Japan will hold ceremonies in Tokyo and Okinawa simultaneously to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the southern prefecture's reversion to the country from U.S. occupation, the top government spokesman said Tuesday.
The ceremonies, to be jointly hosted by the central and Okinawa prefectural governments, will be held on May 15, the day when the prefecture reverted to Japanese rule 50 years ago, although a large portion of its land is still occupied by U.S. military bases.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will attend the ceremonies via online, while Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will participate in the ceremony in Okinawa, which is scheduled to hold a gubernatorial election this fall.
"It is important for the entire nation to recall the historic significance of the reversion, look back at the history of Okinawa and pray for its further development in this significant milestone," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference in Tokyo.
Okinawa remained under U.S. rule until 1972 even after Japan regained sovereignty in 1952 following its defeat in World War II.
The prefecture constitutes around 0.6 percent of Japan's total land area, but still hosts 70 percent of the total acreage exclusively used by U.S. military facilities in Japan, leading to continued protests.
This will be the first time since the day of reversion that the ceremonies are held at the same time in Tokyo and Okinawa. The government set up headquarters headed by Matsuno on Tuesday to conduct the ceremonies, he said.
The venues at a hotel in Tokyo's Minato Ward and a convention center in Ginowan in Okinawa will be connected via video, the government said.
The decision came as the prefecture and the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito have called on the government to hold a ceremony not only in the prefecture but also in the capital to mark the half century since the reversion.
Meanwhile, the government said it will issue 10,000 yen ($87) gold coins and 1,000 yen silver coins to commemorate the anniversary.
Both coins will carry images of Shuri Castle, a symbol of Okinawa located at a UNESCO World Heritage site, and feature the prefecture's traditional resist-dyeing technique.
The gold and silver coins are priced at 153,500 yen and 11,700 yen, respectively. The ministry will issue 20,000 gold coins and 50,000 silver coins, it said.
