Why Does Okinawa Have So Many US Military Bases?

Jon Mitchell’s Examination of Postwar Treaties and US Base Concentration in Okinawa Author Jon Mitchell examines the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty and subsequent US-Japan security agreements that placed the majority of American military facilities on Okinawa Prefecture. The analysis draws on declassified documents and interviews with former officials, clarifying the legal framework without attributing current policy disputes to any single party. The concentration stems from decisions made between 1945 and 1972, when Okinawa remained under US administration while the rest of Japan regained sovereignty in 1952. Official Japanese and US records show that roughly 70 percent of the land area used by US Forces Japan is located in Okinawa, which comprises less than 1 percent of Japan’s total territory.

Publication Context

The publication of Mitchell’s new book coincides with ongoing bilateral consultations between Tokyo and Washington on force realignment. Japanese government data from the Ministry of Defense indicate 32 US military facilities currently occupy approximately 18,800 hectares in Okinawa. These include Kadena Air Base, Marine Corps bases at Camp Hansen and Futenma, and naval facilities at White Beach. US Indo-Pacific Command statements confirm that approximately 26,000 American service members are stationed across these sites as of fiscal year 2024. Local Okinawan authorities have recorded repeated land-use conflicts since reversion to Japanese administration in 1972. The book cites prefectural assembly resolutions and correspondence from successive governors requesting reductions in base footprint, consistent with public records maintained by the Okinawa Prefectural Government.

Background

Mitchell traces the arrangements to the early Cold War period. The 1951 Peace Treaty with Japan explicitly permitted the United States to retain administrative rights over Okinawa while restoring sovereignty elsewhere. Declassified US National Archives materials provide the documentary basis for these findings.

By Prof. David Park, Staff Writer