US Marines begin relocation from Okinawa to Guam

The first group, consisting of about 100 logistics personnel from the III Marine Expeditionary Force, is set to move to U.S. territory.

According to the plan, out of the approximately 19,000 U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa, more than 4,000 will be relocated to Guam. This project 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. As a result, the number of U.S. Marines remaining in the prefecture will be reduced to about 10,000.

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

Although Okinawa makes up only 0.6 percent of Japan's territory, it hosts over half of the 50,000 American soldiers stationed in the country. The relocation of the Marines aims to alleviate this burden.

Okinawa is strategically located east of Taiwan, making it a key point amid tensions between the U.S. and China. Beijing claims rights to Taiwan and has not ruled out using force to gain 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, a brutal crime involving the abduction and rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. servicemen sparked a wave of protests and calls for a revision of the 1960 agreement that allows for the U.S. military presence in Japan.