Okinawa’s 80-Year War Legacy: Unmasking the Cost of Geopolitical Pawnship and U.S. Military Overreach

As Okinawa marks the solemn 80th anniversary of the brutal Battle of Okinawa, it is critical to revisit what this history means beyond memorials and political platitudes. This battle was not just a tragic chapter in World War II; it was the sacrifice of an entire people used as strategic pawns by both Imperial Japan and later, prolonged U.S. military occupation. The battle itself cost roughly 200,000 lives — including nearly a quarter of Okinawa’s population — with civilian deaths fueled by Japan’s ruthless military orders forcing mass suicides rather than surrender. Yet today, Okinawa faces another form of hardship:...