Research Guides: Okinawa Studies Research Guide: Okinawa Reversion

Primary Resources in Japan

Okinawa Prefectural Government Resources

沖縄県公文書館 | Okinawa Prefectural Archives
The Okinawan Prefectural Archives contains materials related to the return of Okinawa. Site is mostly in Japanese. Open-access resources include the following but not limited to:
- 過去の展示日本復帰への道 | The Road to Japan's Return
- 沖縄関連資料屋良朝苗日誌 | Yara Chobyo Journal
- 米国収集資料アイゼンハワー大統領文書 | Documents of President Eisenhower
- 米国収集資料ニクソン大統領文書 | Documents of President Nixon
- 沖縄県公文書館研究紀要 | Okinawa Prefectural Archives
第1号（1998年3月発行）~第23号（2021年3月発行）

Outside Okinawa

外務省 | Ministry of Foreign Affairfs of Japan
- 外交青書 1957~ Available online
- Diplomatic Bluebook 1971 ~ Available online
外務省編纂　日本外交文書デジタルコレクション | Digital Collection of the Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy
National Diet Library Digital Collections
The National Diet Library Digital Collections contains record, articles, dissertations, and the the like. There are numerous entries referencing the Okinawa Reversion. Site is in Japanese and English.
内閣官房　領土・主権対策企画調整室「沖縄返還」
Explains how the San Francisco Peace Treaty left Japan with territorial rights to Okinawa, including the Senkaku Islands, while the U.S. exercised administrative authority over the islands.
衆議院 | The House of Representatives, Japan
- View information on legislation and questions and answers from the House of Representatives regarding the reversion of Okinawa.
- Try search words 沖縄返還、沖縄返還協定、沖縄返還時. Mostly in Japanese, but some English resources are available in its English site

Databases for Photography

Photo: High Commissioner James Lampert making a speech at USCAR 20th Anniversary event ( 沖縄県公文書館所蔵 | Okinawa Prefectural Archives Collection)

沖縄戦後教育史・復帰関連資料（写真） | Okinawa Postwar Education History & Return Related Materials (Photos)
The Okinawan Prefectural Government donated archival materials to Yomitan Village related to post-war Okinawa and reversion movement. The site is in Japanese.
沖縄公文書館　USCAR文書（第二次世界大戦米占領司令部文書）写真資料 | Okinawa Prefectural Archives USCAR documents (World War II U.S. Occupation Command documents) Photographic Materials
- Among Album #01 through #94, Album #23 to #94 were newly opened to public.

Related Books in the Gelman Library (Japanese)

Related Books in the Gelman Library (English)

Recent Acquisitions on the Okinawa Reversion

Check the Okinawa Collection Recent Acquisitions page on Okinawa Reversion.

Primary Resources in the United States

National Security Archives | George Washington University
- The National Security Archives contains numerous entries and documents related to the Reversion of Okinawa to Japan. This includes declassified "secret" memoranda.
- Search words on NSA Search: Try Okinawa, Okinawa reversion, Nixon & Okinawa, Sato & Nixon.
- Search results include, but not limited to: - Okinawa Reversion on the Front Burner. Memorandum by Richard L. Sneider to William P. Bunday
- "Nuclear Weapons on Okinawa Declassified December 2015, Photos Available Since 1990"
- Revelations in newly released documents about U.S. nuclear weapons and Okinawa fuel NHK documentary
Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, Georgetown University Archival Resources
The Association of Diplomatic Studies and Training offers a number of valuable resources for researchers, including oral history transcripts of former diplomats and foreign service members.
To learn more about Okinawa, the reversion, and the role of diplomacy, check out the archives for:
・Rust Deming (Ambassador)
・Richard W. Boehm (Ambassador)
・Richard B. Finn
・David Osborn (Ambassador)
・John M. Steeves (Ambassador)
Congressional Research Service Reports
Search through reports issues by the Congressional Research Service regarding the Okinawan reversion.
Office of the Historian, U.S. State Department
- Historical Documents > Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969-1976, Japan 1969-1972 > The Decision for Okinawa Reversion
- Documents include the Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon and the National Security Decision Memorandum
National Archives Access to Archival Databases (AAD)
Okinawa reversion-related collection of electronic telegrams in 1974

