U.S. Halves Number of Marines in Okinawa

The process of relocating thousands of United States marines from the Okinawa Prefecture in Japan to the U.S. territory of Guam began on Saturday, announced Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani.

Twelve years ago, the U.S. and Japan agreed that 9,000 of the 19,000 marines stationed in Okinawa would be moved out; 4,000 of these will relocate to Guam.

• Japan has contributed up to $2.8 billion to build the necessary bases to house relocated U.S. troops on Guam.

Japan is looking to shirk U.S. supervision and is willing to pay to do so.

History: In the aftermath of World War ii, the U.S. occupied Japan and drafted its Constitution.

• The Constitution stated that the Japanese would “forever renounce war” as its sovereign right.
• The U.S. and Japan signed the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, which made Japan dependent on America for defense.
• It stipulated that America would defend Japan by stationing troops near potential conflict zones in the region.

Militarizing: Over the decades, Japan has taken numerous steps to slowly remilitarize and reduce its dependence on America. It continues to expand its defense budget to record-breaking levels and has built a world-class military that is among the world’s most capable.

Prophetic perspective: The Bible prophesies of a coming Asian military alliance that will be bigger than any the world has ever seen. Japan is prophesied to play a significant role in this military powerhouse. This is why the Trumpet closely watches as Japan takes steps to decrease its military dependence on America and to normalize and improve its own military.

Learn more: Read our Trends article “Why the Trumpet Watches Japan’s March Toward Militarism.”