Japan, US mark return of military-used land to Okinawa

At a ceremony in the seaside resort town of Nago on Thursday, Kennedy described the handover as a “milestone,” adding that “it also demonstrates America’s continued determination to reduce the impact of our presence here in Okinawa while maintaining our security commitments to the entire nation of Japan.”

In exchange for the return of about half the acres that the American military uses to train soldiers for jungle warfare, the Japanese government agreed to build six helicopter landing pads on the land that the United States will retain.

In the north of the island, where the helipads are being built, the residents’ concerns were amplified this month after an American Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crash-landed near Nago.



Since the end of World War II, Japan has been an important outpost for the United States military, whose mission there is not only to defend Japan but also to protect American interests in Asia.