77 years after battle’s end, Okinawa wants US base reduced

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Okinawa is marking the 77th anniversary of the end of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Its Governor Denny Tamaki is calling for further reduction of the U.S. military presence there amid growing fear of the southern Japanese islands will become embroiled in regional military tension. The Battle of Okinawa killed about 200,000 people, nearly half of them Okinawan residents. In May, Okinawa marked the 50th anniversary of its reversion to Japan in 1972, two decades after the U.S. occupation ended in most of Japan. Tamaki said Okinawa still faces burdens related to American troops including noise, pollution, accidents and crime.