The Okinawa Wars, 1961–1977: Blood Shed Along the Island’s Boundaries

In postwar Okinawa, amid the chaos and reconstruction under U.S. military rule, factions such as the Naha faction, the Koza faction, the Yanbaru faction, the Futenma faction, and the Awase faction emerged. The series of conflicts known as the Okinawa War began with the First Conflict between the Naha and Koza factions in 1961 and continued for approximately sixteen years, marked by repeated splits and realignments among the factions. During the second and third conflicts, multiple factions clashed over territorial control and gambling establishments, leading to violent confrontations that resulted in casualties. The factions, which had formed in specific regions, not only clashed but also repeatedly merged and split, changing their organizational structures in tandem with shifts in Okinawan society. In 1970, the Naha and Yamabaru factions, wary of the encroachment of mainland yakuza groups, united to form the Okinawa Union Asahiryu-kai. However, even after Okinawa’s reversion to Japan, the conflicts did not subside. Starting in 1974, the Fourth Conflict broke out, centered on the Okinawa Union Asahiryu-kai and the Uehara-gumi, and tensions persisted until 1977. According to Okinawa Prefectural Police records, a total of 253 incidents occurred during the First through Sixth Conflicts, resulting in 20 deaths and 114 injuries. The Okinawa War was not merely a turf war between organized crime groups. These feuds arose at the intersection of the rapid social upheavals that postwar Okinawa experienced—including U.S. military rule, reversion to Japan, the development of entertainment districts, changes in local communities, and the influx of mainland yakuza groups. Behind the scenes of an era marked by major political and economic upheaval on the island, interpersonal relationships and the balance of power were also undergoing intense realignment.