Ever since the end of World War II, the American presence in Japan has been a point of contention.  What the Japanese government decides about U.S. military bases is not always what their people wish for.  This is particularly true of the island of Okinawa.  The U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station has recently become even more of a hot-button subject for Okinawans, Japanese and the U.S. alike.

Okinawans are opposed to the base for many reasons.  There are complaints of noise pollution, declarations that the U.S. is where is doesn’t need to be and more serious problems with U.S. soldier committing rapes in the area.  The locals also feel as if their voice is not being heard when it comes time to negotiate the continued presence of U.S. troops on their island.

The current state of affairs has the U.S. looking to relocate the Futenma base to somewhere else in Okinawa.  Originally, the Okinawans were hoping that the base would be removed altogether, but a lobby of U.S. politicians and influential Japanese supporters has decided that it needs to stay.  This is a debate that has been going on for several years, though it looks like the Okinawans are set to lose  their battle against the relocation.

The residents of Okinawa are not alone in their dissent.  Japanese citizens and politicians have been raising their voices against the presence of U.S. forces in their country for dozens of years.  There are those in the U.S. who have spoken out against the Japanese bases as well, calling it a symbol of continued American colonial tendencies.

Unfortunately, U.S. pressure on the Japanese government has made the removal of the bases unlikely.  The U.S. claims that China is growing in military power and that a deterrent is necessary to counter the security risk in the region.  There are many who believe that the security risk comes from the U.S. presence more than China.

So far, it looks as if there is no chance that the bases will go, though the continued Japanese popular resistance to them may change that sooner than the U.S. would like.