Okinawans are still opposed to US military bases in the Japanese island province almost 80 years since it was invaded in WWII, the governor has said.
“It has been 79 years since that war," Denny Tamaki said. "How do our ancestors now view this world and Okinawa?"
"The presence of massive American bases, incidents and accidents involving American military personnel, environmental issues due to the American bases, and the excessive burden on Okinawa from the American bases continue today," the governor added.
"The rapid deployment of self-defense forces on Okinawa is now progressing swiftly. All of this overlays our memory of the Battle of Okinawa and causes great concern among the population,” Tamaki stressed.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the heads of both houses of the Japanese parliament spoke at the ceremony.
Although Kishida acknowledged the burden on Okinawa, where about 70 percent of US bases are concentrated, his speech was interrupted by shouts of protest.
The Battle of Okinawa, from March 26 to June 23, 1945, was one of the bloodiest for Japan in World War II. Around 200,000 people were killed, half of whom were civilians — one in four of the population.
US troops have remained on the islands since the battle. There have been numerous incidents of personnel from bases committing crimes against local people, including rape and murder, and escaping trial and punishment.