In Tokyo on Friday, more than 230 people joined a seminar to voice their worries about Japan’s growing military footprint in the Ryukyu Islands and the southwestern islands. The gathering was led by anti‑base and anti‑war groups from across Okinawa and drew lawmakers from the Japanese parliament and the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly, as well as ordinary citizens who are fed up with the shift toward making the region a military hub.
Mizuho Fukushima, the leader of Japan’s Social Democratic Party, slammed the Prime Minister’s recent comments about a “Taiwan contingency” as illogical and dangerous. “Seeing a security dilemma this way is a recipe for disaster,” she told reporters, adding that Japan cannot afford to turn its islands into war zones.
Other voices joined the debate. Former Ginowan City mayor and House of Councillors member Yoichi Iha accused the government of pushing the nation toward a “critical situation” by leaning more heavily on U.S. military bases and speeding up military expansion. He warned that the increased presence of U.S. forces could pull Japan into regional conflicts.
On Miyako Island, citizen‑activist Yukako Sonan highlighted the problem of civilian and military facilities being close together on small islands. “People live and fight on the same terrain,” she said. “If a war breaks out, it will hit ordinary residents right away.”
The meeting’s attendees stressed that the southwestern islands and other parts of Japan could soon become frontline areas. They urged the government to take urgent steps to prevent the region’s security situation from deteriorating further and to keep Japan out of a looming war scenario.
The seminar showcased a growing chorus of Japanese voices—from elected officials to everyday citizens—who want the government to slow down military expansion in Okinawa and keep Japan’s islands away from becoming a war zone.
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