warfare training area located in northern Okinawa, Japan, across the villages of Kunigami and Higashi. Established in 1958, it is the largest U.S training facility in Okinawa. The camp is located i ...
( Jungle Warfare Training Center),
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
** Kin Blue Beach Training Area,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
** Kin Red Beach Training Area,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
** Higashionna Ammunition Storage Point II ** Henoko Ordnance Ammunition Depot *
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 3,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and other units, and has been a U.S. military ...
,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
(return after the MCAS Futenma relocates to Camp Schwab) * Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni * Camp Fuji,
Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...
* Numazu Training Area,
Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...
* Ie Jima Auxiliary Airfield,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
* Tsuken Jima Training Area,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
JSDF The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, the ...
- USFJ Joint Use Facilities and Areas Temporary use facilities and areas are as follows: On Okinawa, U.S. military installations occupy about 10.4 percent of the total land usage. Approximately 74.7 percent of all the U.S. military facilities in Japan are located on the island of Okinawa.


List of former facilities

The United States has returned some facilities to Japanese control. Some are used as military bases of the JSDF; others have become civilian airports or government offices; many are factories, office buildings or residential developments in the private sector. Due to the Special Actions Committee on Okinawa, more land on Okinawa is in the process of being returned. These areas include Camp Kuwae (also known as Camp Lester), MCAS Futenma, areas within Camp Zukeran (also known as Camp Foster) located about of the Northern Training Area, Aha Training Area, Gimbaru Training Area (also known as Camp Gonsalves), a small portion of the Makiminato Service Area (also known as Camp Kinser), and Naha Port. Army: * Army Composite Service Group Area (later, Chinen Service Area),
Nanjō is a city located in the southern part of Okinawa Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Translated literally, the name Nanjō means "southern castle". Many castle ruins, called gusuku in the Okinawan language, can be found throughout the city ...
, Okinawa * Army STRATCOM Warehouse (later, Urasoe Warehouse),
Urasoe, Okinawa is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The neighboring municipalities are Naha to the south, Ginowan to the north, and Nishihara to the east. As of November 2012, the city has an estimated population of 113,718 and a population ...
* Bluff Area (later, Yamate Dependent Housing Area), Yokohama, Kanagawa * Bolo Point Auxiliary Airfield (later, Trainfire Range), Yomitan, Okinawa * Bolo Point Army Annex, Yomitan, Okinawa * Camp Bender, Ōta, Gunma * Camp Boone, Ginowan, Okinawa * Camp Burness, Chūō, Tokyo * Camp Chickamauga, 19th Infantry, Beppu, OitaA Soldier in Kyushu
, By Capt. William B. Koons, 1 October 1947
* Camp Chigasaki, Chigasaki, Kanagawa * Camp Chitose Annex (Chitose I, II), Chitose, Hokkaido * Camp Coe, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Camp Crawford,
Sapporo, Hokkaido ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city ...
* Camp Drake, Asaka, Saitama * Camp Drew,
Ōizumi, Gunma 250px, ruins of Koizumi Castle is a town located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 41,918 in 19,773 households, and a population density of 2300 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Approximately ...
* Camp Eta Jima, Etajima, Hiroshima * Camp Fowler,
Sendai, Miyagi is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 designated cities. The city was founded in 1600 by the '' daimyō'' Da ...
* Camp Fuchinobe ( Office Japan, NSAPACREP),
Sagamihara, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 723,470, with 334,812 households, and a population density of 1,220 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Sagamihara is the third-most-populous cit ...
* Camp Hakata, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka * Camp Hardy, Ginoza, Okinawa * Camp Haugen,
Hachinohe, Aomori is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 221,459, and a population density of 725 persons per km2 in 96,092 households, making it Aomori Prefecture's second largest city by population. The city ...
* Camp Katakai, Kujūkuri, Chiba * Camp King (later, Omiya Ordnance Sub Depot), Omiya, Saitama * Camp Kokura, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka * Camp Kubasaki (later, Kubasaki School Area), akagusuku, Okinawa* Camp Loper,
Tagajō is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 62,869 in 27,869 households, and a population density of 3,200 people per km². The total area of the city is . The city was named after Taga Castle, the c ...
, Miyagi * Camp McGill, Yokosuka, Kanagawa * Camp McNair, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi * Camp Mercy, Ginowan, Okinawa * Camp Moore,
Kawasaki, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, one of the main cities of Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area. It is the second most populated city in Kanagawa Prefecture after Yokohama, and the eighth most populated city in Japan (includin ...