Media Footage

NHK Archives 沖縄返還関係
This link includes short video footages from the NHK Archives regarding the reversion of Okinawa to Japan.
- 佐藤内閣改造と沖縄返還問題 (1967)
- 「核抜き本土並み」沖縄返還交渉難航 (1969)
- 沖縄返還協定巡り国会紛糾 (1971)
- 沖縄返還 (1972)
- 沖縄密約・外務省機密漏えい事件 (1972)
Conference "50th Anniversary of the Reversion of Okinawa Agreement” Richard Nixon Foundation
- One-day conference evaluating the state of the alliance between the United States and Japan on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Reversion of Okinawa agreement,
- Event took place on June 17, 2021
All-Nippon News Network (ANN) YouTube Channel
Footage: 外務省公開　沖縄返還で総理の演説を米の圧力で変更(15/01/15)
沖縄返還密約で日本政府が米に「無利子」預金口座（10/03/05）
The reversion of Okinawa to Japan 1972 (沖縄返還　昭和47年), Film Archive of Japan
Film Archive of Japan collects films created from 1960 to 1999, and managed by International Motion Picture Co,.Inc
「近づく沖縄返還の日」中日映画社

Other Open-Access Resources

Asian Survey (on JSTOR)
- Advanced keyword search
- To read and download, log in through your school or library.
- Register for a free account to read 100 articles per month for free
- Bimonthly academic journal of Asian studies published by the University of California Press on behalf of the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley
ジャパンデジタルアーカイブセンター | Japan Digital Archive Center (J-DAC)
- J-DAC contains government documents and papers. For the Okinawa Reversion, please visit the Minoru Kusuda Documents (Documents of Eisaku Sato's official residence)
- The site is in Japanese and English, however, the archival records and associated information are in Japanese
- J-DAC is an online platform for rare historical materials in the humanities and social sciences developed and operated by Maruzen Yusodoh Co
J-Stage
- E-journal platform for science and technology information in Japan, developed and managed by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
- Search for Okinawa reversion-related journals in 年報政治学, 外交史料館報, 国際政治, 島嶼研究
The Asia-Pacific Journal Japan Focus
Peer-reviewed on-line publication

Online Webinars

The Humanities Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz

"Japan Circa 1972: Setting The Stage For Reversion" (December 17, 2021)

Okinawa Memory Initiative, University of California, Santa Cruz

“Mobilizing the Reversion: A Geo-Political Perspective” (March 4, 2022)

新外交イニシアティブ (New Diplomacy Initiative) Event

"沖縄返還当事者が見る今 ―47年ぶりの訪沖を振り返って― (The Reversion of Okinawa: Reflections on the First Visit to Okinawa in 47 Years)" by Morton Halperin, former U.S. National Security Council (NSC) staff member (Lecture in English with Japanese interpretation）

沖縄タイムス公式動画チャンネル木村草太氏講演会「沖縄日本復帰５０年～沖縄と憲法」

Open-Access Japanese Institution Repositories

琉球大学学術リポジトリ沖縄関係外交史料館資料データベース | University of the Ryukyus Repository Diplomatic Archives
This extensive archive contains many resources related to U.S.-Japanese relations as it relates to the Okinawa Reversion. Site is in Japanese.
沖縄関係外交史料館資料データベース (琉球大学 RIIS 研究資源データベース)
- Provides a number of resources and documents for studying the Okinawa Reversion
- Among the diplomatic records released by the Diplomatic Record Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Professor Masaaki Gabe of the Institute of Island and Regional Science organized and categorized text data on materials related to Okinawa in particular
日米関係資料集１９７１−１９９０ (データベース「世界と日本」政策研究大学院大学(GRIPS) 東京大学東洋文化研究所)
This archive is part of "World and Japan" database and is maintained by the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) Institute of Advanced Studies on Asia,
University of Tokyo. The site and most document are in Japanese.

News Coverage

Open-access Online Newspapers on Okinawa Reversion (GW login NOT required)

Japanese Newspaper Databases (GW login required)

Japan Times Digital Archive This link opens in a new window Language: English
Asahi Shimbun Onrain Kiji Detabesu (朝日新聞オンライン記事データべース) This link opens in a new window
Nikkei Telecom21 (日経テレコン21) This link opens in a new window
Yomiuri Online (Yomidas Rekishikan) This link opens in a new window
Okinawa Times This link opens in a new window
Ryukyu Shimpo This link opens in a new window

Historical US Newspaper Databases (GW login required)

Chicago Tribune (Historical) This link opens in a new window
Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Los Angeles Times (Historical) This link opens in a new window
New York Times (Historical) This link opens in a new window
Washington Post (Historical,1877-2008) This link opens in a new window