{"id":69731,"date":"2025-03-01T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:13:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:13:24","slug":"the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/","title":{"rendered":"The tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

YONAGUNI, Japan \u2014 This tiny island on Japan\u2019s western frontier has no chain convenience stores. Nature lovers can dive with hammerhead sharks and watch miniature horses graze on a hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the wooded mountain ranges now carry radar sites. A southern cattle ranch has been replaced with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force\u2019s Camp Yonaguni. Japan and its ally, the United States, hold joint military exercises here. Plans are underway to add a new missile unit and expand a small airport and port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of the buildup<\/a> has cemented the island as a front line in a potential clash over Taiwan<\/a>, the self-governing democratic island that China<\/a> claims as its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a child, I was so proud of this westernmost border island,\u201d said Fumie Kano, an innkeeper on Yonaguni. \u201cBut recently, we are repeatedly told this place is dangerous, and I feel so sad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The militarization has been especially felt as the island\u2019s population shrinks. There are less than 1,500 local residents. Supporters say new service members arriving are needed for the island\u2019s safety and struggling economy. Opponents like Kano say the military buildup is damaging the environment, making the island\u2019s economy dependent on the military and could provoke an attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the front line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yonaguni is only 68 miles east of Taiwan, around which China has bolstered military activity. Worried about a conflict, Japan has made a \u201csouthwestern shift\u201d in its military posture and accelerated defense buildup and spending around the front line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missile units for PAC-3 interceptors have been deployed on Yonaguni and nearby Ishigaki and Miyako islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yonaguni residents find themselves at the center of the geopolitical tension. A recent government plan to deploy more missiles, possibly long-range, has caused unease about the future of the island, even among those who initially supported hosting troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kano, a Yonaguni native, recalls that officials and residents once wanted to improve the economy and environment through commercial exchanges with Taiwan by operating direct ferries between the islands. But that was set aside when a plan to host Japanese troops became an easier alternative to gain government subsidies and protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disagreement about the plan has divided the small community. Support for hosting Japanese troops carried in a 2015 referendum; that meant the island’s fate would be largely decided by the central government\u2019s security policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A year later a 160-member coast watch unit was set up to monitor Chinese military activity, with radars built on Mount Inbi and elsewhere. Now there are about 210 troops, including an electro-warfare unit. Service members and their families account for one-fifth of the island\u2019s total population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Radar towers set up by the Japan Self-Defense Forces stand on Yonaguni. (Ayaka McGill\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The local economy largely depends on the service members and their families who use local shops, schools and community services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s worry on the island about the pace and extent of the militarization, says Kyoko Yamaguchi, a potter. \u201cEverything is pushed through in the name of the Taiwan emergency, and many feel this is too much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A nonfatal crash<\/a> in October of a Japanese army tilt-rotor aircraft Osprey during a joint exercise with the U.S. military on the island also caused apprehension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japan and China build their militaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Japan\u2019s air and maritime forces in Okinawa\u2019s prefectural capital of Naha are key to protecting the country\u2019s southwestern airspace and territorial waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Naha-based Southwestern Air Defense Force is the busiest of Japan\u2019s four regional air forces. In fiscal 2023, the force was scrambled 401 times, or 60% of the national total of 669, mostly against the Chinese, according to the Defense Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rear Adm. Takuhiro Hiragi, commander of Fleet Air Wing 5 of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, says his group\u2019s mission is to fly P-3C aircraft over the East China Sea near Okinawa and its remote islands, including Yonaguni, and the Japanese-controlled Senkaku island, which Beijing also claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to be mobile, quick and thorough to keep tabs in this region,\u201d Hiragi said, noting the presence of key sea lanes in the area, including those that China uses to navigate the Pacific Ocean. \u201cWe watch over their exercises, not only near Taiwan but wherever necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense officials say China has been accelerating its military activities in the area between Taiwan and Yonaguni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August, a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance plane briefly violated Japanese airspace off the southern main island of Kyushu, prompting Japan\u2019s military to scramble fighter jets and warn the plane. A Chinese survey ship separately violated Japanese territorial waters off a southern island days later. In September, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and two destroyers sailed between Yonaguni and nearby Iriomote, entering a band of water just outside of Japan\u2019s territorial waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing fear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yonaguni fisherfolk, who closely monitor foreign vessels, have been among the first to see the growing Chinese military activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, several ballistic missiles China fired as part of an exercise landed off Japan\u2019s southwestern waters following then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi\u2019s Taiwan visit<\/a> in August. One of them landed just 50 miles from Yonaguni while more than 20 local fishing boats were operating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though it caused no injuries or damage, the Chinese drills kept fisherfolk from operating for a week, Yonaguni fisheries association chief and town assembly member Shigenori Takenishi said. \u201cIt was an extremely dangerous exercise that really made us feel China’s potential threat right next to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Kyoko Yamaguchi, left, Fumie Kano, center, and Takako Ueno oppose the presence of the Japan Self-Defense Forces base on Yonaguni. (AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fear of a Taiwan war rekindles bitter memories here of the Battle of Okinawa<\/a>, in which about 200,000 people, nearly half of them civilians, were killed. Historians say the army sacrificed Okinawa to defend Japan\u2019s mainland. Today Okinawa<\/a>\u2018s main island hosts more than half of the 50,000 American troops in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing at the center of this issue is very stressful for residents,\u201d said shopkeeper Takako Ueno. \u201cI don\u2019t want people to imagine this beautiful island turning into a battlefield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To keep that from happening Yonaguni needs to be fortified, says Mayor Kenichi Itokazu, a military buildup advocate who has campaigned for the deployment of more Japanese troops for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens in an emergency?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some residents feel uneasy about their vulnerability, even amid the military buildup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A government evacuation plan last year showed moving 120,000 people from five remote islands, including Yonaguni, to Japan\u2019s main islands would take at least six days. Some question whether such an evacuation is even possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Itokazu, the mayor, wants to build a shelter in the basement of a new town hall and to expand the Higawa port for evacuation by ship, a plan opposed by environmentalists who say there are rare marine species there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there’s skepticism from some.