* Camp Mower 34th Infantry,
Sasebo, Nagasaki is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons ...
* Camp Nara,
Nara, Nara is the capital city of Nara Prefecture, Japan. As of 2022, Nara has an estimated population of 367,353 according to World Population Review, making it the largest city in Nara Prefecture and sixth-largest in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara i ...
* Camp Ojima, Ōta, Gunma * Camp Otsu,
Ōtsu 270px, Ōtsu City Hall is the capital city of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 343,991 in 153458 households and a population density of 740 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Ōtsu ...
, Shiga * Camp Palmer, Funabashi, Chiba * Camp Schimmelpfennig,
Sendai, Miyagi is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 designated cities. The city was founded in 1600 by the '' daimyō'' Da ...
* Camp Stilwell,
Maebashi, Gunma is the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 335,352 in 151,171 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It ...
* Camp Weir, Shinto, Gunma * Camp Whittington,
Kumagaya, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 195,277 in 87,827 households and a population density of 1200 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kumagaya is one of the large ...
* Camp Wood, 21st Infantry, Kumamoto * Camp Younghans, Higashine, Yamagata * Chibana Army Annex (later, Chibana Site),
Okinawa, Okinawa is the second-largest city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, following Naha, the capital city. It is located in the central part of the island of Okinawa, about north of Naha. As of December 2012, the city has an estimated population of 138,4 ...
* Chinen Army Annex (later, Chinen Site),
Chinen, Okinawa was a village located in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 5,947 and a density of 602.53 persons per km2. The total area was 9.87 km2. On January 1, 2006, Chinen, along w ...
* Chuo Kogyo (later, Niikura Warehouse Area), Wako, Saitama * Deputy Division Engineer Office,
Urasoe, Okinawa is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The neighboring municipalities are Naha to the south, Ginowan to the north, and Nishihara to the east. As of November 2012, the city has an estimated population of 113,718 and a population ...
* Division School Center, Kokura * Etchujima Warehouse, Koto, Tokyo * Funaoka Ammunition Depot,
Shibata, Miyagi is a town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 37,617, and a population density of 700 persons per km² in 15,590 households. The total area of the town is . Geography Shibata is located in south-centra ...
* Hachinohe LST Barge Landing Area,
Hachinohe, Aomori is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 221,459, and a population density of 725 persons per km2 in 96,092 households, making it Aomori Prefecture's second largest city by population. The city ...
* Hakata Transportation Office,
Hakata-ku, Fukuoka is a ward of the city of Fukuoka in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Many of Fukuoka Prefecture and Fukuoka City's principal government, commercial, retail and entertainment establishments are located in the district. Hakata-ku is also the location ...
* Hamby Auxiliary Airfield,
Chatan, Okinawa is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2016 the town had an estimated population of 28,578 and the density of 2,100 per km². The total area of Chatan is . 53.5% of the land area of the town is cove ...
* Hosono Ammunition Depot, Seika, Kyoto * Iribaru (Nishihara) Army Annex, Uruma, Okinawa * Ishikawa Army Annex, Uruma, Okinawa * Japan Logistical Command (Yokohama Customs House), Yokohama, Kanagawa * Jefferson Heights, Chiyoda, Tokyo * Kanagawa Milk Plant, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Kashiji Army Annex,
Chatan, Okinawa is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2016 the town had an estimated population of 28,578 and the density of 2,100 per km². The total area of Chatan is . 53.5% of the land area of the town is cove ...
* Kishine Barracks, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Kobe Pier No. 6, Kobe, Hyogo * Kobe Port Building, Kobe, Hyogo * Koza Radio Relay Annex (later, Koza Communication Site),
Okinawa, Okinawa is the second-largest city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, following Naha, the capital city. It is located in the central part of the island of Okinawa, about north of Naha. As of December 2012, the city has an estimated population of 138,4 ...
* Kure Barge Landing Area,
Kure, Hiroshima is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Jap ...
* Lincoln Center, Chiyoda, Tokyo * Moji Port, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka * Nagoya Procurement (Purchasing and Contracting) Office,
Nagoya, Aichi is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most po ...
* Naha Army Annex (later, Naha Site),
Naha, Okinawa is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is ...
* Naha Service Center,
Naha, Okinawa is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is ...
* Namihira Army Annex, Yomitan, Okinawa * Negishi Racetrack Area, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Okinawa Regional Exchange Cold Storage (later, Naha Cold Storage),
Naha, Okinawa is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is ...
* Okinawa Regional Exchange Dry Storage Warehouse (later, Makiminato Warehouse),
