US military bases in Okinawa
沖縄の米軍基地PracticeFrom the Battle of Okinawa in 1945; under US administration until 15 May 1972
US military bases cover 18,668 ha of Okinawa, 8.2% of the prefecture's land and 14.6% of Okinawa's main island, and the prefecture holds 70.3% of the land used exclusively by US forces in Japan (prefectural figures as of 1 January 2025). For visitors they show up as long fences and aircraft overhead in the centre of the main island, and as the long dispute over moving Futenma to Henoko.
American forces took land for bases during and after the Battle of Okinawa, and the islands stayed under US administration until 15 May 1972. Okinawa Prefecture's figures show 33 US facilities on 18,668 ha as of 1 January 2025. The share of land used only by US forces in Japan that sits in Okinawa has grown from 58.75% at reversion to 70.27% today. The burden falls unevenly: bases take up 23.0% of the land in central Okinawa, 82.0% of the town of Kadena and 51.6% of Chatan.
Kadena Air Base is a US Air Force airfield that spreads across Okinawa City, Kadena and Chatan, and by our sum of the prefecture's figures it covers about 1,986 ha. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma sits in the middle of Ginowan on 476 ha, with a 2,800 m runway and the Marines' helicopter units. In August 2004 a CH-53D helicopter from Futenma crashed into the campus of Okinawa International University in Ginowan. Japan and the US agreed in 1996 to close Futenma and build a replacement on reclaimed land at Camp Schwab in Henoko. In a prefectural referendum on 24 February 2019, 434,273 people (72.15% of valid votes) voted against the Henoko landfill on a turnout of 52.48%, and the national government continued the work.
Day to day, the bases show up as long fences and gate traffic through Kadena and Ginowan, and as aircraft noise that the prefecture measures around both airfields. Land the military has handed back has been rebuilt for local use. American Village in Chatan grew on reclaimed land beside the former Hamby Airfield, returned in 1981, with building from 1997. The observation deck at Michi-no-Eki Kadena looks over Kadena Air Base, and its third floor tells the town's history alongside the base. For the Okinawan view in depth, the Sakima Art Museum and Kakazu Takadai in Ginowan are good places to start.
Where things stand
Japan and the US agreed in 1996 to return Marine Corps Air Station Futenma once a replacement is built at Camp Schwab in Henoko, Nago. Landfill began on 14 December 2018, and in December 2019 the Defense Ministry said construction would take 12 years and push Futenma's return into the 2030s. The prefecture lost its court challenges, and the Supreme Court made the last of those rulings final in February 2024.
Visiting with care
The bases are US military installations under the Japan–US Status of Forces Agreement, and Okinawa Prefecture treats their concentration on the islands as a burden it is working to reduce.
- Base areas are off limits to the public
- Watch Kadena Air Base from the public observation deck at Michi-no-Eki Kadena, open 8:30–22:00 every day
- Follow the signs on base fences and at gates, and don't photograph guards or checkpoints
- Much of the base land still belongs to private Okinawan owners, 39.3% of it by the prefecture's count, and feelings about the bases run deep; listen more than you argue
- Don't treat fences, gates or aircraft as a backdrop for jokes or poses
- If you pass protests at Henoko, keep a respectful distance and ask before filming anyone
Worth knowing
- Michi-no-Eki Kadena opened in 2003 and has a covered rooftop deck, so you can watch aircraft from it even in rain.
- The prefecture's special page Think of OKINAWA sets out the base figures and a series of short question-and-answer videos in Japanese.
- Okinawa City's postwar culture museum, Histreet, has run exhibitions on the move from the Battle of Okinawa to base Okinawa.
Go and see
Where to see US military bases in Okinawa場所
FAQ
Quick answers about US military bases in Okinawaよくある質問
How much of Okinawa is US military bases?
US military bases cover 18,668 ha of Okinawa Prefecture, or 8.2% of its land and 14.6% of Okinawa's main island, according to prefectural figures as of 1 January 2025. Okinawa holds 70.3% of the land in Japan used exclusively by US forces.
What was the result of Okinawa's 2019 referendum on Henoko?
In the prefectural referendum on 24 February 2019, 434,273 people voted against the landfill for a new base at Henoko, 72.15% of valid votes, on a turnout of 52.48%. The national government continued construction after the vote.
Where can you see Kadena Air Base?
The rooftop observation deck at Michi-no-Eki Kadena looks over Kadena Air Base. The roadside station opens 8:30–22:00 every day and has a floor of exhibits on Kadena Town and the base.
Can tourists enter US bases in Okinawa?
No, as a rule. US bases in Okinawa are off limits to the public. Public places such as Michi-no-Eki Kadena and Kakazu Takadai in Ginowan let visitors see them from outside.
How should you behave at US military bases in Okinawa?
At US military bases in Okinawa: Much of the base land still belongs to private Okinawan owners, 39.3% of it by the prefecture's count, and feelings about the bases run deep; listen more than you argue. Don't treat fences, gates or aircraft as a backdrop for jokes or poses. If you pass protests at Henoko, keep a respectful distance and ask before filming anyone.