Okinawa marks 80 years since 'Typhoon of Steel,' with U.S. presence still a burden

A U.S. military plane takes off at the Kadena U.S. Air Force Base in Okinawa Prefecture in August 2023. | REUTERS

JIJI
Jun 19, 2025

Eighty years have passed since the Battle of Okinawa effectively came to an end, but the scars of war and occupation remain etched into the islands.

On next Monday, Japan’s southernmost prefecture commemorates the end of the Battle of Okinawa, among the bloodiest ground battles of World War II — one that killed roughly 200,000 people and has left a legacy of military occupation, protest and unresolved grief.

Today, Okinawa Prefecture still hosts about 70% of U.S. military bases in Japan, and with the Self-Defense Forces ramping up their presence amid growing tensions with China, the dream of a peaceful island without bases feels farther out of reach than ever.