YONAGUNI, Okinawa Pref. – When a unit of the Ground Self-Defense Force was deployed to Japan’s westernmost island of Yonaguni for the first time six years ago, it felt like a boon to the remote community, which had long been suffering from a falling population and a weak economy.
The arrival of the troops, many together with their families, has invigorated the sleepy island in many ways: They brought more children to schools, while bars and restaurants boomed and local festivals leaped back to life with more participants.
Unable to view this article?
This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.
Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.
If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see this support page.
We humbly apologize for the inconvenience.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
PHOTO GALLERY (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.