The United States and Japan on Friday announced the upcoming return of two parcels of land from military bases in Okinawa to civilian use. The thin strips, currently part of U.S. bases, are to help widen roads and ease traffic jams.
The news came at a rare joint announcement by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga at the prime minister's office in Tokyo.
The total size of the land is a tiny fraction of the massive territory occupied by U.S. bases, which together take up as much as 18.2 percent of Okinawa Island.