Urasoe, Okinawa is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The neighboring municipalities are Naha to the south, Ginowan to the north, and Nishihara to the east. As of November 2012, the city has an estimated population of 113,718 and a population ...
* Onna Point Army Annex (later, Onna Site),
Onna, Okinawa is a village located in Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2013, the village had an estimated population of 10,443 and a population density of 210 persons per km². The total area is . Unlike other areas of Japan, Onna has ...
* Oppama Ordnance Depot, Yokosuka, Kanagawa * Ota Koizumi Airfield (Patton Field Air Drop Range), Oizumi, Gunma * Palace Heights, Chiyoda, Tokyo * Pershing Heights (Headquarters, U.S. Far East Command/United Nations Command),
Shinjuku is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...
, Tokyo * Sakuradani Rifle Range,
Chikushino, Fukuoka is a city in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Bordering Dazaifu, Onojo, Nakagawa, Saga Prefecture, Ogori, Yasu, and Chikuho, Fukuoka, Chikushino is essentially a southern suburb of Fukuoka City. It was founded on April 1, 1972. As of September 3 ...
* Sanno Hotel Officer's Quarter, Chiyoda, Tokyo * Shikotsuko Training Area, Chitose, Hokkaido * Shinzato Communication Site, Nanjo, Okinawa * South Ammunition Storage Annex (later, South Ammunition Storage Area),
Yaese, Okinawa is a town located in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Yaese was formed on January 1, 2006 by a merger between the town of Kochinda and the village of Gushikami. As of October 2016, Yaese has a population of 29,488; with a popul ...
* Sunabe Army Annex,
Chatan, Okinawa is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2016 the town had an estimated population of 28,578 and the density of 2,100 per km². The total area of Chatan is . 53.5% of the land area of the town is cove ...
* Tana Ammunition Depot, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Tairagawa (Deragawa) Communication Site, Uruma, Okinawa * Tengan Communication Site, Uruma, Okinawa * Tokyo Army Hospital, Chūō, Tokyo * Tokyo Quartermaster Depot,
Minato Minato (港 or 湊) is Japanese for 'harbor', and may refer to: Places * Minato, Tokyo or Minato City, a special ward in Tokyo, Japan * Minato-ku, Nagoya, a ward of Nagoya, Japan * Minato-ku, Osaka, a ward of Osaka, Japan * Minato (湊), a neig ...
, Tokyo * Tokyo Ordnance Depot (later, Camp Oji), Kita, Tokyo * U.S. Army Medical Center,
Sagamihara, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 723,470, with 334,812 households, and a population density of 1,220 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Sagamihara is the third-most-populous cit ...
* U.S. Army Printing and Publication Center, Far East,
Kawasaki, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, one of the main cities of Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area. It is the second most populated city in Kanagawa Prefecture after Yokohama, and the eighth most populated city in Japan (includin ...
* U.S. Army Procurement Agency, Japan, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama Center Pier (MSTS-FE), Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama Engineering Depot, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama Motor Command, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama Ordnance Depot, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama POL Depot, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama Servicemen Club, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama Signal Supply Depot,
Kawasaki, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, one of the main cities of Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area. It is the second most populated city in Kanagawa Prefecture after Yokohama, and the eighth most populated city in Japan (includin ...
* Yokohama Signal Maintenance Depot (JLC Air Strip), Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama South Pier, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yomitan Army Annex, Yomitan, Okinawa * Zama Rifle Range,
Sagamihara, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 723,470, with 334,812 households, and a population density of 1,220 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Sagamihara is the third-most-populous cit ...
* Zukeran Propagation Annex (later, Communication Site),
Chatan, Okinawa is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2016 the town had an estimated population of 28,578 and the density of 2,100 per km². The total area of Chatan is . 53.5% of the land area of the town is cove ...
Navy: * Haiki (Sasebo) Rifle Range,
Sasebo, Nagasaki is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons ...
* Inanba Shima Gunnery Firing Range, Mikurajima, Tokyo * Kinugasa Ammunition Depot, Yokosuka, Kanagawa * Koshiba POL Depot, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Ominato Communication Site, Ominato, Aomori * Omura Rifle Range, Omura, Nagasaki * Makiminato Service Area Annex,
Urasoe, Okinawa is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The neighboring municipalities are Naha to the south, Ginowan to the north, and Nishihara to the east. As of November 2012, the city has an estimated population of 113,718 and a population ...
* Minamitorishima Communication Site, Ogasawara, Tokyo * Nagahama Rifle Range,
Kure, Hiroshima is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Jap ...
