Half a century after the clash of Japanese and American forces devastated Okinawa in the spring of 1945, wide areas of Japan's southernmost prefecture remain an armed bastion. Although U.S. military rule in Okinawa ended in 1972, airfields, artillery ranges, ammunition depots, infantry training grounds, and other military installations still occupy large areas of the prefecture. People in Okinawa continue to protest the shortages of land, daily disruptions, and not infrequent dangers associated with this vast military presence.