Okinawa at a Glance

Location of Okinawa

Area: 2,275.71km²(0.6% of Japan’s total area)

cf. The state of Rhode Island (3,189km²)

Population: 1,373,745

(1.08% of Japan’s total population)

Okinawa includes a sweep of 160 large and small islands across 1,000 kilometers of ocean east-west and 400 kilometers north-south.

Climate: The island experiences temperature above 68 °F for most of the year

Governor: Hirokazu Nakaima

Culture: Okinawan culture is unique, and it bears traces of its various trading partners. One can find Chinese, Thai and Austronesian influence in the island’s custom.

Islands of Military Bases: 21,000 US military personnel are stationed, of which 12,000 are Marine Corps. Together with their families, this amounts to approximately 40,000 residents stationed on the islands. There are 33 facilities exclusively for the US military, 29 water areas for military training and security, and 20 air force facilities.