From purple sweet potatoes to wild horse sightings here's how to make the most of Okinawa’s tropical escape By Reykjavik and other major destinations to top TripAdvisor’s list of trending spots vibrant coral reefs and food you won’t forget If you’re looking for a tropical escape without leaving Japan this Ishigaki Island travel guide will help you plan your trip right—whether you’re a beach bum a food lover or an adventurous road-tripper is made up of three major island chains: the Okinawan Islands the Miyako Islands and the Yaeyama Islands Ishigaki is a 3-hour flight from Tokyo and only 40 minutes from Taiwan turquoise waters and a slower pace of life far removed from the bustle of Okinawa City or Naha getting around can be a little tricky without a car Budget travelers can take advantage of local buses with a 5-day unlimited ride pass going for just ¥2,000 with some routes ending as early as 6 or 7 pm Fares start lower than in Tokyo—about ¥390 per kilometer—and many drivers are chatty and curious especially with visitors from bigger cities Japanese-language rental sites offer better deals (from ¥4,000/day including gas) but English-friendly versions are also available for a bit more Vanilla Deli for indulgent burgers Banana Cafe for cocktails using Awamori (Okinawan rice liquor) An A&W for those craving American fast food Ishigaki beef is prized for its tenderness thanks to a lower melting point in the fat Expect to pay upwards of ¥5,000 for a proper cut—but if you’re going to splurge Snorkeling the blue cave Mangrove kayaking and trekking Two of Ishigaki’s most delicious (and budget-friendly) exports are purple sweet potatoes (beniimo) and dark Okinawan sugar cane These show up in everything from cakes to jams to individually wrapped candies They make excellent souvenirs—well-packaged fairly priced and more affordable than similar snacks elsewhere in Japan Most accommodations are either in Ishigaki City or scattered along the coast. Options range from guesthouses to private resort estates. I stayed at the Blue Ocean Resort, a private villa near the beach offer reasonably priced bicycle rentals (around ¥1,080/day) which are great for exploring nearby attractions: Tojinbaka Nei Museum of Art a bright gallery with painted silk landscapes A short bike ride away from Fusaki is Miru Miru Hompo, a gelato shop and lunch spot with unbeatable coastal views and beef bowls go for around ¥500—making it easy to fuel up on the go Kabira Bay is known for its emerald-green waters and glass-bottom boat tours (around ¥1,000) These quick 30-minute cruises take you over coral reefs teeming with clownfish and blowfish Some tours also come with a coupon for Blue Seal ice cream—a nostalgic Okinawan brand first created for American G.I.s Omoto (the island’s tallest peak) and hike up Mt with low branches and muddy patches on rainy days but the views from the top are worth the effort Uganzaki Cape features a lighthouse and dramatic cliffs Brave the path past the small shrine to reach the outcrop’s edge—rewarding you with one of the island’s most unforgettable ocean views use Ishigaki as a base to explore the rest of the Yaeyama Islands Taketomi Island is just 15 minutes by ferry (¥580) It’s a preserved glimpse into traditional Okinawan life a free shuttle takes you to rental bikes so you can loop the island in a couple of hours Don’t leave without trying Yaeyama soba and a towering brown sugar kakigori is a bit further and more expensive to reach hiking waterfalls and spotting rare wildlife Interested in more Okinawa and Ishigaki travel guides JUNGLIA: Okinawa’s Ambitious New Theme Park Opens in July Hilton Okinawa Sesoko Resort, Okinawa Miyako: Explore Okinawa’s Most Underrated Island here’s how to make the most of Okinawa’s tropical escape Explore the best local brands shaping Tokyo’s fashion scene From vintage clothing to Hawaiian-themed goods here’s what’s worth checking out before it’s gone From buying and registering a bike to key rules of the road Collagen staples for beauty and health in Japan Our handpicked list of the best events going on this month and the untold tales of Japan’s queer community Everything you need to know before and during a natural disaster Stay up to date with Tokyo news and events Japan’s Ministry of Defense plans to expand a two-year-old army base on Ishigaki Island as part of efforts to bolster defenses in the Nansei Island chain The ministry may purchase 54 acres to enlarge Camp Ishigaki a Ground Self-Defense Force base on the island director of Ishigaki city’s department of general affairs Video of the meeting was uploaded to the city’s website the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands Ishigaki is approximately 150 miles east of Taiwan The islands form a key link in the so-called first island chain a strategic barrier to China’s navy in the event of a conflict “The ministry is working to purchase approximately 37 acres on the southern side of the base and an additional 17 acres on the west and east sides of the base,” Tanahara said The property in question is not city-owned and the city does not have information on how many people or companies own the land a spokesman for the general affairs department said by phone Thursday “We do not clearly know when the property will be purchased,” he said Some Japanese government officials speak to the media only on condition of anonymity The ministry plans to build a training ground on the east side of the base while additional training facilities for recruit deployment and disaster response training are planned for the west and south sides Camp Ishigaki began operations in March 2023 and houses approximately 570 personnel from security surface-to-air and surface-to-ship guided-missile units according to the defense ministry’s website The ministry also plans to activate an electronic warfare operations unit on Ishigaki Island in fiscal 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen those capabilities on remote islands according to an August ministry release posted on Ishigaki city’s website Japan’s fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 The number of personnel at Camp Ishigaki may increase with the addition of the electronic warfare unit but the ministry has not provided details on personnel or equipment Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp sunscreen and bathing suit and let’s go to Japan  These are a group of remote islands in southwest Okinawa that are actually closer to Taiwan than the rest of Japan Ishigaki Island is the main hub of the Yaeyama Islands so you will likely fly there first before going to the other islands Did you know that people drove on the right side of the road in Okinawa for some time  After World War II and during the American occupation of Okinawa until the 70s cars went back to being driven on the left side of the road So while my husband has driven a right hand drive car in Japan and elsewhere  I’m too worried that instincts would kick in and I’d end up driving down the wrong way especially when making left or right turns  And with most of the island limited to a maximum of 40-50 km/h what could go wrong  It’s too slow to get into a major accident how could I resist driving a cute kei car (light car)  With my international driver’s license issued by CAA A full day can be made of the northern part of Ishigaki Island  About an hour from Ishigaki City’s downtown you’ll find Hirakubozaki Lighthouse standing guard over the sea  The lighthouse marks the northernmost tip of the island and provides expansive views of the coast we drove to Ibaruma Sabichi Cave which provided a short  We walked through the cave and emerged onto an oceanside trail  We turned left and it was a short walk to a small we were booked for a 2-hour sailing and snorkeling trip on a traditional Okinawan sailboat it is an outrigger canoe with a sail that looks like a junk boat’s  (The Blue Cave is in the ‘middle’ of Ishigaki Island and could be an alternative snorkeling option.)  We drove back to the downtown area for lunch and surprisingly the city was dry and unaffected by the thunderstorm in the north  We took advantage of the eating and shopping options around the Euglena Mall area Shaved ice with local fruits like pineapple and mango were welcome treats that cooled us down the first picture you will most likely see is of Kabira Bay  It has an observation deck from where you can view the bay’s turquoise waters But a 5-minute drive away is Sukuji Beach which has calm waters  All of this we shared with only one other group of girlfriends  There was a designated swim area protected from jellyfish by a net though we also made sure that we were there when the tide was high enough for us to swim  We also realized that we had to watch out for a different kind of thief: crows that know how to pull a backpack’s zipper to get at the food inside Then we drove to Oganzaki lighthouse which had even better views than the lighthouse in the north  We took more pictures here not just because the sun was out and the sky was blue but also because there was so much more to see: stairs to the base of the lighthouse a crescent beach in the distance surrounded by a reef a path leading you further out into the sea we took a 15-minute ferry ride to Taketomi Island Taketomi is a small island known for its traditional Ryukyu houses which are distinctive because of the guardian lion-dog statues on the red tile roofs and boundary walls made of limestone Although we could walk from its port to the village and beaches  Minemoto Rental Cycle was a short walk from the port and then it’s a gradual uphill cycle into town but after that everything is flat  An electric bike is not required though available  We followed the recommended route of cycling into the village then made quick stops at Nishi Pier Kondoi Beach and Hoshizuna (Star Sand) Beach  I liked Hoshizuna the most because there was a constant breeze there was shade under the trees and they had many swings Hoshizuna is known for its star sand and though you can try your luck and find them Another popular activity on Taketomi Island is riding the water buffalo-drawn cart  It’s a great way to escape the unrelenting sun - Taketomi’s streets have no shade - as long as you don’t mind going slower than a walk Written by Diana Koa – All photos credit to Diana Koa *The opinions expressed in the above article do not reflect the views of JNTO All content and images are property of the writer unless otherwise specified If you would like to submit an article to our Travellers' Blog, click here Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages guests can curate their own luxury experiences in a subtropical paradise meaning those within the hospitality industry must constantly anticipate and adapt to the changing preferences of their guests there has been a shift in regard to visitors’ expectations; it’s no longer simply about one-size-fits-all extravagance but rather personalized luxury that allows travelers to create their own journeys This is exactly what you can expect at Seven x Seven Ishigaki overlooking the stunning azure waters of the Pacific Ocean it bills itself as “the world’s first self-hospitality hotel.” the creative force behind the Seven x Seven brand and design self-hospitality gives guests far more freedom and privacy without sacrificing quality of service “What we are doing is giving guests control of their own experience from start to finish,” he explains “This begins from the digital self-check-in which eliminates the need for formal front desk interactions access amenities and make requests on their own terms “We’ve designed an environment that offers all the luxury and elegance you’d expect but without the constant oversight that can sometimes make traditional luxury stays feel restrictive.” Miskin has seen luxury properties fail to adjust their approach to the needs of modern-day travelers They’ve put “too much focus on controlling the touchpoint of every guest,” he says and this leaves guests feeling “over-supervised while also limiting their ability to relax on-site staff members are always available should guests require their assistance you can spend time however you please — and there are plenty of options to keep visitors occupied within the hotel grounds both with their own whirlpool bath: a family pool on the ground floor that’s available to all hotel guests plus a rooftop infinity pool for those 20 and over “The former is designed to be large and welcoming one specifically for children,” says Miskin The latter allows for stunning panoramic views of the sea and coastline as well as a dedicated dining area where guests can enjoy cocktails Seven x Seven Ishigaki also boasts saunas and cold baths with beautiful design flourishes One of the highlights is unquestionably its authentic Finnish sauna where you can experience löyly — the hot steam that rises from a sauna stove when water is poured on the hot stones — directly from the mouth of a shisa a mythological lion-dog statue with great significance in Okinawan culture Batida — a unique fusion restaurant that combines Italian Spanish and Mexican influences — is well worth trying a chic underground bar and lounge that serves more than 200 types of gin.   