Explosion at US Base in Okinawa Injures Four Japanese Soldiers During WWII Ordnance Disposal
Four Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JSDF) soldiers were injured on Monday in an explosion at a munitions storage facility located inside Kadena Air Base, a major United States military installation on the southern island of Okinawa. The incident occurred while the soldiers were handling World War II-era unexploded ordnance (UXO), according to both Japanese and U.S. defense officials.
The explosion took place at a facility operated by Okinawa Prefecture but situated on land under the control of the U.S. Air Force. The four injured personnel were all members of the JSDF’s bomb disposal unit, which has long been tasked with neutralizing the thousands of bombs left behind from one of the Pacific War’s fiercest battles.
Authorities said the soldiers were cleaning rust and removing mud from an old piece of ordnance when it detonated unexpectedly. All four suffered injuries to their fingers, though officials confirmed the wounds were non-life-threatening. No U.S. military personnel were hurt, and the explosion did not prompt any evacuation of surrounding areas.
Japanese and American defense authorities have launched a joint investigation into the cause of the blast. While accidental detonations are a known risk in UXO disposal, this marks the first such accident involving Japan’s bomb disposal unit since its establishment in 1974.
Okinawa, which was the site of an intense and bloody battle between Japanese and Allied forces in 1945, remains littered with remnants of war. An estimated 1,800 tons of unexploded munitions are believed to still be buried across the island.
Local construction projects frequently uncover such devices, which are then transported to the Kadena facility for safe disposal.
The storage site, though located within a U.S. military base, is managed under a unique arrangement that allows Okinawan authorities to provide store and dispose of wartime ordnance on U.S.-controlled land.
The JSDF team involved in Monday’s blast was working under this long-standing civilian-military coordination.
Local officials and residents have expressed concern over the continued presence of dangerous wartime remnants and the risks faced by those involved in their removal.
Nevertheless, both the Japanese government and the U.S. military have reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the safety of personnel and the broader Okinawan community.
As the investigation continues, defense officials say operations at the facility have been temporarily suspended, and safety protocols are being reviewed.
