SDF still building Miyakojima depot despite protests and land row
The Okinawa Defense Bureau has been unable to acquire 0.6 hectares of the site due to a dispute between a company and individuals who both claim ownership.
Okinawa islanders conflicted over tourism amid virus pandemic
As more people in Tokyo and elsewhere were beginning to hole up at home during the coronavirus pandemic, others were venturing out to visit islands in Okinawa Prefecture. People on the resort island of Miyako as well as others in the Yaeyama archipelago, which had ...
Worker influx ignites resort island rent bubble on Miyakojima
An influx of construction workers to meet the demands of the tourism boom on the Okinawan resort island of Miyakojima is creating severe apartment shortages, sending rents higher. Take the rent for studio apartments, which combine the living room, bedroom and kitchen into a single ...
Japan defense chief vows to defend territory in visit to new GSDF base on distant southwest island
During a visit to a newly opened Ground Self-Defense Force base on Miyako Island, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya highlights Japan’s resolve to defend its far-flung territory amid China’s maritime assertiveness.
GSDF launches new bases in Kagoshima and Okinawa for defense of Japan's southwestern islands
The Ground Self-Defense Force launched new camps on Amami Oshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture and Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture on Tuesday, as part of its moves to enhance the defense of southwestern islands in the country. The camps will take charge of first response ...
The Japan Coast Guard is planning to deploy patrol ships to the Ogasawara Islands, about 1,000 km south of Tokyo, with the aim of strengthening its capabilities of cracking down on illegal foreign fishing boats, a government official said Wednesday. Under the plan, an as-yet ...
Scuba diving in Japan: Beneath the sea, a paradise of color and life
A carpet of sand stretches into the distance below me. As clear and still as the water, the light seems muted, creating a peaceful, subdued scene. Surrounding each rocky feature are small oases of life. At one, there are two nudibranchs (sea slugs) and, as ...
More Chinese naval ships sail through Miyako Strait
The Chinese Navy has again sent vessels through the Miyako Strait, a strategic entryway into the Western Pacific between the islands of Miyako and Okinawa, as part of drills, Chinese state-run media said. The exercises, held Thursday, are the latest near Japanese territory as the ...
ASDF scrambles jets as China sends more fighters and bombers through Miyako Strait
Japan scrambled fighters jets Thursday after China's navy carried out a large-scale drill through a strategic entryway into the Western Pacific between the islands of Miyako and Okinawa — part of Beijing's growing push to project its military clout farther into the Pacific. The official ...
Tiny Okinawa island's mayor wins re-election after backing SDF deployment to counter China
The mayor of Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, has won re-election after campaigning on a platform backing the planned deployment of a Ground Self-Defense Force unit there to counter China's maritime activities in nearby waters. Toshihiko Shimoji, 71, won his third four-year term as mayor of the ...
Amid rising hopes for economic growth, Japan's tourism boom has exposed the need for regional authorities to develop infrastructure and help secure the manpower needed to deal with the influx of foreign tourists. Miyakojima in Okinawa is one of those struggling tourist destinations. As a ...
Chinese bombers fly over Miyako Strait for first time; fighters scrambled
China's air force said Thursday its planes flew over the Miyako Strait, near Okinawa Island, to the Western Pacific Ocean for training for the first time, amid heightened Asian maritime tensions. It said the one-day training, aimed at improving aircraft maneuverability above the open sea, ...
