U.S. Marine relocation begins to ease Okinawa's burden

The first group, consisting of about 100 logistics personnel from the III Marine Expeditionary Force, will be moving to U.S. territory, according to the information provided.

It is known that out of approximately 19,000 U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa, more than 4,000 will be relocated to Guam as part of the current project, which was agreed upon by the governments of Japan and the U.S. in April 2012. Including those moving to Hawaii, a total of about 9,000 Marines will leave Japan. Consequently, the number of U.S. Marines in the prefecture will decrease to roughly 10,000.

In 2012, the U.S. announced a plan to relocate 9,000 Marines from Okinawa, where military bases are seen as burdensome. Residents complain about pollution, noise, and helicopter-related accidents. The relocation commenced with the transfer of a small logistics unit to Guam.

Okinawa, although it constitutes only 0.6 percent of Japan's territory, hosts over half of the 50,000 American soldiers stationed in the country. The relocation of the Marines is intended to alleviate this burden.

Okinawa is strategically located east of Taiwan, making it a key point in the context of tensions between the U.S. and China. Beijing claims rights to Taiwan and does not rule out the use of force to take control of the island.

Meanwhile, Washington remains Taiwan's most important ally, supplying it with weapons. At the same time, Taipei maintains a policy of "strategic ambiguity" regarding potential military support.

The presence of American troops in Okinawa has faced repeated criticism. In 1995, there was a brutal crime — the abduction and rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. servicemen. This incident sparked a wave of protests and calls for a revision of the 1960 agreement allowing the U.S. military presence in Japan.