In a significant gathering in Tokyo, anti-war and anti-base organizations from Okinawa Prefecture voiced their apprehensions about Japan’s escalating military expansion in the region. The seminar, held on Friday, drew over 230 attendees, including members of the Japanese parliament, Okinawa Prefectural Assembly representatives, and local citizens. They collectively expressed profound dissatisfaction and concern over the deteriorating security environment in Okinawa and the broader Ryukyu Islands. Mizuho Fukushima, leader of Japan’s Social Democratic Party, criticized Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s characterization of a ‘Taiwan contingency’ as a ‘survival-threatening situation,’ labeling it as illogical. Fukushima emphasized that Japan, including Okinawa and Kyushu, is increasingly being militarized, a trend that must be halted to prevent the nation from becoming a battlefield. Yoichi Iha, former mayor of Ginowan City and a member of the House of Councillors, accused the government of exacerbating tensions by increasing reliance on U.S. military bases and accelerating military buildup. Yukako Sonan, a representative from Miyako Island, highlighted the close proximity of civilian and military facilities on small islands, warning that ordinary citizens would inevitably suffer in the event of conflict. Participants stressed the urgent need to prevent the southwestern islands from becoming war zones and to avert further deterioration of the regional security situation.
