For the plaintiffs, it has been a long struggle to set the record straight and to ensure democracy prevails.
In a lawsuit seeking the disclosure of diplomatic papers, 25 people aim to prove the government has been lying by consistently denying the existence of a secret pact with the United States on the cost burden of the 1972 reversion of Okinawa.
"It's not permissible for the authorities to shield historical facts," said Ikuko Komachiya, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs. "Through this suit, with the aim of achieving democracy, we have questioned whether our right to know is fully guaranteed."