Editing Okinawa Prefecture (section)

==== Marine Corps Air Station Futenma relocation ====
{{Main|Relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma}}

In 2006, some 8,000 U.S. Marines were removed from the island and relocated to [[Guam]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/id/15356/|publisher=DOD|work=American Forces Press Service|author=Steven Donald Smith|title=Eight Thousand U.S. Marines to Move From Okinawa to Guam|date=April 26, 2006|access-date=August 1, 2014|archive-date=September 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924194813/http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=15356|url-status=live}}</ref> The move to [[Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz]] was expected to be completed in 2023 but as of 1 January 2025 is still in process. Japan paid for a majority of the cost to construct the new base.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/usa-japan-okinawa-idUKL2E8FR0D920120427 |title=U.S., Japan unveil revised plan for Okinawa |date=April 27, 2012 |newspaper=Reuters |access-date=April 28, 2012 |archive-date=June 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620150431/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/04/27/usa-japan-okinawa-idUKL2E8FR0D920120427 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.japan-press.co.jp/2009/2644/USF4.html|title=A closer look at U.S. Futenma base's 'relocation' issue|publisher=Japan Press Weekly|date=November 1, 2009|access-date=July 31, 2016|archive-date=November 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113122927/https://www.japan-press.co.jp/2009/2644/USF4.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The U.S. still maintains Air Force, Marine, Navy, and Army military installations on the islands. These bases include [[Kadena Air Base]], [[Camp Foster]], [[Marine Corps Air Station Futenma]], [[Camp Hansen]], [[Camp Schwab]], [[Torii Station]], [[Camp Kinser]], and [[Camp Gonsalves]]. The area of 14 U.S. bases are {{convert|233|km2|sqmi|0}}, occupying 18% of the main island. Okinawa hosts about two-thirds of the 50,000 American forces in Japan although the islands account for less than one percent of total lands in Japan.<ref name="USMilitaryBases" />

Suburbs have grown towards and now surround two historic major bases, Futenma and Kadena. A sizable portion of the land used by the U.S. military is Camp Gonsalves in the north of the island.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2012/08/19/travel/rumbles-in-the-jungle/#.V53t7COLTZs| title=Rumbles in the jungle| newspaper=The Japan Times Online| date=August 19, 2012| last1=Mitchell| first1=Jon| access-date=July 31, 2016| archive-date=September 10, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910165311/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2012/08/19/travel/rumbles-in-the-jungle/#.V53t7COLTZs| url-status=live}}</ref> On December 21, 2016, 10,000 acres of Camp Gonsalves were returned to Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1036252/us-returns-10000-acres-of-okinawan-training-area-to-japan|title=U.S. Returns 10,000 Acres of Okinawan Training Area to Japan|publisher=U.S. Department of Defense|first=Jim|last=Garamone|date=December 21, 2016|access-date=December 22, 2016|archive-date=December 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222192639/https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1036252/us-returns-10000-acres-of-okinawan-training-area-to-japan|url-status=dead}}</ref> On June 25, 2018, Okinawa residents held a protest demonstration at sea against scheduled land reclamation work for the relocation of a U.S. military base within Japan's southernmost island prefecture. A protest gathered hundreds of people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2018/06/58c834fec085-protest-held-in-okinawa-against-landfill-for-us-base-transfer.html|title=Protest held in Okinawa against landfill for U.S. base transfer|publisher=Kyodo News|date=June 25, 2018|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806013452/https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2018/06/58c834fec085-protest-held-in-okinawa-against-landfill-for-us-base-transfer.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Since the early 2000s, Okinawans have opposed the presence of American troops [[helipad]]s in the [[Takae]] zone of the [[Yanbaru]] forest near [[Higashi, Okinawa|Higashi]] and [[Kunigami, Okinawa|Kunigami]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://okinawa-takae.org/index.php/takaes-story/ |title=Takae's Story |access-date=July 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220082950/http://okinawa-takae.org/index.php/takaes-story/ |archive-date=February 20, 2016}}</ref> This opposition grew in July 2016 after the construction of six new helipads.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.ryukyushimpo.jp/2016/07/17/25465/|title=Tensions between protesters and riot police mount over construction of U.S. Marine Corps helipads in Takae|publisher=Ryukyu Shimpo|date=July 12, 2016|access-date=July 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722150749/http://english.ryukyushimpo.jp/2016/07/17/25465/|archive-date=July 22, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/22/national/politics-diplomacy/central-government-sues-okinawa-futenma-relocation/| title=Okinawa protests erupt as U.S. Helipad construction resumes| newspaper=The Japan Times Online| date=July 22, 2016| last1=Mie| first1=Ayako| access-date=July 31, 2016| archive-date=August 5, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805142651/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/22/national/politics-diplomacy/central-government-sues-okinawa-futenma-relocation/| url-status=live}}</ref>