Okinawa
Ryukyu Kingdom became 1945 battlefield (1/3 population killed), now hosts 70% of US bases on 1% of Japan's land. 2026: caught between great powers and tourism.
Okinawa exists in between—geographically between Japan, China, and Taiwan; politically between sovereignty and occupation; economically between subsidy and self-sufficiency. For centuries, the Ryukyu Kingdom traded with all of East Asia from these subtropical islands. Then Japan annexed them in 1879. Then the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 killed one-third of the civilian population. Then the U.S. administered the islands until 1972. Today, making up just 1% of Japan's landmass, Okinawa hosts 70% of U.S. military facilities in the country.
The bases define the economy through what Okinawans call the "3Ks": Kichi (bases), Kankou (tourism), and Kokyo-koji (public works). Some 26,000 U.S. military personnel occupy 25% of the island's land, creating an economy part garrison, part beach resort, part transfer payment. Okinawa has Japan's youngest, fastest-growing population—and its lowest income. The paradox is structural: bases prevent alternative development, but removing them would eliminate jobs and base-related payments that currently sustain many families.
Tourism offers an escape route. Subtropical beaches, the Churaumi Aquarium, and unique Ryukyuan culture attract mainland Japanese seeking tropical escape without leaving the country. Okinawa invented karate here. The sanshin (three-stringed instrument) and Eisa festival dances represent traditions that survived both Japanese assimilation and American occupation. By 2026, Okinawa's choice crystallizes: strategic pawn in great-power competition, or beach resort for aging Japan? The 3Ks suggest neither answer is under local control.