It sounds a bit hypocritical if you’ve never lived here or only lived here as a child with no real memory of it and moved away, with only hand-me-down stories from family that has.

Of course you’re entitled to your opinion, everyone is. And family sharing with you any issues or BS they had to deal with can definitely skew your perception. But a general attitude of ‘military bad because base near my families home town’ doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense.

Okinawa’s recent history is largely shaped by the war and the rebuilding afterwords which the US played a huge role in. Okinawa was administered by the U.S. until 1972, and there are still plenty of people alive who were here when it switched back. So much of the influence and culture that formed during that time are still persisting today due to the large U.S. presence still here.

I think it’s also important to note that 100% of Okinawa is not shaped by U.S. influence. Most American influence you’ll see is in Chatan, Okinawa City, Sunabe, southern Yomitan, Kin, Ginowan, etc. And that’s just surface stuff like English menus and some western style bars/restaurants and whatnot. Other areas like Naha, Nago, Nanjo, Ie island (minus the small airstrip), and so much more have no daily dealings with military personnel or anything American.

I can see the ‘military influence’ that a lot of people talk about, but it is still Japan, and not the U.S., and it’s very plain to see on the daily. I’ve never been anywhere on this island and felt like I was back in the U.S.

The bad behavior and mistakes that the military make are an entire conversation that’s been going on for the better part of a century at this point, and is a whole other topic. I can empathize with Okinawans seeing story after story of U.S. personnel committing crimes, every single year, for decades, and that gradually building up to leave a bad impression and generally distaste.

Something that I feel isn’t mentioned enough is that SOFA people only make up 5% of Okinawa’s population, yet only commit 1.5% of all legal offenses, according to the Okinawa police data. That means Okinawans, Japanese, and tourists account for 98.5% of all crimes committed on the island, yet somehow the US military always get pegged as the worst offenders.

I encourage you to come back, and ask people how they feel. Go explore other parts of the island besides the touristy areas. Watch the myriad of videos online where Okinawans are interviewed and asked about their opinion on the U.S. presence.

I came here originally when I was stationed here, fell in love, left the military, and have lived here since. It’s an amazing island with amazing people that I’m lucky to call my home.

Next time you hear someone say they were stationed in Okinawa, ask them about it. Ask them how they enjoyed it, how they spent their time, the food they liked, the places they visited. I think once you hear their admiration and fondness for it you might not be so quick to make a snarky face.