Approximately 62% of all American military bases in Japan are located in Okinawa, an area that makes up less than one percent of the land area in Japan. These bases have caused many problems for Okinawans, including: generating large amounts of violence, sexual assault, and reckless driving, among other forms of crime; suppressing local economies; producing large amounts of noise pollution; and polluting the environment around bases. Americans who commit these crimes are rarely, if ever, punished, as the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) essentially provides American soldiers with extraterritoriality, preventing them from being brought to justice. This American presence has definite traits of colonialism, and is incompatible with the American claim of supporting freedom and democracy.
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