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt’s absurd,\u201d Kano said of the evacuation plan, because all of Japan would be in danger if Okinawa is dragged into fighting. \u201cI just hope the money will be spent on policies that will help the people in Yonaguni live peacefully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Associated Press video journalist Ayaka McGill contributed to this report from Yonaguni.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A tiny island on Japan\u2019s western frontier is now the front line in a potential clash over Taiwan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":119551,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":45,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news"],"primary_category":"your-military"},"4":{"categories":["your-air-force","newsletters","daily-news-roundup","news"],"primary_category":"your-air-force"},"5":{"categories":["your-army","newsletters","daily-news-roundup","news"],"primary_category":"your-army"},"6":{"categories":["your-marine-corps","news"],"primary_category":"your-marine-corps"},"7":{"categories":["your-navy","newsletters","daily-news-roundup","news"],"primary_category":"your-navy"}}},"categories":[45,160,11,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1278],"class_list":["post-69731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-daily-news-roundup","category-global","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"HBCHA6TVGVDHCY22GZ2FQMDDLJ","arc_canonical_url":"\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/02\/28\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\nThe tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A tiny island on Japan\u2019s western frontier is now the front line in a potential clash over Taiwan.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A tiny island on Japan\u2019s western frontier is now the front line in a potential clash over Taiwan.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-01T14:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T01:13:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t \"@graph\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/#article\",\n\t \"isPartOf\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/\"\n\t },\n\t \"author\": {\n\t \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t },\n\t \"headline\": \"The tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep\",\n\t \"datePublished\": \"2025-03-01T14:00:00+00:00\",\n\t \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T01:13:24+00:00\",\n\t \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/\"\n\t },\n\t \"wordCount\": 1193,\n\t \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t \"publisher\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t },\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t },\n\t \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Japan_Border_Island_86217.jpg.jpg\",\n\t \"articleSection\": [\n\t \"Asia Pacific\",\n\t \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t \"Global\",\n\t \"Newsletters\"\n\t ],\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t \"target\": [\n\t \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/#respond\"\n\t ]\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/\",\n\t \"name\": \"The tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep - Defense News\",\n\t \"isPartOf\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\"\n\t },\n\t \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t },\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t },\n\t \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Japan_Border_Island_86217.jpg.jpg\",\n\t \"datePublished\": \"2025-03-01T14:00:00+00:00\",\n\t \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T01:13:24+00:00\",\n\t \"description\": \"A tiny island on Japan\u2019s western frontier is now the front line in a potential clash over Taiwan.\",\n\t \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t },\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t \"target\": [\n\t \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/\"\n\t ]\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Japan_Border_Island_86217.jpg.jpg\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Japan_Border_Island_86217.jpg.jpg\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/01\\\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t \"itemListElement\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 1,\n\t \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 2,\n\t \"name\": \"Global\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/\",\n\t \"ad_zone\": \"global\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 3,\n\t \"name\": \"Asia Pacific\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/asia-pacific\\\/\",\n\t \"ad_zone\": \"asia-pacific\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 4,\n\t \"name\": \"The tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep\"\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t \"description\": \"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News\",\n\t \"publisher\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t },\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t \"target\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t },\n\t \"query-input\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t }\n\t }\n\t ],\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\",\n\t \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t \"logo\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t \"caption\": \"Defense News\"\n\t },\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t }\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t },\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep - Defense News","description":"A tiny island on Japan\u2019s western frontier is now the front line in a potential clash over Taiwan.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep","og_description":"A tiny island on Japan\u2019s western frontier is now the front line in a potential clash over Taiwan.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/","og_site_name":"Defense News","article_published_time":"2025-03-01T14:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T01:13:24+00:00","author":"Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"The tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep","datePublished":"2025-03-01T14:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T01:13:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/"},"wordCount":1193,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Japan_Border_Island_86217.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Asia Pacific","Daily News Roundup","Global","Newsletters"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/","name":"The tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep - Defense News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Japan_Border_Island_86217.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2025-03-01T14:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T01:13:24+00:00","description":"A tiny island on Japan\u2019s western frontier is now the front line in a potential clash over Taiwan.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Japan_Border_Island_86217.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Japan_Border_Island_86217.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2025\/03\/01\/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Global","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/","ad_zone":"global"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Asia Pacific","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/","ad_zone":"asia-pacific"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The tiny Japanese island militarizing on Taiwan\u2019s doorstep"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","name":"Defense News","description":"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization","name":"Defense News","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","caption":"Defense News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Defense News","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Japan_Border_Island_86217.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69731"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69750,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69731\/revisions\/69750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69731"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=69731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}