For those looking to truly elevate their luxury experience Seven x Seven Ishigaki has four suite options each with stunning views and a large kitchen and dining space For those wanting to go for a private swim the pool suite is equipped with a sizable pool as well as a private spa area where you can enjoy a sauna The biggest of the suites is the penthouse on the 12th and 13th floors It can accommodate up to eight people and comes with a minibar and wine cellar it’s the suite with the swimming pool that appeals the most.  “If I were to stay one night at Seven x Seven and I’d likely spend most of the day in my room,” he says since the room has a fully stocked kitchen it’s easy to prepare and enjoy one’s own meals there cold plunge and maybe even relax in the whirlpool bath play a round of billiards and maybe do some karaoke before returning to my room for an evening swim and a detox in my private sauna.” A night or two in one of Seven x Seven’s suites is certainly very appealing though even for those who stay in one of the deluxe or standard rooms Many guests will no doubt choose to spend their whole time at the hotel which is located 18 minutes by car from New Ishigaki Airport is just a four-minute walk from the white sands of Maesato Beach.  The island’s top tourist attractions are easily accessible by car where century-old traditional houses have been carefully restored Though Ishigaki is most well known for its pristine beaches it’s also lush with mangrove rivers and broad-leaf forests The only problem is that you probably won’t want to leave your hotel.  To book your stay at Seven x Seven Ishigaki, please visit sevenxseven.com/hotels/ishigaki Official Social Media Accounts To Our Stakeholders Marubeni Management Philosophy Vision for the Marubeni of the Future Company Profile Directors, Audit & Supervisory Board Members, and Executive Officers Mid-Term Management Strategy Organization Japan and Overseas Offices Corporate Governance Major Group Companies Our History Marubeni Collection Lifestyle Division Food & Agri Business Division Metals and Mineral Resources Division Energy & Chemicals Division Power & Infrastructure Services Division Finance, Leasing & Real Estate Business Division Aerospace & Mobility Division IT Solutions Division Next Generation Business Development Division Next Generation Corporate Development Division Pursue Digital Transformation with Marubeni Marubeni Group by the Numbers Management Policy Earnings Releases & Financial Information Stock Information Sustainability Website The Marubeni Group's Social Contribution Activities Advertisements and Videos Advertisements Marubeni Institute Company Profile Print Okinawa Prefecture (Mayor: Nakayama Yoshitaka) will begin a Proof-of-Concept on the operation of demand-responsive transport connecting the northern district of Ishigaki City with the city center located in the south with the aim of implementing commercial operation in the future OverviewMarubeni will work with Ishigaki City to conduct the operation of demand-responsive transport which will provide door-to-door transportation between approximately 350 virtual bus stops It will connect the northern district and the southern city center of Ishigaki City for a period of three months Background and SignificanceIn the northern district of Ishigaki City securing a sufficient number of buses has become a significant issue due to a shortage of bus drivers forcing residents to use their own cars despite the aging of the population The development of a public transportation network is therefore an urgent issue Marubeni and Ishigaki City will start a demand-responsive transport system as a proof-of-concept aiming to develop a sustainable transportation network (that will eventually include the use of autonomous driving technology) and thus contribute to revitalizing the region The two partners will also monitor the changes in residents’ frequency of outings and other pertinent factors before and after the introduction of demand-responsive transport The contribution of the network to enhancing the quality of life of residents will be quantitatively evaluated through joint research with the Taniguchi Lab. Department of Policy and Planning Sciences Institute of Systems and Information Engineering Future OutlookDemand-responsive transport has attracted attention in recent years as a new type of transportation that combines the merits of a taxi and route buses and is expected to contribute not only to revitalizing the region but also to enhancing the quality of life of local residents Based on the results of this proof-of-concept Marubeni will aim to develop a new transportation system that combines demand-responsive transport and autonomous driving technology aiming to develop a convenient mobility society in the future Back TOKYO - The US Navy's amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's training support ship Kurobe docked at Japan's Ishigaki port in Okinawa prefecture on Wednesday despite local requests to refrain from using civilian facilities Local media reported that concerned about military presence in the area many residents gathered near the port in the morning to protest demanding the immediate departure of the ships local citizen groups held a rally opposing the docking plan Both ships are scheduled to depart on Feb 28 Ishigaki Island does not host a US military base and its ports and airports are civilian facilities the US military has docked ships there for three consecutive years ALSO READ: Japan urges US military to take actions to prevent sexual assaults in Okinawa US military aircraft have also made unannounced landings at local airports impacting the lives of residents and raising widespread concerns Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report The government unveiled its plan to evacuate tens of thousands of people from remote islands near Taiwan in case China acts on its oft-repeated threat to invade the island territory The plan released on March 27 would entail evacuating 120,000 residents and tourists from five municipalities in the Sakishima Islands of Okinawa Prefecture in the initial stage ships and aircraft would transport evacuees The plan also details steps to secure the necessary hotel accommodation for the evacuees Officials said the government intends to carry out an evacuation drill based on this scenario in fiscal 2026 Evacuees will be transported to Yamaguchi Prefecture and seven other prefectures in the Kyushu region using vessels from the Self-Defense Forces and Japan Coast Guard Thirty-two municipal governments in the eight prefectures will accept about 110,000 residents for the first month after the start of evacuation The evacuees will take chartered buses from Fukuoka and Kagoshima airports where the aircraft will arrive from the Sakishima islands residents from the same municipalities will take refuge in the same prefecture But since Ishigaki and Miyako each has as many as 50,000 or so residents evacuees from the area of the same elementary school will be taken to the same city or town The government will call on local retailers and other establishments to pitch in if the facilities encounter difficulties providing meals The contingency plan also includes setting up health consultation desks stationed by public health nurses The government moved quickly to establish a framework for an emergency of this nature based on the Civil Protection Law in tandem with moves to bolster defense of the Nansei Islands by deploying Ground SDF units to the Sakishima islands In the national security strategy established in 2022 policies were set down for swift evacuation and construction of shelters Although the government publicly said the evacuation plan “does not assume a particular incident,” officials within the government privately acknowledged that it was created with a potential Taiwan contingency in mind “The government will work hard on making the plan more effective in terms of support including how to arrange accommodation for those with special needs if the evacuation period goes beyond a month,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference on March 27 in Tokyo Challenges crop up after practice evacuation of Okinawa islands Okinawa to run simulation of evacuation from an enemy attack Island leaders call for shelters to prepare for Taiwan crisis Japan to build shelters on isles near Taiwan in case of attack 670,000 expected to evacuate for Nankai Trough megaquake Defense minister vows utmost to protect Nansei islanders Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission and sometimes there are courses for horses there are a select few dream matches between triathletes and courses that come to mind in this category In the eight wins at one race category we have Cam Brown at Ironman New Zealand we have Natascha Badmann at Kona and Jo Lawn at Taupo And now Australia’s Courtney Atkinson is creeping up the multiple wins at the same place ladder with his 5th career win at the ITU World Cup in Ishigaki On a chilly spring day on the island of Ishigaki Atkinson outran Russia’s Vasiliev brothers to take the win in 1:48:24 for a 37 seconds margin of victory over runner-up Ivan and 59 seconds over third place Denis Following his win at the season opener in Mooloolaba Atkinson now owns the first two wins in the 2009 ITU World Cup season "I was probably more nervous today than usual,” Atkinson told ITU media “But I've won a fair few times here and to win my fifth race on the island is great.” Atkinson came shivering out of the swim near the front then broke away with a group of six that left the main pack behind by a staggering four minutes and it was a bit chilly here today,” said Atkinson “But once I settled into my pace on the run I was able to conserve a little bit of energy for next week (the first race of the 2009 ITU World Championship series in Korea) whilst managing to pull away." Japan’s Juri Ide ran away from Canada’s Kathy Tremblay on the final of four laps on the 10km run to take a five second margin of victory 2:03:33 since Ide finished a strong fifth at the Beijing Olympics after leading fourth place finisher Laura Bennett for much of the run Fellow Japanese Olympian Kiyomi Niwata ran had to take third another 16 seconds back of Tremblay "I'm especially happy that all of my friends family and fans were here to see my win in Japan and to share the experience,” Ide told ITU media Tremblay was happy to overcome some stomach troubles to make one of her first World Cup podiums “I felt pretty sick last night as I accidentally ate some shrimp which I’m allergic to,” Tremblay told ITU media “I started pretty steadily on the run just trying to stay relaxed Juri and I managed to get ahead on the final lap but she kicked first and got the gold “I am very happy to make the podium again in lovely Ishigaki it was my fourteenth time racing here today and my third medal winning performance,” said Niwata © Slowtwitch - Built with Federated Computer we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads may adversely affect certain features and functions Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen Okinawa — The general in charge of the Marine Corps’ Indo-Pacific field command recently visited Ishigaki island for the first time resolve to defend Japan as it faces increasing provocations from China James Glynn was at the Japanese army’s Camp Ishigaki on Oct 23 for the start of the U.S.-Japan Keen Sword exercise the III Marine Expeditionary Force announced Friday The visit marked the first time a leader of the Marines’ largest field command visited the Sakishima chain Ishigaki is about 150 miles east of Taiwan an island democracy over which China claims sovereignty China’s military has mounted at least two large exercises this year demonstrating its ability to storm or blockade the island “Commander [Marine Forces Pacific] making a public visit to Ishigaki is a clear statement that the Marines are playing an active role in defending Japan – and in an area that is in the [Chinese army’s] crosshairs and where a potential fight with the Chinese is most likely to occur,” retired Marine Col a senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo told Stars and Stripes via email Wednesday formerly of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force saying by phone Wednesday that the visit “shows the opponent that the U.S.