US Returns Tiny Portion of Controversial Okinawa Base

Japan said Monday the United States had returned a sliver of land at a controversial US air base on the southern island of Okinawa which has sparked a lengthy and fierce dispute. Tokyo said the return of the land, which accounts for less than one percent of the 481-hectare (1,188-acre) Futenma base, would improve conditions … Read more

US Returns Land It Has Held Since WWII To Japan Amid Anger

The US military will hand over 9,909 acres (4,000 hectares) of Okinawan land to Japan on Thursday in what’s been lauded as the largest return of US-occupied land since 1972. But there’s a catch. As part of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the two countries, the United States is granted the right … Read more

US Osprey Aircraft Crashes Off Okinawa Coast In Japan

The US Marines have suspended flights of all Osprey military aircraft in Japan, after a crash off the coast of Okinawa Island. The incident on Tuesday night injured five crew members onboard. It stoked immediate anger among locals, some of whom have previously complained about the US military bases and the Osprey aircraft’s safety record. … Read more

US Returning Land It Took In World War II To Japan

The US military this month will return to Japan’s government more than 9,800 acres of land it has held since World War II, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Tuesday. The 9,852 acres of land on the island of Okinawa, part of a territory officially referred to as the Northern Training Area, is in a … Read more