Okinawa marked Saturday the 73rd anniversary of the end of a World War II ground battle that claimed over 200,000 lives, with its governor reiterating calls for the reduction of U. S. forces in the island prefecture, citing easing tensions with North Korea. "Developments toward detente have begun,
Okinawa marked Saturday the 73rd anniversary of the end of a World War II ground battle that claimed over 200,000 lives, with its governor reiterating calls for the reduction of U. S. forces in the island prefecture, citing easing tensions with North Korea.
« Developments toward detente have begun, » Gov Takeshi Onaga said in his peace declaration, referring to the recent historic summit between the U. S. and North Korean leaders in Singapore, adding that an ongoing plan to relocate a key U. S. military base within the prefecture despite opposition from local people « goes against the trend. »
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who also attended the annual memorial ceremony, said the government will stick to the relocation plan for U. S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, currently located in a crowded residential area of Ginowan.
The transfer of the base to the coastal area of Henoko will help « significantly improve safety, » Abe told reporters after the ceremony, with the government planning to start reclamation work in the area in August.
About 4,900 people attended the ceremony in the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, the site of the final stage of the Battle of Okinawa, observing a moment of silence at noon.
Around 94,000 civilians, about a quarter of the local population, as well as over 94,000 Japanese soldiers and 12,500 American troops died in the three-month battle starting in March 1945.