-Japan alliance in the Nansei region is getting stronger.” stretch from just east of Taiwan to Kyushu Okinawa is the largest island in the chain which forms a barrier that controls East China Sea approaches to the coast of China Glynn and Turner met with Marines of the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment the Corps’ newest seaborne quick-reaction force mobile units inserted within enemy missile range to seize and hold key islands and deny vessels access to surrounding areas The two Marine generals also met with Japanese troops stationed on the island and with Ground Self-Defense Force leaders to “address current security concerns and continued support to the defense of Japan,” the release said The visit is something that “potential aggressors ought to take notice” of “The Chinese threat has become such that the U.S and Japan are less reticent about sending messages about their joint resolve,” he wrote The full text of Glynn and Turner’s discussions were not available He said the commanders spoke about Keen Sword’s “ability to demonstrate and advance U.S.-Japan interoperability.” military frequently uses interoperability to describe the ability of one country’s armed forces to use another’s training methods and military equipment Turner highlighted the 12th Littoral Regiment’s importance to the Marines’ modernization effort in a quote relayed by Puczko via email The regiment’s stand-in force operations are a key tenet of the island-fighting doctrine featured in the Marines’ Force Design plan “III MEF is optimally postured to conduct sensing and targeting in defense of our allies and partners,” Turner said The regiment’s “sensing capabilities enhance the [Japanese Self-Defense Forces’] maritime targeting and sea control efforts We look forward to expanding the scope of realistic cross-domain training Newsham said Turner is making “a pitch for Force Design 2030,” the original name for the Force Design concept Navy or Japan [Maritime Self-Defense Force] officer — rather than a senior Marine officer — had made this statement — and specifically noted that the Marines are providing essential and indispensable ‘sensing’ and ‘targeting’ that cannot be provided by other platforms operated by other services,” he wrote Stars and Stripes reporter Keishi Koja contributed to this report Two members of the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment are the first in the Marine Corps to be promoted at a Japanese army base on Ishigaki 1 at Camp Ishigaki of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force “I feel it’s important that my promotion took place here of all places because normally Marines don’t have the opportunity to promote in a foreign country let alone a place that Marines have only set foot on once before,” Clinard said in an Aug The Marines visited Camp Ishigaki for the first time last year for Resolute Dragon annual training between the III Marine Expeditionary Force and Japan’s Western Army III MEF did not respond to emailed requests from Stars and Stripes for further information about the promotions The two corporals were promoted during the final week of this year’s Resolute Dragon Approximately 3,000 Marines and 5,700 Japanese troops participated in this year’s training “I am so proud to have been promoted here,” Lee said in the release “Now that I’m a corporal I will need to set the example for my junior Marines and learn how to lead and mentor them.” Promoting the two Marines on the Japanese base in Okinawa prefecture highlights the focus on integrating American and Japanese military efforts and Japan are increasing their levels of cooperation as China increases its military strength and asserts territorial claims in the East and South China seas The promotions also garnered strong reactions from the Marines’ families there is no greater honor,” Clinard’s father and they returned me America’s best Marine.” This year’s Resolute Dragon included deploying radar systems to Yonaguni and force-on-force and live fire exercises The Air Force had two CV-22 Ospreys scheduled to participate in Resolute Dragon but canceled their involvement before the exercise began citing a need to focus on training requirements and Japanese militaries previously grounded their tiltrotor fleets after an Osprey from Yokota Air Base crashed off Japan’s southern coast and Japan began flying its Ospreys again on March 21 and Japanese pilots for the first time will fly Ospreys to Yonaguni Island according to a spokesman for Japan’s Joint Staff The tiltrotor flights are scheduled as part of civilian evacuation drills during the allies’ annual Keen Sword exercise taking place in October and November across Japan Marines are planning to send a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force base on Ishigaki Island “We don’t know yet how many of them will be transported,” he said Some Japanese government officials are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity lie southwest of Okinawa and east of Taiwan They could become contested ground in the event of a conflict with China according to a Joint Staff news release Thursday Australian and Canadian military units will also participate 12 commercial airports and 20 commercial seaports from Hokkaido to Okinawa with most of the exercise taking place on Okinawa and at Kagoshima on Kyushu a Marine MV-22 Osprey and a Ground Self-Defense Force V-22 Osprey are expected to fly to Yonaguni and the Ospreys are going to be used to evacuate people from the island to Naha,” the spokesman said a spokesman for the Joint Staff said Monday and Japanese Ospreys were grounded between December and March following a Nov Air Force Special Operations Command aircraft that killed all eight aboard The accident investigation found a catastrophic mechanical failure at fault compounded by a “lack of urgency” by the crew at the time The revolutionary aircraft lands and takes off like a helicopter but flies as a fixed-wing aircraft has objected to the Ospreys’ continued flights over Japan military has said the aircraft is safe to fly but will not operate within its full mission range until 2025 Ground Self-Defense Force Ospreys also are expected to use Naha airport for the first time during the exercise They will fly from the airport to Yonaguni or Tokunoshima island northeast of Okinawa for training Planning is underway for the exercise and “an announcement is expected in the coming weeks,” 1t Lt spokesman for the III Marine Expeditionary Force He would not confirm details from the Joint Staff “For operational security reasons we will not discuss the extent of participation of U.S forces or locations of operations until the exercise begins,” he wrote is designed to increase combat readiness and improve the working relationship between U.S The exercise comes amid increasing tensions between Tokyo and Beijing Chinese vessels frequently intrude into Japanese waters near the Senkakus islets about 105 miles east of Taiwan that are administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing and Taipei A Maritime Self-Defense Force warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time on Wednesday a Chinese aircraft carrier sailed between Yonaguni and nearby Iriomote entering the Japan’s maritime contiguous zone and Japan also are increasing their cooperation as China increases its military strength and asserts its claims on maritime territory in the South and East China seas This work, U.S. Marines and Sailors Participate in Bilateral Humanitarian Aid Training, by CPT Pawel Puczko, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version is bringing his electrifying sounds to Japan with two exclusive performances as part of his largest-ever Asia tour II.” Presented by seven x seven and sponsored by Kasumigaseki Capital Co. The first performance will be held in the stunning setting of Ishigaki Island at the brand-new Seven x Seven Ishigaki resort This luxurious venue will provide an intimate atmosphere for hotel guests and promises to be an unforgettable experience for all those that attend Metrics details and can thus be expected to pave the way for further development in different areas of chemistry by probing the boundary between bonded and non-bonded states Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Isolation of a benzene valence isomer with one-electron phosphorus-phosphorus bonds Confirmed by X-ray crystallography: the B⋅B one-electron σ bond One-electron bonds in copper–aluminum and copper–gallium complexes Longest C–C single bond among neutral hydrocarbons with a bond length beyond 1.8 Å The Nature of Ultralong C–C Bonds (Springer Nature The one-electron bond and the three-electron bond The arrangement of electrons in atoms and molecules Ethane cation-radical isomers and their interconversion pathways Electron shift isomerism in cation radicals Comparative study of ethane and propane cation radicals by B3LYP density functional and high-level ab initio methods Possible structures for C2H6+ and B2H6− E.S.R Electron spin resonance spectrum of trimethyl borate ([(MeO)3B.cntdot.B(OMe)3]−) Electron spin resonance study of molecular anions generated in argon matrix at 4°K: ESR spectrum of B2H6− Electron spin resonance study of electronic and geometrical structures of C2H6+ and other simple alkane cations at 4.2 K: possible evidence for Jahn–Teller distortion spectra of the hexamethyldisilane and hexamethyldigermane radical cations Confirmation of the cation radicals of hexamethylethane and hexamethyldisilane by ESR and other spectroscopy An intramolecular boron–boron one-electron σ-bond Formation of a phosphorus–phosphorus bond by successive one-electron reductions of a two-phosphinines-containing macrocycle: crystal structures Electron-transfer-mediated photochemical addition of methanol to arylcyclopropanes Nucleophilic cleavage of one-electron .sigma Photoinduced electron-transfer reactions of the cope and related systems Photoinduced electron-transfer degenerate cope rearrangement of 2,5-diaryl-1,5-hexadienes: a cation-radical cyclization–diradical cleavage mechanism Photoinduced electron-transfer cope rearrangements of 3,6-diaryl-2,6-octadienes and 2,5-diaryl-3,4-dimethyl-1,5-hexadienes: stereospecificity and an unexpected formation of the bicyclo[2.2.0]hexane derivatives 1,3-Bis(4-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexane-1,3-diyl cation radical: divergent reactivity depending upon electron-transfer conditions An instance of trivalent carbon: triphenylmethyl Length of the ethane bond in hexaphenylethane and its derivatives Hexaphenylethanes with an ultralong C–C bond: expandability of the C–C bond in highly strained tetraarylpyracenes Expandability of ultralong C–C bonds: largely different C1–C2 bond lengths determined by low-temperature X-ray structural analyses on pseudopolymorphs of 1,1-bis(4-fluorophenyl)-2,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)pyracene and scission of extremely elongated single bonds Naphthyl-substituted carbocations: from peri interaction to cyclization Synthesis and characterization of weakly coordinating anion salts of a new the dibenzosuberenyl (dibenzotropylium) ion Anthracene‐attached persistent tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon radicals Donor-acceptor (electronic) coupling in the precursor complex to organic electron transfer: intermolecular and intramolecular self-exchange between phenothiazine redox centers Intermolecular π-to-π bonding between stacked aromatic dyads Experimental and theoretical binding energies and near-IR optical transitions for phenalenyl radical/radical versus radical/cation dimerizations Selective formation of a mixed-valence state from linearly bridged oligo(aromatic diamines): drastic structural change into a folded columnar stack for half-filled polycations Evidence for multicenter bonding in dianionic tetracyanoethylene dimers by Raman spectroscopy Long carbon-carbon bonding beyond 2 Å in Tris(9-fluorenylidene)methane Electron transfer between two silyl-substituted phenylene rings: EPR/ENDOR spectra and crystal structure of the one-electron reduction compound of a Di(m-silylphenylenedisiloxane) Multiwfn: a multifunctional wavefunction analyzer SHELXT – Integrated space-group and crystal-structure determination Download references This work was supported by the Masason Foundation (to S.K.) and by the Research Program ‘Five-star Alliance’ in ‘NJRC Mater Shimajiri acknowledge financial support from a Toyota Riken Scholarship This work was furthermore supported by Grants-in-Aid from MEXT (JSPS Nos and 23K21107 and 23H04011 to Y.I.) and JST PRESTO (No Takuya Shimajiri, Soki Kawaguchi, Takanori Suzuki & Yusuke Ishigaki conducted the synthetic and spectroscopic experiments as well as the theoretical calculations Shimajiri prepared the manuscript with feedback from all authors The authors declare no competing interests Nature thanks Tobias Krämer and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Peer