* Nagai Dependent Housing Area (Admiralty Heights), Yokosuka, Kanagawa * Nagiridani Dependent Housing Area,
Sasebo, Nagasaki is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons ...
* Naval Air Facility Naha,
Naha, Okinawa is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is ...
* Naval Air Facility Oppama, Yokosuka, Kanagawa * Navy EM Club, Yokosuka, Yokosuka, Kanagawa * Niigata Sekiya Communication Site, Chuo-ku, Niigata * Shinyamashita Dependent Housing Area (Bayside Court), Yokohama, Kanagawa * Sobe Communication Site (NSGA Hanza), Yomitan, Okinawa * Tokachibuto Communication Site,
Urahoro, Hokkaido is a town located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 5,023 and a density of 6.9 persons per km2. The total area is 729.64 km2. Climate Mascots Urahoro's mascots are and ...
* Tomioka Storage Area, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Tsujido Maneuver Area, Chigasaki, Kanagawa * Yokohama Bakery, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama Beach (Honmoku) Dependent Housing Area, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama Chapel Center, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokohama Cold Storage, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Yokosuka Naval Pier, Yokosuka, Kanagawa * Yosami Communication Site, Kariya, Aichi Air Force: *
Ashiya Air Base is a military airdrome of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force . It is located north of Ashiya in the Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. History Ashiya Airfield was established as a Japanese Army Air Force facility in 1944, and was used primarily as a ...
(later, ATG Range), Ashiya, Fukuoka * Asoiwayama Liaison Annex, Tobetsu, Hokkaido * Brady Air Base (later, Gannosu Air Station), Higashi-ku, Fukuoka * Chiran Communication Site, Chiran, Kagoshima * Chitose Air Base, Chitose, Hokkaido * Daikanyama Communication Site, Yugawara, Kanagawa * Fuchu Air Station (Headquarters, USFJ/ Fifth Air Force, 1957–1974), Fuchu, Tokyo * Funabashi Communication Site, Funabashi, Chiba * Grant Heights Dependent Housing Area,
Nerima is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City. , the ward has an estimated population of 721,858, with 323,296 households and a population density of 15,013 persons per km2, while 15,326 foreign residents are ...
, Tokyo * Green Park Housing Annex, Musashino, Tokyo * Hachinohe Small Arms Range,
Hachinohe, Aomori is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 221,459, and a population density of 725 persons per km2 in 96,092 households, making it Aomori Prefecture's second largest city by population. The city ...
* Hamura School Annex,
Hamura is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 54,622, and a population density of 5500 persons per km². The total area of the city was . Geography Hamura is approximately in the ...
, Tokyo * Haneda Air Base (later, Postal Service Annex),
Ota OTA or ota may stand for: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Off the Air'', an Adult Swim television series * Otakon, an annual anime convention in Baltimore, Maryland Electronics, science, and technology * Ochratoxin A (also termed OTA), a mycoto ...
, Tokyo * Hanshin Auxiliary Airfield, Yao, Osaka * Hirao Communication Site, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka * Itami Air Base, Itami, Hyogo * Itazuke Administration Annex (Kasugabaru DHA), Kasuga, Fukuoka * Itazuke Air Base,
Hakata-ku, Fukuoka is a ward of the city of Fukuoka in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Many of Fukuoka Prefecture and Fukuoka City's principal government, commercial, retail and entertainment establishments are located in the district. Hakata-ku is also the location ...
*
Johnson Air Base is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) base located in the city of Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, north of western Tokyo, Japan. It was the airfield for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Academy until 1945, when it became Johnson Air Fo ...
(later, Air Station, Family Housing Annex),
Iruma, Saitama 260px, Tea fields in Iruma 260px, Kasumi River in Iruma is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 147,166 in 66,516 households and a population density of 3300 persons per km². The total area ...
* Kadena Dependent Housing Area, Yomitan, Okinawa * Kanto Mura Dependent Housing Area and Auxiliary Airfield, Chofu, Tokyo * Kasatoriyama Radar Site,
Tsu, Mie is a city located in Mie Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 274,879 in 127,273 households and a population density of 390 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Although the second largest city in the p ...
* Kashiwa Communication Site (Camp Tomlinson),
Kashiwa, Chiba is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 433,436 in 194,216 households and a population density of 3800 persons per km². The total area of the city is . The name of the city is written with ...
* Komaki (Nagoya) Air Base,
Komaki, Aichi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 148,872 in 68,174 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city was . Komaki is commonly associated with the former Komaki Airport, whi ...
* Kozoji Ammunition Depot,
Kasugai, Aichi is a Cities of Japan, city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 306,764, and a population density of 3,306 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . The city is sometimes called Owarikasugai to avoid confus ...
