People Of Okinawa Speak On 50th Anniversary Of Return To Japan
People in Okinawa have expressed mixed feelings as the southern Japanese prefecture marks the 50th anniversary of its return to Japan from US rule on Sunday.
A woman in her 60s who runs a shop in the city of Naha said she was an elementary school student at the time of the prefecture's reversion, and that she still remembers using US dollars as the local currency.
She said she feels the prefecture could catch up with the mainland as many tourists come, and she is happy that the prefecture reverted to Japan.
She added that she wants Okinawa to remain a place many people hope to visit.
Another shopkeeper in his 60s said that even though there has been some progress in the streamlining of US military bases, he still feels as if the prefecture were a colony, as incidents and accidents related to the bases continue to happen.
He said he hopes Okinawa will have no military bases one day, and that academic standards and the economy will improve to make the region peaceful.
A female university student said she is learning about the prefecture, but there are still many things that she still doesn't know. The 18-year-old added she wants to continue learning more about Okinawa.