PORTRAITS OF JAPAN

50TH REVERSION ANNIVERSARY:

OKINAWA’SSUSTAINABLE
TOURISMDEVELOPMENT AND BEYOND

May 2022 marks a full half century since the reversion of Okinawa
Prefecture to Japan after 27 years under U.S. administrative control. Whileconfronting many difficulties, the prefecture has capitalized on its unique local
features to transform itself into a resort destination welcoming 10 million
visitors a year. Take a closer look at the trajectory followed by Okinawa andthe vision it intends to pursue.
“We were just glad we would
no longer need passports totravel to and from the mainland.
There was a great sense ofexpectation among the younger
generation, myself included, 50years ago,” recalls KAWAKAMI
Yoshihisa, chief director of theOkinawa Development FinanceCorporation, as he looks back on
May 15, 1972, the day on which
Okinawa Prefecture, under U.S.
administrative control since theend of World War II, was returnedto Japan. “But I think many ofus residents were torn between
feelings of hope and concern.”
Comprising more than 160
islands at the southwestern edge ofJapan, Okinawa today has growninto one of the country’s leading
resort destinations. Yet at the timeof the reversion, the circumstances
surrounding Okinawa were quite
severe in various areas: income

levels were less than 60% of
the national average; various
infrastructure development was
falling behind; and disparities
existed with mainland Japan insuch areas as education, healthcare, and welfare. In addition
to the confusion caused by
the introduction of a newadministrative and economic
system, including the dollar-toyen shift, the prefecture was also
hit by the “Nixon shock” and thefirst oil crisis, the effects of which
Japan as a whole was suffering.
Even now, Okinawa bears
the heavy burden of housing—
within the prefecture’s own
limited land space—more than
70% of the total exclusive-use U.S.
Forces Japan (USFJ) facilities andareas in the whole country. Despite
such difficult circumstances,the prefecture underwent a
stunning transformation to

Okinawa’s greatest tourism resource is its beautiful ocean, which is also a treasure trove of
diverse and rare marine creatures. Reportedly more than half of all coral species in the world
live in Okinawa’s vast waters, which spread approximately 1,000 km from east to west. AFLO

Left: The signing ceremony for the Okinawa Reversion Agreement in June 1971. It was carried out
simultaneously in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and was broadcast live via satellite. Center: Okinawa on
May 15, 1972, the day of its reversion to Japan. Displayed above the road is a banner celebrating theoccasion. Under U.S. administrative control and for a while thereafter, cars drove on the right side of theroad, but from 1978 onward they switched to the left in accordance with national traffic rules. Changing
everything from traffic signals to signs and road markings was an enormous undertaking. Right: There are
31 USFJ facilities and areas in Okinawa Prefecture alone, including Camp Hansen. THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS/Okinawa

AFLO (left photo), THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN/AFLO (center), THE ASAHI SHIMBUN COMPANY/JIJI PRESS PHOTO (right)

become “tourism islands” visitedby 10 million people a year. It has
also striven to leverage its local
characteristics and has succeeded
in developing new industries
besides tourism, including ITand global logistics, as well as
having established OIST, aninterdisciplinary graduate school
offering world-class standards ofresearch and education. Reflecting
on the past 50 years, Kawakami
says, “Okinawa has experienced
a remarkable transformation
unimaginable at the time ofreversion.”
Expected to provide acompetitive edge to the prefectureeven as a remote island area,
tourism has been positioned asa key industry for Okinawa eversince the first days of reversion,
with work advancing on essential
infrastructure—from transport
to accommodation. The world’s
first international ocean-themed
exposition was held in Okinawa
in 1975, helping to cement theprefecture’s image as a beachresort. Coupled with the Japanese
postwar economic miracle andairline travel campaigns, theislands saw first an increase indomestic travelers. By 1991, theannual number of visitors had
reached 3 million, a large increase
from the 450,000 at the time ofreversion. From 2000, the islands
focused on further building up
their tourism resources, including
their inscription on the World
Heritage List, aiming at attracting
visitors from overseas. As a result,as many as 18 air routes from otherparts of Asia were established, andthe number of travelers exceeded
10 million in fiscal 2018.
With its growth as a tourist
destination, Okinawa has been
confronted by new challenges,including overtourism—with anaccompanying excessive dependence
on tourism income—as well as

The northern part of Okinawa Island andIriomote Island, often described as the“Galapagos of the East” due to their many
endemic species, have been registered as a
World Natural Heritage site. AFLO

socioeconomic damage from
theCOVID-19
pandemic,
intensified by plummeting tourist
numbers. But these problems havealso presented opportunities forthe prefecture to reconsider how
tourism should be. Now, aimingfor sustainable tourism that isfriendly to local communities
and the environment, Okinawa
is promoting initiatives such as
eco tours and environmental
measures, including the treatmentof marine debris, in compliancewith the Global Sustainable
Tourism Criteria for Destinations,a widely recognized sustainability
guideline.
Okinawa is also taking
advantage of its unique local
characteristics to pursue paths
for further development otherthan tourism. One example isthe initiative it is taking toward
decarbonization, which includes
the application of renewableenergy and ocean thermal energy
As part of the Gusuku Sites and Related
Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, the ruinsof Shuri Castle were registered as a World
Cultural Heritage site in 2000. This and the G8Summit, also held on the island that year, served
to boost Okinawa’s international profile. Thecastle burned down in 2019, but thanks to about
5.5 billion yen (42 million dollars) in donations
from within and outside Japan, the castle is now
under restoration. Kawakami says, “When thecastle caught on fire, many Okinawans, including
myself, felt a huge sense of loss. I would like toexpress my deepest gratitude for such enormoussupport.” WATARU KOHAYAKAWA/AFLO

conversion on remote islands.
“It is crucial to closely watch
the trends of the times, suchas digital transformation anddecarbonization, and determine
how to design our region tobe more competitive,” notes
Kawakami. “There are still many
local challenges to overcome,but we want to set our sights
on becoming a self-sustaining
economy and, eventually, a region
that can contribute to Japan andthe rest of Asia.”
Okinawa will continue toembrace and build upon itsdistinctive environment andculture, a strong emphasis ofefforts made since the 1972
reversion, and explore new
possibilities in these changingtimes.
“What is important in sustainable regional
development is for the islands of Okinawa tocontinue being rich and attractive. We need totake care of nature and firmly pass on our history
and traditional culture to following generations,”
remarks KAWAKAMI Yoshihisa, chief directorof the Okinawa Development FinanceCorporation. The corporation was establishedwhen Okinawa reverted to Japan, and has been
providing funds integral to the nationalgovernment’s measures for the promotion anddevelopment of the prefecture.