reviewer reports are available Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07965-1 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily. Volume 5 - 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2018.00044 This article is part of the Research TopicRNA Diseases in Humans – From Fundamental Research to Therapeutic ApplicationsView all 12 articles Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is an RNA binding protein that regulates RNA metabolism including alternative splicing FUS is genetically and pathologically involved in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Multiple lines of evidence across diverse models suggest that functional loss of FUS can lead to neuronal dysfunction and/or neuronal cell death Loss of FUS in the nucleus can impair alternative splicing and/or transcription whereas dysfunction of FUS in the cytoplasm especially in the dendritic spines of neurons Alternative splicing of the MAPT gene at exon 10 which generates 4-repeat Tau (4R-Tau) and 3-repeat Tau (3R-Tau) is one of the most impactful targets regulated by FUS loss of FUS function can affect dendritic spine maturations by destabilizing mRNAs such as Glutamate receptor 1 (GluA1) and Synaptic Ras GTPase-activating protein 1 (SynGAP1) FUS is involved in axonal transport and morphological maintenance of neurons These findings indicate that a biological link between loss of FUS function and phenotypic expression might lead to the sequential cascade culminating in FTLD to facilitate development of early disease markers and/or therapeutic targets of FTLD/ALS it is critical that the functions of FUS and its downstream pathways are unraveled This review provides an overview of recent findings that reveal the effects of functional loss of FUS on the pathogenesis of FTLD/ALS loss of FUS in the nucleus leads to imbalanced Tau isoforms due to insufficient skipping of exon 10 in the MAPT gene loss of FUS in the cytoplasm causes decreased stability in GluA1 and SynGAPα2 mRNA resulting in aberrant maturation of dendritic spines we summarize the roles of FUS in neurite maintenance and axonal transport and provide a briefly overview of the FUS liquid-phase-transition which may alter its various physiological functions and contribute to the development of toxic cellular effects under pathological conditions the functional properties of FUS may influence multiple cellular processes of neurons and/or glial cells whose dysfunction could be the most plausible explanation for neuronal toxicity mediated by loss of FUS the clinical data and FUS-silenced mice model findings support the hypothesis that FUS dysfunction results in early cognitive impairments These findings suggest that aberrant interactions between FUS and its spliceosome binding partners in the nucleus of neurons might lead to neuronal dysfunction and subsequent neurodegeneration future pathological studies examining the FUS/SFPQ nuclear interaction in both FTLD/ALS and tauopathies are necessary Proposed pathway underlying neurodegeneration following a qualitative loss of function of FUS in alternative splicing Under normal neuronal physiological conditions FUS and SFPQ interact in the nucleus to regulate alternative splicing of MAPT by skipping exon 10 When this functional machinery is impaired such as occurs following FUS or SFPQ depletion or qualitative loss due to disease-associated mutations or other unknown aberrant modifications the splicing ratio of MAPT exon 10+/exon 10- is increased which in turn results in an increased 4R-Tau/3R-Tau ratio The quantitative or qualitative loss of FUS or SFPQ causes various phenotypes Normalization of imbalanced Tau isoforms by co-injection with shRNA against 4R-Tau can successfully rescue these phenotypes our findings suggest that a pathophysiological link between FUS/SFPQ and the regulation of 4R-Tau/3R-Tau isoforms is involved in the pathogenesis of FTLD and 4R-tauopathy FUS also binds to the U-rich small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (U snRNPs) and SMN complexes in the spliceosome with disease-associated mutations in FUS affecting this alternative splicing machinery these findings indicate that both quantitative and qualitative losses of FUS function are likely involved in the pathogenesis of FTLD/ALS and should provide clues for therapeutics that clarify the functional properties of FUS The alteration of gene expression and/or alternative splicing of these genes may have a large impact on neuronal function which contributes to the neurodegeneration observed in FTLD/ALS We speculate that disruptions to FUS functionality could result in a partial effect rather than fatal damage by altering isoforms or expression levels of these genes it is possible that neurodegeneration only results after the transcriptional disruption triggered by loss of FUS functionality reaches a critical threshold such that the expression of individual genes and alternative splicing events are not critical by themselves Additional targets of FUS-mediated exon skipping could likewise contribute to FTLD/ALS pathogenesis. Among these genes is FUS itself in which FUS-mediated splicing at exon 7 contributes to autoregulation of expression with the exon 7 skipped variant undergoing nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). The auto regulatory function is deficient in ALS-associated FUS mutants (Zhou et al., 2013) Other FUS-regulated genes, such as NTNG1 or BRAF, which could be important for neuronal cell survival, have been identified in multiple reports (Orozco and Edbauer, 2013) Further study is necessary to evaluate their significance in FTLD/ALS pathogenesis these findings suggest that the cytoplasmic function of FUS may be involved in regulating mRNA stability suggest that the loss of regulatory control of synaptic molecule mRNA stability in response to impaired FUS functionality causes synaptic dysfunction and could lead to post-synapse impairments in FTLD/ALS the morphological abnormalities in neurites might be one of the earliest biomarkers and could thus be used in therapeutic screens or as a diagnostic tool further investigation to clarify the common downstream pathomechanism is necessary These findings strongly suggest a biochemical link between RNA-binding proteins and other amyloid-formable proteins including Tau and its association with RNA processing in neurodegenerative diseases Since those findings were based on in vitro experiments further investigation is necessary to clarify whether/how liquid-liquid phase transitions are associated with biological function and whether transitions that occur in the cytoplasm of dendritic spines and/or the nucleus utilize the same or a different molecular process to determine the utility of FUS and its downstream pathways as early disease markers and/or therapeutic targets of FTLD/ALS it is crucial that their functional properties be more precisely clarified Functional loss of FUS in the nucleus and the cytoplasm can cause neuronal dysfunction and degeneration FUS regulates alternative splicing and transcription which is regulated by FUS in complex with SFPQ FUS also regulates transcription of a number of genes including Ntng1 cytoplasmic FUS stabilizes mRNAs involved in the dendritic spine the functional impairments caused by FUS deficiency can affect neuronal function and morphology and subsequently lead to aberrant behaviors and neurodegeneration FUS has also been implicated in the axon transport machinery which is impaired by disease-associated mutations in FUS The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest This work was supported by Mext Grant–in-aid project Scientific Research on Innovation Area (Brain Protein Aging and Dementia control) by Mext Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Comprehensive Brain Science Network) This work was also supported by the Integrated Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Integrated Research on Depression Dementia and Development Disorders projects carried out under the Strategic Research Program for Brain Sciences and Brain/MINDS of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development Liquid-liquid phase separation of the microtubule-binding repeats of the Alzheimer-related protein Tau Localization of fused in sarcoma (FUS) protein to the post-synaptic density in the brain Loss and gain of FUS function impair neuromuscular synaptic transmission in a genetic model of ALS Axonal transport defects are a common phenotype in Drosophila models of ALS Tau-mediated neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders Juvenile ALS with basophilic inclusions is a FUS proteinopathy with FUS mutations Novel FUS deletion in a patient with juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis a novel RNA/ssDNA-binding protein with homology to the pro-oncoproteins TLS/FUS and EWS is associated with both TFIID and RNA polymerase II Phase separation of C9orf72 dipeptide repeats perturbs stress granule dynamics Boillée Onset and progression in inherited ALS determined by motor neurons and microglia PINK1 and parkin are genetic modifiers for FUS-induced neurodegeneration Liquid-liquid phase separation in cellular signaling systems ALS mutations in TLS/FUS disrupt target gene expression TDP-43 and FUS RNA-binding proteins bind distinct sets of cytoplasmic messenger RNAs and differently regulate their post-transcriptional fate in motoneuron-like cells Fusion of CHOP to a novel RNA-binding protein in human myxoid liposarcoma FUS-immunoreactive inclusions are a common feature in sporadic and non-SOD1 familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Silencing of FUS in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) brain via stereotaxic injection of an adeno-associated virus encoding shRNA CrossRef Full Text FUS affects circular RNA expression in murine embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons Familial behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia associated with astrocyte-predominant tauopathy TLS facilitates transport of mRNA encoding an actin-stabilizing protein to dendritic spines FUS-regulated region- and cell-type-specific transcriptome is associated with cell selectivity in ALS/FTLD Dysregulated molecular pathways in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorder HDAC6 inhibition reverses axonal transport defects in motor neurons derived from FUS-ALS patients RNA-binding proteins with prion-like domains in health and disease Dendritic spine pathology in Neurodegenerative diseases Fus deficiency in mice results in defective B-lymphocyte development and activation high levels of chromosomal instability and perinatal death The ALS/FTLD-related RNA-binding proteins TDP-43 and FUS have common downstream RNA targets in cortical neurons Mutation-specific functional impairments in distinct tau isoforms of hereditary FTDP-17 Tau mislocalization to dendritic spines mediates synaptic dysfunction independently of neurodegeneration Extensive FUS-immunoreactive pathology in juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with basophilic inclusions Establishment of in vitro FUS-associated familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis model using human induced pluripotent stem cells Altered tau isoform ratio caused by loss of FUS and SFPQ function leads to FTLD-like phenotypes Position-dependent FUS-RNA interactions regulate alternative splicing events and transcriptions FUS and TARDBP but not SOD1 interact in genetic models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Distinct and shared functions of ALS-associated proteins TDP-43 FUS and TAF15 revealed by multisystem analyses Intracellular localization and splicing regulation of FUS/TLS are variably affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-linked mutations FUS/TLS deficiency causes behavioral and pathological abnormalities distinct from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Male sterility and enhanced radiation sensitivity in TLS(−/−) mice Mutations in the FUS/TLS gene on chromosome 16 cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Lagier-Tourenne Lagier-Tourenne Divergent roles of ALS-linked proteins FUS/TLS and TDP-43 intersect in processing long pre-mRNAs Pathological heterogeneity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with FUS mutations: two distinct patterns correlating with disease severity and mutation Position-specific binding of FUS to nascent RNA regulates mRNA length Phosphorylation of the FUS low-complexity domain disrupts phase separation ALS/FTD mutation-induced phase transition of FUS liquid droplets and reversible hydrogels into irreversible hydrogels impairs RNP granule function Structure of FUS protein fibrils and its relevance to self-assembly and phase separation of low-complexity domains FUS regulates genes coding for RNA-binding proteins in