* Kume Jima Air Station, Kumejima, Okinawa * Kushimoto Radar Site, Kushimoto, Wakayama *
Miho Air Base Miho Airbase (美保飛行場) , also known as Yonago Airport is a Japan Air Defense Force (JASDF) base located 11 km northwest of Yonago in Tottori Prefecture. It is owned and operated by JASDF and shares the runway with civil activities. ...
,
Sakaiminato, Tottori is a city in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. In 2016, it had an estimated population of 33,888. History An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Sakai as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom. Sakaiminato was foun ...
* Mineoka Liaison Annex, Minamiboso, Chiba * Mito ATG Range, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki * Miyako Jima Air Station,
Miyakojima, Okinawa is a city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, located on the Miyako Islands. As of 2012, it had a population of 54,908. The current mayor is Kazuyuki Zakimi, who took office on January 25, 2021. History The modern city of Miyakojima was establis ...
* Miyako Jima VORTAC Site,
Miyakojima, Okinawa is a city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, located on the Miyako Islands. As of 2012, it had a population of 54,908. The current mayor is Kazuyuki Zakimi, who took office on January 25, 2021. History The modern city of Miyakojima was establis ...
* Moriyama Air Station,
Nagoya, Aichi is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most po ...
* Naha Air Base,
Naha, Okinawa is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is ...
* Naha Air Force/Navy Annex,
Naha, Okinawa is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is ...
* Najima Warehouse Area, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka * Niigata Air Base, Niigata, Niigata * Ofuna Warehouse, Yokohama, Kanagawa * Oshima Communication Center, Oshima, Tokyo * Rokko Communication Site, Kobe, Hyogo * Senaha Communications Station, Yomitan, Okinawa (returned to the Japanese government in September 2006) * Sendai Kunimi Communication Site,
Sendai, Miyagi is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 designated cities. The city was founded in 1600 by the '' daimyō'' Da ...
* Showa (later, Akishima) Dependent Housing Area, Akishima, Tokyo * Shiroi Air Base,
Kashiwa, Chiba is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 433,436 in 194,216 households and a population density of 3800 persons per km². The total area of the city is . The name of the city is written with ...
* Sunabe Warehouse,
Chatan, Okinawa is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2016 the town had an estimated population of 28,578 and the density of 2,100 per km². The total area of Chatan is . 53.5% of the land area of the town is cove ...
* Tachikawa Air Base,
Tachikawa 250px, Showa Memorial Park is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 184,383 in 93,428 households, and a population density of 7600 persons per km2. The total area of the ci ...
, Tokyo * Tokyo Communication Site ( NTTPC Central Telephone Exchange), Chūō, Tokyo * Wajima Liaison Annex, Wajima, Ishikawa * Wajiro Water Supply Site, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka * Wakkanai Air Station,
Wakkanai, Hokkaido ' meaning "cold water river" is a city located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Sōya Subprefecture. It contains Japan's northernmost point, Cape Sōya, from which the Russian island of Sakhalin can be seen. As ...
* Washington Heights Dependent Housing Area,
Shibuya Shibuya (渋谷 区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1 ...
, Tokyo * Yamada Ammunition Depot, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka * Yokawame Communication Site, Misawa, Aomori * Yozadake Air Station, Itoman, Okinawa Marines: * Aha Training Area,
Kunigami, Okinawa is a village in Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It occupies the north tip of Okinawa Island, with the East China Sea to the west, Pacific Ocean to the east, and villages of Higashi and Ōgimi to the south. As of 2015, the villag ...
* Camp Gifu,
Kakamigahara, Gifu is a city located in southern Gifu Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 148,225, and a population density of 1700 persons per km2, in 59,736 households. The total area of the city was . Situated in the northern part o ...
* Camp Hauge, Uruma, Okinawa * Camp Okubo, Uji, Kyoto * Camp Shinodayama, Izumi, Osaka * Gimbaru Training Area, Kin, Okinawa * Ihajo Kanko Hotel, Uruma, Okinawa * Makiminato Housing Area,
Naha, Okinawa is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is ...
* Onna Communication Site,
Onna, Okinawa is a village located in Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2013, the village had an estimated population of 10,443 and a population density of 210 persons per km². The total area is . Unlike other areas of Japan, Onna has ...
* Awase Golf Course,
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
(returned to the Japanese government in April 2010) * Yaka Rest Center, Kin, Okinawa *
Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield Yontan Airfield (also known as Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield) is a former military airfield located near Yomitan Village on the west coast of Okinawa. It was closed in July 1996 and turned over to the Japanese government in December 2006. Today it ...
, Yomitan, Okinawa (returned to the Japanese government in 2006, parachute drop training ended in March 2001)


