US to return some land in Okinawa to Japan gov’t

TOKYO

The United States’ defense secretary confirmed Tuesday that around half of a large U.S. military training area in Okinawa prefecture will be returned to Japan later this month.

During a courtesy call on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Ash Carter said the U.S. is "prepared to make the largest land transfer in the history of our alliance, and I can confirm to you that we share your objective of completing that by Dec. 22", according to Kyodo News.

Around 4,000 hectares out of 7,800 in what is called the Northern Training Area are set to be returned in what would be the largest such exercise since Japan regained control of Okinawa in 1972.

Washington has been agreeable to returning a large part of the training area for nearly 20 years as part of a mutual agreement by Washington and Tokyo to lighten the American military “footprint” on the crowded island.

The people of Okinawa have long felt oppressed by hosting around two-thirds of the entire U.S. military establishment in Japan since the end of World War II.

The land in question is hilly and rugged with a double canopy forest and is sparsely populated. It is used by the Marines stationed on Okinawa for training in jungle warfare.

As part of the return agreement, the Japanese government undertook to build six helicopter landing pads in the area remaining under American control, but the building of them has been hobbled by strong local opposition.

The most recent demonstrations started on July 22 as riot police faced off against protesters after the work on the helicopter pads restarted.

Successive Japanese governments have defended the large American presence as necessary for the defense of Japan.