neurons by binding to their highly conserved introns A new subtype of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with FUS pathology FUS-mediated alternative splicing in the nervous system: consequences for ALS and FTLD Loss of fused in sarcoma (FUS) promotes pathological Tau splicing Differential regulation of microtubule dynamics by three- and four-repeat tau: implications for the onset of neurodegenerative disease A liquid-to-solid phase transition of the ALS protein FUS accelerated by disease mutation ALS-associated mutation FUS-R521C causes DNA damage and RNA splicing defects State of play in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis genetics Lower motor neuron involvement in TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa-related frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis The changing scene of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Widespread binding of FUS along nascent RNA regulates alternative splicing in the brain Knockdown of the Drosophila fused in sarcoma (FUS) homologue causes deficient locomotive behavior and shortening of motoneuron terminal branches Scekic-Zahirovic Toxic gain of function from mutant FUS protein is crucial to trigger cell autonomous motor neuron loss Super-resolution microscopy reveals presynaptic localization of the ALS/FTD related protein FUS in hippocampal neurons FUS binds the CTD of RNA polymerase II and regulates its phosphorylation at Ser2 genetic and pathological heterogeneity of frontotemporal dementia: a review Activity-dependent FUS dysregulation disrupts synaptic homeostasis The function of RNA-binding proteins at the synapse: implications for neurodegeneration ALS-associated mutant FUS induces selective motor neuron degeneration through toxic gain of function TDP-43 and FUS/TLS: sending a complex message about messenger RNA in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS-causative mutations in FUS/TLS confer gain and loss of function by altered association with SMN and U1-snRNP The phenotypic variability of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis TLS/FUS (translocated in liposarcoma/fused in sarcoma) regulates target gene transcription via single-stranded DNA response elements Non-nuclear pool of splicing factor SFPQ regulates axonal transcripts required for normal motor development Spliceosome integrity is defective in the motor neuron diseases ALS and SMA FUS regulates AMPA receptor function and FTLD/ALS-associated behaviour via GluA1 mRNA stabilization Neurodegenerative disorder FTDP-17-related tau intron 10 +16C –> T mutation increases tau exon 10 splicing and causes tauopathy in transgenic mice cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis type 6 TDP-43 loss-of-function causes neuronal loss due to defective steroid receptor-mediated gene program switching in Drosophila Van Langenhove The molecular basis of the frontotemporal lobar degeneration-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis spectrum The ALS-associated proteins FUS and TDP-43 function together to affect Drosophila locomotion and life span Induced ncRNAs allosterically modify RNA-binding proteins in cis to inhibit transcription Slowing of axonal transport is a very early event in the toxicity of ALS-linked SOD1 mutants to motor neurons The LC Domain of hnRNPA2 adopts similar conformations in hydrogel polymers Mutant SOD1 in cell types other than motor neurons and oligodendrocytes accelerates onset of disease in ALS mice Astrocytes as determinants of disease progression in inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Sporadic juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by mutant FUS/TLS: possible association of mental retardation with this mutation Frameshift and novel mutations in FUS in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and ALS/dementia The RNA-binding protein Fus directs translation of localized mRNAs in APC-RNP granules 3'UTR length-dependent control of SynGAP isoform α2 mRNA by FUS and ELAV-like proteins promotes dendritic spine maturation and cognitive function Cellular tau pathology and immunohistochemical study of tau isoforms in sporadic tauopathies ALS-associated FUS mutations result in compromised FUS alternative splicing and autoregulation Citation: Ishigaki S and Sobue G (2018) Importance of Functional Loss of FUS in FTLD/ALS Received: 28 February 2018; Accepted: 17 April 2018; Published: 03 May 2018 Copyright © 2018 Ishigaki and Sobue. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Shinsuke Ishigaki, aXNoaWdha2ktbnNAdW1pbi5uZXQ= Gen Sobue, c29idWVnQG1lZC5uYWdveWEtdS5hYy5qcA== Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish This article was published more than 6 months ago About 600 troops are being posted to Ishigaki one of Japan’s most southern inhabited islands.Steven Chase/The Globe and Mail The long arm of a construction crane soars above the thick jungle on subtropical Ishigaki Island where Japan is preparing for a war it hopes never begins Camp Ishigaki, a military base opened by Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force in March, 2023, is still bustling with hard-hatted workers 18 months later as Tokyo builds up its military presence on remote islands near Taiwan one of Japan’s most southern inhabited islands Also deployed are cutting-edge guided-missile batteries intended to stop threats approaching by sea or air Arming islands such as Ishigaki is part of a decade-plus shift in Japan’s defence posture. The most likely threat in this archipelago, adjacent to the East China Sea, comes from Beijing, experts say. And Tokyo has laid out plans to further boost annual defence spending by tens of billions of dollars not long after a government defence strategy paper in 2022 called China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour “a matter of serious concern” and the “greatest strategic challenge” it faces It set a goal of raising defence spending to 2 per cent of annual economic output by 2027 a change for a country whose postwar constitution says the Japanese people “forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.” A Sunday election in Japan cost Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s coalition its parliamentary majority adding further uncertainty over the country’s future Soldiers stand guard at Camp Ishigaki on Oct Japan has set a goal of raising defence spending to 2 per cent of annual economic output by 2027.Steven Chase/The Globe and Mail there is unrest with the changes that have come to a sleepy island prized by tourists for its white sand and turquoise waters about 20 protesters rally at the base entrance carrying signs such as “No to military and missile bases.“ They deliver a letter intended for the garrison commander asking that local islands not be turned “into battlefields.” Both the Japanese and American flags are flying above Camp Ishigaki as forces from both countries conduct a biennial training exercise known as Keen Sword the United States brought a mobile HIMARS missile launcher that has been used to great effect by Ukraine against Russian invaders Not everyone agrees with this rising military tempo a 69-year-old doctor who represents a group opposed to the base was the protester who presented the letter to a Camp Ishigaki soldier last week He says soldiers “bring trouble.” During the Second World War Japanese troops forced Ishigaki residents to relocate to an area rife with mosquitoes and malaria they’re turning a peaceful island into a risky place to live a doctor who represents a group opposed to the military base was the protester who presented the letter to a Camp Ishigaki soldier.Steven Chase/The Globe and Mail Mr. Uehara said he believes, if anything, Japan’s military investments in these southwestern islands will provoke Beijing to attack Satoru Mori, a professor with Keio University’s faculty of law, said Japan’s strategic orientation has shifted over nearly 15 years from its northern territory, where it focused on threats such as Russia, to its southwest, where China has been expanding its air and naval forces and pressing controversial territorial claims Beijing also regularly sends vessels near disputed East China Sea islands which Japan calls the Senkaku and China calls the Diaoyu Russia and North Korea are still important security concerns but “China looms larger these days and Taiwan has become the focus of our attention,” he said China has increasingly menaced Taiwan in recent years at times surrounding the self-governed island with warships It’s also militarized islands in the South China Sea and has laid claim to the uninhabited Senkaku Islands home to rich fishing in a region believed to have oil and gas deposits a military base opened by Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force in March is still bustling with hard-hatted workers 18 months later as Tokyo builds up its military presence on remote islands near Taiwan.Steven Chase/The Globe and Mail The guided missile systems on islands such as Ishigaki and Miyako and a radar facility and electronic warfare unit on Yonaguni responsible for intercepting enemy communications and jamming their signals are intended to convince China to think twice about trying to seize control of the Senkaku Islands “It’s a denial capability that they’re building up here,” Prof Japan is “trying to send a signal to China that any kind of naval operations that they conduct will not be successful because the Chinese fleet would be sunk by these anti-ship missiles.” He said a significant portion of Tokyo’s increased defence spending is to buy missiles other munitions and weapons systems components Among Japan’s most significant announcements in recent years is a 2022 decision to acquire counterstrike capability through the purchase of hundreds of long-range cruise missiles such as Tomahawks “Japan previously did not have any capability to strike enemy targets within enemy territory,” Prof whose company built dormitories for the self-defence forces said the military investment is a boost for the local economy He’s chair of the regional Yaeyama Defence Association a group of business and political leaders who had urged establishment of a military base on Ishigaki said the military investment is a boon for the local economy.Steven Chase/The Globe and Mail said these islands throughout history have had good relations with China Any conflict over Taiwan would be an internal conflict between Chinese people and no concern of Ishigaki residents He said the economic benefits from 600 soldiers are dwarfed by the boon that tourism brings – a windfall that could be jeopardized by militarization 1.1 million tourists visited Ishigaki and spent tens of millions of dollars Yonemori said the base has demonstrated its value even for civil emergencies Ishigaki’s water infrastructure was temporarily disrupted and Camp Ishigaki soldiers stepped in to help by distributing water to residents He thinks Japan is still a pacifist country because its citizens remember the devastation of the Second World War The businessman noted neutral Switzerland refrains from getting involved in armed conflict with other states and yet has a strong defensive military Japan formally reinterpreted its constitution in 2014 allowing for collective self-defence in certain cases and engagement in military action if an ally was attacked Mori said recent events helped build support among Japanese for stronger deterrence “The ultimate change that brought this mindset was the Russian invasion of Ukraine and people came to realize that countries can be subject to unprovoked armed attack,” he said and they used to believe that having military power was going in the wrong direction but now they understand that having military power is actually going to contribute to peace,” he said Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following Steven Chase is a senior parliamentary reporter for The Globe and Mail He has covered federal politics in Ottawa for The Globe since mid-2001 He previously worked in the paper's Vancouver and Calgary bureaus and originally joined The Globe and Mail in 1998 he reported on Alberta politics for the Calgary Herald and the Calgary Sun He’s had ink-stained hands for far longer though having worked as a paperboy for the (now defunct) Montreal Star the Vancouver Sun and the North Shore News In four instances, Mr. Chase has been part of a Globe team that won a National Newspaper award. In 2023, he was a recipient of the Parliamentary Press Gallery Charles Lynch Award for outstanding national affairs coverage. In 2024, he and colleague Robert Fife won the Sidney Hillman Prize for their work on foreign interference again for their work on foreign interference Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Click here to subscribe If you would like to write a letter to the editor, please forward it to letters@globeandmail.com. Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate If you do not see your comment posted immediately it is being reviewed by the moderation team and may appear shortly We aim to have all comments reviewed in a timely manner Comments that violate our community guidelines will not be posted UPDATED: Read our community guidelines here We have closed comments on this story for legal reasons or for abuse. For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Twice weekly flights to southern Japanese island 270 km from Taipei to begin in May 6071TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China Airlines will launch direct flights between Taiwan and Ishigaki in May, providing a faster link to the Japanese island located about 260 kilometers from Taipei, CNA reported Monday The airline plans to open the route in late May operating twice weekly between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and New Ishigaki Airport According to China Airlines’ website, return tickets start at around NT$14,000 (US$424) The flight will take about an hour, significantly reducing travel time compared to the five-hour journey via Okinawa’s Naha Airport. Okinawa’s tourism agency highlights Ishigaki’s scenery and traditional culture as major attractions part of Okinawa Prefecture’s Yaeyama Islands is also the administrative center for the disputed Diaoyutai Islands which Taiwan considers part of Yilan County In September, Apex Aviation applied for permission to operate charter flights between Taiwan and Japan’s Yonaguni Island and announced plans for trial flights to Ishigaki this year Taiwanese officials previously expressed interest in a Yilan-Yonaguni ferry route in 2023 though no ferry services currently connect Taiwan to Ishigaki or its neighboring islands Taiwan’s China Airlines hits NT$203.8 billion in 2024 revenue Taiwan’s China Airlines recruits 110 pilots Tourism Administration sponsor San Francisco marathon Taiwan's China Airlines to expand Kaohsiung service with large aircraft Taiwan's China Airlines launches pantsuit option for flight attendants Taipei MRT reminds passengers of drinking water ban Taiwan dollar hits NT$29 per US dollar triggering currency exchange rush Central Bank steps in as Taiwan dollar posts strong single-day gain Vietjet flight makes unscheduled landing in Taiwan Taiwan ranked 2nd most innovative country in world Magnitude 5.5 earthquake strikes off east Taiwan US tech earnings spark Taiwan stock market rally Four Vietnamese residents found dead in northern Taiwan US Congress members urge Somalia to reverse Taiwan passport ban Taiwan ranks 1st in Asia on World Press Freedom Index dark jungles of Japan that has taught itself not to poop Here's whyThere's a peculiar animal in the deep Here's whyIt's a strange yet life-saving adaptation.. Scientists have discovered that the tadpoles of the Eiffinger's tree frog (Kurixalus eiffingeri) have learnt not to defecate during the early stages of their development Why? It's all to do with waste management, say researchers in a new study published in the journal Ecology Eiffinger's tree frogs live on the islands of Ishigaki and Iriomote in Japan hard-to-reach pools present the frog and its tadpoles with a problem Most other species that excrete toxic ammonia in their faeces live in larger water bodies where it is readily diluted and therefore harmless excessive defecation in their confined pools causes ammonia to build up rapidly leading to toxicity and endangering their survival the tree frog has evolved a rather ingenious strategy for managing its waste: it goes for months without pooping a special research student and Professor Yasukazu Okada at Nagoya University in Japan Instead of releasing waste into their environment Eiffinger's tree frog tadpoles store ammonia in their intestines accumulating high concentrations within their bodies The frogs only begin to defecate once they transition from tadpoles to subadults when their waste can be safely expelled outside their spawning site Eiffinger's tree frogs aren't the only animals to display this sanitation strategy Some bee and ant larvae are also known to retain faeces in their intestines to keep their homes clean and toxin free The research team also found that the frogs have developed a high tolerance to the ammonia offering further resistance to potential poisoning The study offers valuable insights into the unique survival strategies of organisms living in specialised environments “The discovery of frogs that have successfully adapted to the unique environment of small water holes reveals a more complex ecosystem within these tiny habitats than we initially imagined,” says Ito “Protecting biodiversity necessitates the preservation of these microhabitats.” Read more about the study: Phytotelmata-dwelling frog larvae might exhibit no defecation: A unique adaptation to a closed aquatic environment Main image: Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park This work, Ishigaki locals memorialize U.S. Aircrew lives lost in WWII, by SSgt Savannah Mesimer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, 12th MLR Marines Make History as First to Achieve Non-Commissioned Officer Ranks on Camp Ishigaki During RD24, by Sgt Alyssa Chuluda, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Caterer Middle East Home » Outlets » Zuma Dubai unveils Ishigaki Wine Room with 700 labels Zuma Dubai has announced the opening of its newest private dining room The addition aims to elevate private dining at the DIFC restaurant with its curated wine and sake pairings Each dining experience in the Ishigaki Wine Room is heightened by personalised service featuring a dedicated waiter and sommelier to guide guests through a bespoke wine and sake pairing journey through the five-course menu.Jonathan De Bruyn said: “The Ishigaki Wine Room invites you to savour the delicate balance of taste and tradition in an intimate “Our goal is to take guests through a carefully curated selection of wines and sakes each chosen to elevate the dining experience and create unforgettable moments.” The Ishigaki Wine Room showcases over 700 wine labels and 65 sakes selected over 17 years Guests will enjoy access to rare vintage wines and unique collaborations with some of the world’s most revered wine producers pays homage to Japan’s tradition of stone quarry oenological vaults The room blends natural elements of freshly quarried stone with modern glass and steel creating a sophisticated yet warm ambience “Ishigaki” means stone wall in Japanese and the space incorporates tactile features such as Thai rock and wood tones ShareSaveCommentInnovationGamingJunya Ishigaki And Takayuki Yanase Are Working On ‘Mecha Break’ByOllie Barder Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Ollie Barder covers Japanese pop-culture and gaming from Tokyo.Follow AuthorJun 08 12:36am EDTShareSaveComment'Mecha Break' features the work of famous Japanese mecha designers it was pretty obvious who the game’s mecha designers were I am grateful that the studio behind the game did at least reveal the names of the mecha designers this time around If you are unfamiliar with the work of Ishigaki and Yanase Ishigaki is a longterm veteran mecha designer across anime and games From working on Xenogears to various Gundam shows Ishigaki’s style is also quite elegant and works well in fantasy settings Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase With this kind of functional approach and more athleticized mecha design I can see Mecha Break doing quite well across Asia but I’m not sure whether it will find an audience in the West but it’s clear that certain styles of mecha work better in some regions compared to others Here’s hoping Mecha Break does well though, and you can wishlist and follow the game on Steam Read my Forbes blog here constructed during the era of Toyotomi Hideyoshi a warlord who ruled Japan in the late 16th century please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent The stone wall will be displayed at a facility called Osaka-jo Toyotomi Ishigaki-kan which was recently built in the city’s Chuo Ward The Toyotomi family was defeated by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1615 It was later rebuilt but the original stone walls were buried underground on the orders of the Tokugawa family The castle was destroyed again by a lightning strike in 1965 and the current Osaka Castle is the third generation with reinforced concrete The stone walls from the Toyotomi period were discovered during excavations in 1984 The Osaka city government decided to build Ishigaki-kan about 100 meters southeast of the castle tower to display part of it The facility has one floor above ground and one below The stone wall on display is about 4.5 meters high allowing visitors to see up close the stone wall construction techniques of the time in which natural stones of various sizes were piled up A ceremony to mark the completion of the facility was held on March 15 “I hope visitors will experience the charm of Osaka Castle which was the stage for a turning point in Japanese history ¥600 for high school and university students and free for junior high school students and younger Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Tokyo OkinawaPhoto: Ippeito/DreamstimeThe best Okinawa islands you should visitThe most beautiful places to go for an island getaway in Japan’s own tropical paradise Okinawa is home to more than 150 islands and is known for its balmy weather and gorgeous sandy beaches The subtropical destination has a complex history; it was once the independent Ryukyu Kingdom Okinawa was established as a Japanese prefecture but was placed under American rule at the end of World War II in 1945 Control of Okinawa was only returned to Japan in 1972 the island archipelago has developed its own culture and traditions that are distinct from the rest of the country The best time to visit is during spring and late autumn when the heat is not too extreme but still warm enough for a day on the beach and there are a number of flights from Tokyo and other major Japanese cities to Naha – Okinawa’s capital – as well as some of the surrounding islands it could take a lifetime to explore all 150 islands so if you’re wondering which ones to zero in on your next vacation along with what to expect at each destination.  RECOMMENDED: Prefer something closer to Tokyo? Here's how to spend a perfect day on Enoshima island is the prefecture’s main island and the largest in the Ryukyu Archipelago The island is also home to the prefectural capital of Naha and hence you’ll find a single metro line that weaves through the city along with a number of buses to help you get around the island if you want to see everything Okinawa Island has to offer as a drive from one end of the island to the other can easily take over an hour Head to the fish market area to enjoy fresh sashimi made from local tropical fish the Chinese-inspired guardian lions that are often placed at the entrance of homes and venues across Okinawa Ishigaki is also a gateway to many of the surrounding Yaeyama Islands The island has its own airport and accepts flights from Naha as well as major airports in Tokyo and Kansai With the ferry, Zamami is just under an hour from Naha whereas Tokashiki will take about 30 minutes. If you can’t bear to leave, there’s plenty of accommodation on the islands. You can also travel to the other Kerama Islands from both Zamami and Tokashiki. Photo: Dayo Adepoju/UnsplashAside from culture and tradition, Japan also offers some of the world's most spectacular landscapes. Here's your Japan bucket list Photo: Sean Pavone/DreamstimeTravel off the beaten track to these storybook villages, Edo-era towns with geisha (not Kyoto!) and seaside retreats Photo: Sean Pavone/DreamstimeStep away from the concrete jungle this summer to see these exotic islands that are still part of Tokyo Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! facebooktwitterpinterestinstagramAbout us We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. If you continue to browse, you accept the use of cookies on our site. See our cookies policy for more information. Coral reefs in Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park are disappearing at an alarming rate. In 2006, fishers, farmers, tourism firms, scientists, the government, and others joined forces to launch the Sekisei Lagoon Nature Restoration Committee, which works to preserve these beautiful and biodiverse natural wonders. The reefs around Japan are the northernmost coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean. The lagoon provides habitat for over 360 species of coral and attracts a variety of marine life, including the reef manta ray and endangered species of sea turtles such as green turtles, loggerheads, and hawksbill turtles. The coral reefs in Iriomote-Ishigaki also have close symbiotic relationships to nearby mangroves and wetlands that serve as important nursery grounds for a variety of fish. Coral have been dying in alarming numbers in recent times, meaning that these precious ecosystems could completely disappear in the near future.  