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The ghosts of Okinawa

May 8, 1997
Web posted at: 11:13 a.m. EDT (1113 GMT)

(CNN) -- Contradiction surrounds Okinawa as surely as the sea. Everything the Japanese island seems to be, it is -- tropical, relaxed, and loaded with beach resorts and American military bases. But everything it seems to be is not all it is.

Okinawa is the southernmost prefecture in Japan, made up of dozens of small islands in a chain known as the Ryukus. Almost all of the prefecture's residents live on the largest island, also called Okinawa. The East China Sea laps at the west coast of the 67-mile-long island; The North Pacific Ocean meets the east coast. Just two to 16 miles of land separate the two.

The consistently warm temperatures, ocean breezes, palm trees and a booming pineapple-export business have earned Okinawa the nickname "the Hawaii of Japan." But its past is darker than its tropical glow lets on.

As the Japanese stronghold of the south during World War II, Okinawa was the scene of some of the bloodiest battles of the war. Americans began bombing the island in 1944, and took over in 1945. In all, 250,000 people were killed -- 150,000 of them civilians. The fighting obliterated 90 percent of Okinawa's buildings.

After the war, the island became a valuable U.S. military site because of its proximity to China, Hong Kong and the Philippines. Okinawa remained an American possession until 1972, when it reverted to Japan.

But, in some ways, Okinawa is not Japanese either. China has substantially influenced the island's Japanese customs and language since the 14th century. As a result, Okinawans have developed their own dialect, crafts and music, distinctive from the main islands of Japan.

Resentment has also divided Okinawa from the main Japanese islands. Some Okinawans accuse Tokyo of pawning their land to the United States. Although Okinawa only makes up one percent of Japan's land area, it is home to 75 percent of the U.S. bases and about half of the 47,000 American troops.

The rape of a Japanese girl by three American servicemen in 1995 galvanized opposition to the forced leasing of Okinawan land to the U.S. military. Finally, last year, Washington agreed to return 12,000 acres -- about one-fifth of the land it uses in Okinawa -- and to close some or all of its 11 facilities by the year 2008. No reduction in U.S. military personnel is planned.

Despite the continuing and controversial American military presence on the island, Okinawa is much more than a U.S. outpost. It has lonely, cliff-hugging roads with rocky views of the sea, well-preserved, red-roofed villages and a warm, southern pace that belies the meticulousness of both the military and Japanese cultures.

Japanese and international travelers flock to Okinawa's luxe beach resorts during the high season from late July through late August. The coral reefs, considered some of the best in the world, entice scuba divers.

But with daily highs in the 60s, even in January -- and in the 70s by April -- and attractions like ancient castles, pottery communities and beautiful parks marking World War II sites, Okinawa is an all-season gem.


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