Photo/Illutration Kita-Daitojima island, located about 360 kilometers east of the main Okinawa island (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The village assembly of a small island lying east of the main Okinawa island is calling on the government to station Self-Defense Force members on it to offer residents "peace of mind."

It unanimously passed an opinion paper on Dec. 9 asking for help guarding against a “certain” foreign power. While it did not mention it by name, it comes amid increasing anxiety about China’s activities nearby.

Kita-Daito village is located about 360 kilometers east of the main Okinawa island and has a population of 561 as of the end of November.

Mayor Mitsumasa Miyagi said he holds the same position as the village assembly.

“Residents are leading their lives amid much worry,” Miyagi said, speaking to reporters. “They feel a need to base SDF members here to make the island safer and give them peace of mind.”

He added that islanders have long wanted the SDF to establish a presence there.

Kita-Daito village is made up of two islands, Kita-Daitojima island and the uninhabited Oki-Daitojima. There are currently no SDF facilities on either island, although the U.S. military uses Oki-Daitojima as a target and bombing range.

“The unilateral military advances by a certain foreign nation are gradually turning the waters to the southwest as well as near Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands into dangerous waters,” the opinion paper said.

The opinion paper also said that having SDF members in the village would help to prepare for natural disasters, such as typhoons, as well as improve and strengthen the island’s medical care structure.

According to Defense Ministry sources, the central government has never sounded out the village government about hosting SDF members.

Opinion is split within the Defense Ministry over the feasibility of placing SDF members on the island.

Because of recent moves to place more SDF members along the Nansei island chain extending to the southwest off Kagoshima Prefecture to beef up defenses, some are grateful for the opportunity to place a radar facility on the island to track foreign aircraft.

But others say there is little strategic value in having SDF members on the island.

The island is located to the east of what China calls its first island chain that extends from Okinawa to Taiwan and the Philippines, and which Beijing considers essential for securing its influence in the region.

One Defense Ministry source said it would make more sense to place a radar facility along that chain rather than outside it to the east.

(This article was written by Mika Kuniyoshi and Kaigo Narisawa.)

Related News