See also

* U.S.-Japan Alliance *
United States Forces Korea United States Forces Korea (USFK) is a sub-unified command of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). USFK is the joint headquarters for U.S. combat-ready fighting forces and components under the ROK/US Combined Forces Command (CFC) – a ...
(USFK) * United States Taiwan Defense Command (USTDC) * United States Air Force in the United Kingdom *
United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands The , also referred to as U.S. Ryukyu Islands, was the government in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan (centered on the Okinawa Island) from 1945 to 1950, whereupon it was replaced by the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR) ...
*
United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands The was the civil administration government in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan (centered on Okinawa Island), replacing the United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands (itself created at the conclusion of World War II) in 1950, and functi ...
* Operation Tomodachi * Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey *
Amejo is a Japanese derogatory term for young Okinawan women who date male members of the United States Forces Japan stationed in Okinawa Prefecture. The other component of the term (女 ''jo'') means "female" or "girl". There are scholars who note ...


References


External links


Brochure:Okinawa Prefectural Government Washington DC Office

United States Forces Japan

U.S. Naval Forces Japan


(GlobalSecurity.org)
Overseas Presence: Issues Involved in Reducing the Impact of the U.S. Military Presence on Okinawa
GAO, March 1998
U.S. Military Issues in Okinawa


{{Authority control Commands of the United States Armed Forces Japan–United States relations United States Armed Forces in Okinawa Prefecture