Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Talks to Yonaguni Mayor about Missile Deployment; Seeks Understanding of Necessity of Boosting Defense Capabilities

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:31 JST, November 24, 2025

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Sunday visited the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Camp Yonaguni on Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture, where he met with Yonaguni Mayor Tsuneo Uechi and sought understanding from the locals over a plan to place interceptor missiles on the island.

Koizumi asked the mayor and residents to understand the necessity of enhancing the SDF’s defense capabilities.

At the meeting, Koizumi said, “To properly protect the public, including the people of Yonaguni, it is important to strengthen our defense capabilities.”

Some residents have voiced concerns that deploying missiles to the island could raise tensions.

Koizumi told reporters after the meeting, “By deploying missiles, we can lower the possibility of a military attack on our country.”

The Defense Ministry plans to deploy an upgraded variety of Type 03 mid-range surface-to-air missiles with the capacity to intercept ballistic missiles in-air.