Japan’s closest garrison to Taiwan takes bigger role 10 years on

Defense

Camp Yonaguni on front line of Self-Defense Forces’ southwest shift as tensions rise

Native horses are seen near the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force base on Yonaguni in Okinawa prefecture. (Photo by Shogo Kodama)

NAHA, Japan — A Japanese Self-Defense Forces garrison on Japan’s westernmost inhabited island, just 110 kilometers from Taiwan, marks its 10th anniversary Saturday amid a changing security environment that has seen it expand beyond its original surveillance role.