Although coral may look like colorful plants, they are actually tiny, soft-bodied animals called polyps that are related to jellyfish and sea anemones. They grow interconnected with one another, using ions in the seawater to build exoskeletons.  Red soil runoff also thwarts coral growth in Iriomote-Ishigaki. Red soil and sediment from construction sites and farmland flow into the reefs during rainfall, causing the water to turn cloudy red and smothering the coral. These conditions are believed to be a result of soil erosion due to poor land management. In the 1980s, an explosive increase in the number of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish caused extensive damage to coral across the Iriomote-Ishigaki area. Human intervention helped save the reefs from these spiky, predatory starfish, but researchers say that another population outbreak is possible if their populations are not closely monitored and controlled. Communities in Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park understand that losing their precious coral reefs will have catastrophic consequences for both marine and human life. To tackle this situation, fishers, farmers, tourism firms, scientists, the government, and others formed the Sekisei Lagoon Nature Restoration Committee to restore and preserve these fragile ecosystems and ensuring their survival for generations to come. Fishing cooperatives around Iriomote-Ishigaki are also working together to cultivate coral. Coral farming centers collect coral eggs and larva, and grow them in tanks. They carefully tend to the coral until it matures, and then return it to the sea. This process can be compared to planting trees in order to restore a damaged forest. Groups such as the Yaeyama Fisheries Cooperative are setting up community-based marine protected areas. This helps conserve coral reefs by raising awareness about threats to these ecosystems, maintaining marine diversity, and prohibiting destructive fishing practices. Coral reef excursions are a major source of income for people in Iriomote-Ishigaki’s tourism industry. Dive operators are playing an important role in making tourism more sustainable, raising awareness about threats to coral reefs, and ensuring that visitors do not damage or remove coral. They follow ecotourism guidelines designed to foster access to the area’s natural resources without disturbing them. Many divers actively monitor the state of the reefs and remove species like crown-of-thorns starfish that pose a major threat to coral. The captured starfish are used as fertilizer and compost in local farms.  Farmers are making efforts to prevent red soil runoff by planting “green belts” around bare land and downhill slopes. The belts act as a buffer and usually consist of vetiver, sunflowers, or a plant called getto, a species of ginger. Getto leaves have a distinctive scent and are used to make tea or wrap rice cakes. A women’s group in Ishigaki has developed a room spray that uses getto leaves as a base ingredient called Sarmin, and part of the proceeds go towards coral conservation efforts. Working together, we may be able to reinvigorate Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park’s coral reefs, so that sea creatures, local communities, and tourists can continue to enjoy their beauty for generations to come. CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A U.S. military C-20G Gulfstream, reportedly set to carry the U.S. ambassador to Japan, is cleared to land on the islands of Ishigaki and Yonaguni this week, despite objections by Okinawa prefecture. The prefecture’s Airport Division notified the U.S. military on Monday of an open parking spot at Ishigaki Airport, a division spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday. “The administration office rechecked the spots and found an open one in the international terminal,” the spokesman said. It’s customary in Japan that some government officials speak to reporters on condition of anonymity. The prefecture, however, still discourages U.S. military aircraft from visiting the islands. “Civilian airports were built for civilian aircraft; the prefecture’s policy is that the U.S. military should refrain from using the airport except in case of emergency,” the spokesman said. The division originally rejected the stop at Ishigaki Airport, saying parking spots were full. The stop at Yonaguni Airport was approved in April. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel is expected to visit Japan Ground-Self Defense Force bases and meet city officials on both islands, according to a May 1 report by public broadcaster NHK that cited unnamed government officials. Both islands are less than 150 miles east of Taiwan. Their proximity to the island democracy and the Senkaku islets, a Japanese possession, puts them in the center of regional tensions simmering between China and the United States. U.S. Embassy Tokyo did not respond to an email seeking further information Tuesday; Japan’s Ministry of Defense declined comment when reached by phone and email. The Okinawa Defense Bureau, an arm of the ministry, did not respond to an email and phone calls. The U.S. military asked the prefecture for clearance to use the Ishigaki and Yonaguni airports on May 17 for “transportation of personnel,” a spokeswoman for the prefecture’s Military Base Affairs Division said May 8. The prefecture then appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Okinawa Liaison Office and Okinawa Defense Bureau to ask the U.S. military to refrain from using either airport, according to a post on the division’s X account, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. U.S. Consulate General Naha requested information about the Ishigaki mayor’s schedule but did not mention any embassy travel plans, a city spokesman said by phone Tuesday. A Yonaguni town spokeswoman on Tuesday said the town has not been notified of a visit by Emanuel. Some Japanese government officials may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity. Print ISHIGAKI Japan — At the first blare of air raid sirens the people milling about in a grassy park barely stirred Five-year-old Tae Sano clung to her mother’s hand But the only real urgency came from a man in a blue uniform “One more time,” he called out through a megaphone a voice rang through the park: “A missile was just launched As geopolitical tensions in Asia grow more fraught, Japan has boosted military spending to record highs, and fear has permeated even some of the country’s most remote islands. World & Nation Incoming Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te must grapple with an increasingly fraught relationship with China that has edged closer to armed conflict “The threat is that Ishigaki is within range of North Korean and Chinese missiles,” said Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama who wants to expand the drill to an islandwide evacuation rehearsal “It is important to strengthen our defenses With the regional risks compounding Japan has veered sharply from the anti-militarist stance it adopted after World War II A defense strategy it released in December 2022 called for doubling military spending by 2027 and developing long-range missile capabilities Residents file out to an open field for Ishigaki’s first missile drill one of dozens held around Japan as geopolitical tensions in Asia grow more fraught (Stephanie Yang / Los Angeles Times) Japan is building up its military bases — including in Ishigaki and nearby islands — and allowing the U.S armed forces to expand an already extensive footprint in the nation It’s trying to calm citizen protests over an increased troop presence and a debate over whether the expansion will draw more danger to Japan And it is preparing its people for worst-case scenarios with hourlong drills like the one on Ishigaki While the secluded tropical tourist destination of Ishigaki may seem an unlikely target for attack, it is only 200 miles from Taiwan — the self-ruled island that Japan’s historical rival China claims as its own in increasingly aggressive displays “The threat is that Ishigaki is within range of North Korean and Chinese missiles,” said Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama, who wants to expand the missile drill into an islandwide evacuation rehearsal. (Stephanie Yang / Los Angeles Times) After then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022 Beijing launched an unprecedented series of military exercises and missile launches around that island Five missiles landed near Ishigaki in Japan’s exclusive economic zone in Okinawa prefecture which covers more than 150 islands between Taiwan and the Japanese mainland North Korea, an ally of China, also resumed firing missile tests into the waters around Japan that year Deteriorating relations between the United States and China have put Japan When construction began a few years ago across the road from his farm Katsumi Toma questioned the need for the military outpost But after seeing war break out in Ukraine and the Middle East He now sees the camp as a necessity for the island’s protection The fear that comes from living so close to an increasingly bellicose China supersedes his concerns that enlargement could infringe on his pineapple and sugar cane fields was initially against Ishigaki’s new military base (Stephanie Yang / Los Angeles Times) “I thought of war as something that happened far away,” Toma said The new Ishigaki camp has enabled the U.S. Marine Corps, which brought in a coastal unit last year, to start training drills around the island with Japanese troops. As its relationship with China has turned more adversarial, the United States has worked to bolster defensive partnerships with allies in the Asia-Pacific like Australian and Japan Not all residents in parts of Japan that might be vulnerable have embraced this approach. Some 250 miles away from Ishigaki, wariness of both U.S. and Japanese militarization runs deep on the main island of Okinawa, which was devastated by the U.S. assault during World War II abandoned bunkers and walls pocked with bullet holes — remnants of bloody battles between Japanese and American forces The United States ultimately wrested control and occupied the island for nearly three decades after Japan’s surrender but the bases remained and now account for 70% of U.S even though the island represents just 0.6% of the country’s area A U.S. F-35 Lightning II fighter jet takes off from the Kadena Air Base west of Okinawa in southern Japan. (Hiro Komae / Associated Press) Okinawa’s governor is staunchly opposed to expanding U.S. and Japanese bases on the island. Denny Tamaki said his calls to move some U.S. operations off Okinawa have been overshadowed by the national government’s preoccupation with potential international conflict. Tamaki, whose father was a U.S. Marine, has emphasized the need for Japan to maintain relations with Beijing as well as Washington. “We understand that the security environment is becoming more and more severe,” Tamaki said. “But we are concerned that the increased level of deterrence could enhance risk in the region.” but geopolitical tensions are now pushing nations into security blocs led by China and the United States Such worries are shared among some of his supporters — that as the military presence in Okinawa grows it will inevitably attract the ire of enemy nations Plans for a new Japanese base in central Okinawa have been met with local anxiety and resistance we would be hit immediately,” said Rinichi Teruya a 71-year-old innkeeper who grew up in the Okinawa town of Kadena Teruya has fond memories of American soldiers recalling that they would often walk with him and share their bananas and Sunkist oranges On a balmy February morning, two dozen protesters sat in front of the gates of a U.S. Marine Corps camp on the coastal area of Henoko in the center of the island, obstructing entry for a growing line of cement trucks. They held signs calling for a halt to the construction of a relocated air station within the base and chanted against Japan’s Ministry of Defense. Biden sought to smooth over tensions with China’s Xi, who said conflict with the U.S. has ‘unbearable consequences’ for both countries. Despite their daily dedication to delaying work on the military facility, the average age of the protesters — about 70 — suggested a stagnating activist movement even as fears of conflict have grown. “People who remember the war are gone. The movement is shrinking,” said Hiroe Shimabukuro, a 47-year-old resident who