Japan and Taiwan in Conflict for the Future of Yonaguni

Yonaguni is a small but stunning island on the western tip of Japan; ponies roam pasturelands grazed over with shark-nibbled divers. With all this beauty, inwardly turning on itself, the island is undergoing profound changes, and undergoing them very fast.

Yonaguni once stood for natural splendor. It has radar towers protruding above its forests, formerly grazing pastures now sound military installations: the Japanese and their ally, the United States, conduct drills here. The government plans to station more soldiers, and more missiles, and to expand its airport and seaport facilities.

As these transitions continued, Yonaguni became strategically frontline. Remaining just 110 kilometers from Taiwan, the island has found itself amid the simmering military confrontation between Japan and China, with an expansion of increasing tensions.

The Split Community

Not all of them welcome that: For innkeeper Fumie Kano, who has lived there all her life, Yonaguni was “just a proud border island.” “Now, they complain this is a dangerous place,” she states regretfully.

Yonaguni has fewer than 1,500 residents and has started to decrease in population. Advocates for military buildup argue that the incoming military will solve the island’s economic woes and provide security; however, Nabo for one is worried that once this routine comes to the island, the island may end up being a target in times of war.

The community remains divided. A 2015 referendum allowed a Japanese troop presence in Yonaguni in exchange for government funds. Radar stations were built, and soldiers arrived a year later. There are now about 210 servicemembers on the island; they account for one-fifth of the resident population. Their presence certainly boosts the business of the island, but many residents are worried about militarization, especially that of their island.

Military Presence Augmentation

Japan has been improving its contributions to its defense, particularly in the southwest, where Chinese military activities have intensified. Missile units are stationed on Yonaguni and nearby islands like Ishigaki and Miyako. Fighter jets are frequently scrambled in response to Chinese aircraft. A recent crash of a Japanese army Osprey caused further local jitters.

Rear Admiral Takuhiro Hiragi, a Japanese naval officer, explains why this region is so important: “Act fast, watch closely,” he says as China steps up naval movements in the area.

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Worrying Fisherfolk

On the island of Yonaguni, it is the fishermen who see the close rise of military tension first. In 2022, during a Chinese military exercise, missiles were fired to land perilously close to the island, within just 80 kilometers (50 miles). Local fishermen, forced to stop fishing for a week, were, according to the head of the fisheries cooperative, Shigenori Takenishi, affected by the fear it created. “It was a dangerous reminder of the threat right next to us,” he says.

For some, these events touch painful memories of the Second World War. Almost 200,000 people, mostly civilians, had lost their lives in the Battle of Okinawa. Some locals are scared Yonaguni might ever again be gripped by brutality.

What Will Happen in a Crisis?

Despite the military buildup, some residents remain anxious about their vulnerability. According to government plans, the evacuation of 120,000 people from five remote islands, including Yonaguni, would take at least six days. There are growing doubts about whether such evacuations would even be possible at such short notice.