Camp Zukeran (Camp Foster) in Okinawa to Shrink by 5 Hectares as Land to Be Returned to Japan

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:03 JST, January 9, 2026

A 5-hectare portion of the U.S. military’s Camp Foster — also known as Camp Zukeran — in Okinawa Prefecture is expected to be returned to Japan as early as fiscal 2026, which begins in April, several Japanese government sources said.

The area is included in the return plan for U.S. military facilities and zones south of Kadena Air Base, but execution of the agreement, originally targeted for as early as fiscal 2024, was delayed. If realized, this would be the first return since a 0.19-hectare part of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Makiminato Service Area was returned in May 2021.

The Japanese government aims to demonstrate its commitment to steadily reducing the burden on Okinawa Prefecture in light of the upcoming Okinawa gubernatorial election as the incumbent governor’s current term ends in September.

The area in Camp Foster to be returned this time is part of the Kishaba Housing area in the village of Kitanakagusuku, where U.S. military personnel and civilian employees live. The housing area functions will be relocated to alternative sites within the camp.

The returned land will be managed by the prefecture and other entities. They plan to expand the entrance to the Kishaba Smart Interchange on the Okinawa Expressway and widen Prefectural Route 81 (the Ginowan-Kitanakagusuku Line) along the site. The plan is expected to alleviate traffic congestion.

“The plan should help improve Okinawans’ lives and become a recognizable measure to reduce the burden on the prefecture,” a government official said.

Regarding the reduction of the prefecture’s military base burden, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters Thursday that Japan and the United States have discussed the closure of one of the U.S. military helicopter pads in Nago. The city has requested its removal due to noise issues.