participated in similar protests there when she was in her 20s. Work and raising her young son have left her little time for political activism. But alarmed by what she sees as the nation’s march toward war, in which Okinawa could be sacrificed once again, she started wearing yellow — clothes, ribbons — as a warning and a call for awareness. “Many people are not aware of what is going on,” she said. “Militarization happened too fast. People couldn’t catch up.” Cement trucks line up, their path blocked by a protest against construction at a U.S. military base on Okinawa. (Stephanie Yang / Los Angeles Times) While she promotes the fledgling movement on social media and at antiwar events, Shimabukuro feels the need to do more and wishes younger people would get more involved, she said. Opinion polls show that Okinawans under 40, accustomed to U.S. bases, are less fervently opposed to them than their elders. Kanato Shimoji, a 19-year-old majoring in psychology at Okinawa International University, said though he often sees criticism of the U.S. military in local media, he harbors little animosity. “I think the very existence of the U.S. military bases is a deterrent that will keep Okinawa from going to war,” Shimoji said. “I don’t know what might happen if the bases were really gone.” The Japanese military is mounting a major exercise on Hokkaido island in a display of might amid a recent increase in Chinese and Russian maneuvers. Haru Goya, 23, said she worries about Okinawa’s proximity to China and its isolation in the event of a military assault. Still, the concept of war feels foreign to her, even after learning about the Battle of Okinawa in school and hearing wartime tales from her grandmother. “We see it differently from our grandmothers and grandfathers who experienced war,” said Goya, who sells knitwear and accessories. “We have not experienced the dark side of history.” In Ishigaki, there are fewer scars, less constant reminders of war, and most remain sanguine about the prospect of attack. But those who remember have been unnerved by the military’s return to the small island. Setsuko Yamasato, who grew up on the island, had lost half her family to the tumult of World War II by the time she was 8. In 1944, her older brother was en route to serve in the military when his boat was sunk by a U.S. missile. The following year, her infant sister died of starvation while they sheltered in the wilderness from air raids, and her mother and grandfather succumbed to malaria. Setsuko Yamasato is worried that militarization in Ishigaki will lead to war. (Stephanie Yang / Los Angeles Times) Now 87, Yamasato spends Sunday evenings protesting in front of the Japanese military camp and other spots across the island, holding signs and waving and shouting to passing, honking motorists. She is sure that the growing presence of Japanese troops is more likely to bring conflict than to protect from it. “Through our experience in the war, the military forces didn’t save the island people,” she said. Only a few elderly locals ever join Yamasato in her weekly protests, and she sees their efforts as a prayer for peace more than anything else. If war does reach Ishigaki’s shores again, Yamasato has no plans to leave. “This is where I was born and raised, not by my parents or grandparents, but by this entire island,” she said. “If I have to be baptized by fire, that would be my destiny.” Special correspondent Makiko Segawa contributed to this report. Stephanie Yang is a China correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. Previously she was a reporter with the Wall Street Journal in New York, Beijing and Taipei, covering a broad range of topics including financial markets, tech companies, New York City and the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Born and raised in Iowa, she graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map TOKYO — Dockworkers went on strike in protest Monday when a U.S Navy guided-missile destroyer visited a civilian port on the southern Japanese island of Ishigaki based south of Tokyo at Yokosuka Naval Base stopped for rest and replenishment allowed under the Japan-U.S Japanese national broadcaster NHK reported that evening SOFA outlines the rights and responsibilities of U.S Local officials had granted permission for the visit but dockworkers began a strike at the port Monday afternoon citing concerns about the impact on logistics The Rafeal Peralta is scheduled to depart 9 a.m the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper reported Tuesday It is a popular tourist destination and the site of Camp Ishigaki a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force base armed with anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles that opened in March 2023 The island is one of three where Japan plans to install an upgraded version of its Type-12 surface-to-ship missile by 2026 to counter perceived threats from China and North Korea The Ishigaki port call was part of routine operations and training in the region Local officials refused a Navy request to use a cruise ship berth at the port because the draft is too shallow Ishigaki Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama posted on X Monday “I believe it is a regular use since the purpose is rest and replenishment,” he told reporters Monday “Ishigaki port is open internationally and it can be used as long as it is applied based on the status of forces agreement Okinawa prefecture on Friday had asked the Navy to cancel the visit a spokeswoman for the prefecture’s military base affairs division said by phone Tuesday Some Japanese government officials may speak to the press only on condition of anonymity “It’s Okinawa prefecture’s consistent policy for U.S military to refrain from the use of civilian ports except in case of emergency,” she said “It is extremely regrettable that the ship came even though the prefecture asked them not to.” Denny Tamaki made similar remarks to reporters Monday The Navy “should refrain from its vessels using civilian ports so there is no need to conduct strikes,” he said Okinawa officials made similar complaints in September when the USS Pioneer a mine countermeasures ship based at Sasebo Naval Base marking the Navy’s first visit to the island in over a decade military benefits from access to as many ports as possible a retired Marine colonel and senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo “And it’s important to use them in so-called ‘phase zero’ — peacetime or at least before the shooting starts,” he said in an email Tuesday Port calls make military personnel familiar with a location and operating environment so they don’t need to figure things out on the fly in an emergency forces a harder target and gives them better odds of surviving an attack on their main base the Japanese government is obligated to provide such access to facilitate the operations of U.S forces are in fact operating to defend Japan,” he said “It’s important that the Americans get over their self-imposed restraint on doing what’s necessary to both protect Japan and also increase their own odds of survival military helicopter crash on a university campus in Okinawa Prefecture has never gone away who was head of the first investigation division of the Okinawa prefectural police department attempted to determine the cause of the accident but his efforts were stymied by the Japan-U.S SOFA remains a sour point on the 20th anniversary of the crash military personnel have again raised calls to revise the agreement Ishigaki retired from the force more than 10 years ago but said the problems he faced after the accident remain unresolved “Japan cannot investigate in accordance with its own rules The whole country should recognize this problem.”  Marine Corps CH-53D helicopter slammed into the grounds of Okinawa International University in the city of Ginowan who was in a meeting at the prefectural police department headquarters in Naha Gray smoke was still rising when he arrived were scattered throughout the residential district surrounding the university Ishigaki sought a court warrant for an on-site inspection military to agree to a police inspection of the aircraft “We should be the ones to carry out the necessary investigation to determine the cause of the accident because the helicopter crashed on civilian land,” Ishigaki said he thought at the time It wasn’t SOFA itself but “the agreed minutes” to the treaty that stood in his way officials’ interpretations of SOFA articles It says Japanese investigative authorities “will normally not exercise the right of search military consents to such actions by Japanese authorities “I came here to ask for consent in accordance with rules,” Ishigaki told a legal affairs officer of the U.S He remembers pounding the desk several times during the exchange officer repeated that they needed instructions from their superiors military had already begun retrieving the helicopter parts The area around the aircraft was sealed off for about a week after the crash military had removed everything associated with the accident The Japanese government maintained SOFA had not been violated despite growing backlash military had infringed on Japanese sovereignty by rejecting the on-site investigation request on top of blocking the crash site and surrounding areas Japan and the United States developed guidelines for handling accidents involving U.S military aircraft to “improve operations.” The new guidelines said an “inner cordon,” which would be drawn around a downed aircraft would be jointly managed by the two countries consent would be required before Japanese authorities could enter an “outer cordon” formed to control public access would be guarded by Japanese authorities Osprey transport aircraft crashed off the coast of Nago in Okinawa Prefecture in 2016 the Japan Coast Guard was not allowed to enter the inner cordon military helicopter crash-landed and caught on fire in Higashi prefectural police entered the inner cordon six days later Police officers only received a one-hour briefing from the U.S military and were not able to inspect the aircraft The guidelines were revised in 2019 to state that “expeditious early entry will be conducted” into the restricted area inside an inner cordon for Japanese authorities The government has also not taken issue with Japan’s lack of authority to inspect a U.S military property may have a highly military or sensitive nature,” a government representative has told the Diet side will retain control over all wreckage pieces and debris and will be responsible for ensuring that only qualified personnel are granted access to U.S Calls for reviewing SOFA arise whenever an accident involving a U.S The government has denied the necessity of revising the treaty and instead chosen to “improve operations.” a government official questioned the official stance “Japan’s right to investigate being significantly restricted is an essential issue as a sovereign nation.”  Okinawa prefectural police referred four U.S soldiers involved in the crash to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the law concerning acts that endanger aviation The Naha District Public Prosecutors Office decided not to indict them as the U.S military’s jurisdiction takes precedence concerning crimes committed while on duty under SOFA (This article was written by Taro Ono and Nen Satomi.)  Woman shows Okinawa’s plight with photos of U.S Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker eliminates the conventional concept of a front or back inviting nature to envelop it from all angles Large openings in the meadowed rooftop frame picturesque vistas of the sky blurring the lines between architecture and nature.  Architect Sou Fujimoto‘s vision for the NOT A HOTEL project focused on harmonizing the villa with its pristine nature Mimicking the gentle undulations of rolling hills its circular structure and concave design provide residents with unobstructed views blending the island’s lush greenery with ocean panoramas including an infinity pool merging with the sea unobstructed living and dining areas with expansive views features full-height glazing bringing the landscape indoors comfortably accommodating up to ten people with the waterside bedroom providing calming views of the sea complemented by a bathroom designed to connect residents with the horizon there’s a pool where children can play freely and a fireplace for gathering around a warm fire the meadowed rooftop resembles the gentle undulations of rolling hills a tranquil space harmoniously intertwined with Ishigaki Island’s pristine nature large openings invite the landscape indoors the living and dining rooms gaze upon the evening sky  architects: Sou Fujimoto | @sou_fujimoto client: NOT A HOTEL | @notahotel_official AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style