The Latest Breaking News from Okinawa

Okinawa marks 80 years since end of one of harshest WWII battles with pledge to share tragic history

Okinawa marked the day when one of the harshest battles of World War II fought on the southern island ended 80 years ago

The Independent UK · Jun 23, 2025

Bone Collectors: Searching For WWII Remains In Okinawa

Trekking through mud and rocks in Japan's humid Okinawan jungle, Takamatsu Gushiken reached a slope of ground where human remains have lain forgotten since World War II. The 72-year-old said a brief prayer and lifted a makeshift protective covering, exposing half-buried bones believed to be those of a young Japanese…

International Business Times · Jun 23, 2025

Okinawa was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific war. 80 years on, are the dead being betrayed?

A quarter of Okinawan civilians died during the US invasion, some after being told to kill themselves. But today the legacy of the war dead is being complicated by the presence of tens of thousands of US soldiers

The Guardian - AU · Jun 10, 2025

Two US marines investigated over alleged rape at military base in Okinawa

Allegations come days after Japanese authorities increased efforts to deter crimes by US servicemen on island

The Guardian - UK · Apr 24, 2025

‘I love humans – it gives me the courage to approach them’: the disarming work of Mao Ishikawa

For five decades the Japanese photographer has captured the internal lives of a host of unlikely subjects, from dockers to Black GIs. Now a new show celebrates an artist dedicated to documenting the underdog

The Guardian - UK · Apr 24, 2025

US to send long-range surveillance drones to Japan amid tensions in Taiwan

Drones to be sent for indefinite deployment to US air base on Okinawa’s Kadena island in coming weeks

The Independent UK · Apr 9, 2025

Japan unveils first plan to evacuate 100,000 civilians from islands near Taiwan in event of conflict

Prospect of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan has forced Japan to step up measures to protect islands in Okinawa prefecture

The Guardian - AU · Mar 28, 2025

Okinawan bone digger searches for the remains of WWII dead and worries their lessons are unheard

Takamatsu Gushiken hunts caves in Okinawa's jungles for the bones of those who died in the WWII Battle of Okinawa, one of the war's bloodiest

The Independent UK · Mar 6, 2025

The quiet island paradise at the frontline of Chinese aggression over Taiwan

The tranquil island is increasingly being taken over by military personnel

The Independent UK · Feb 26, 2025

Your wanderlust wonder list for 2025: the 25 coolest places to travel

From Okinawa to Sarajevo to yes, Devon — by raft, camel or barefoot — here are this year’s hotspots

Evening Standard · Jan 23, 2025