Japan has released its first-ever plan to evacuate over 100,000 civilians from remote islands near Taiwan in the event of regional conflict, as concerns grow over escalating tensions between Beijing and Taipei.
The contingency plan involves mobilizing ships and aircraft to transport approximately 110,000 residents and 10,000 tourists from five islands in the Sakishima chain, located in Japan’s southwestern Okinawa prefecture. According to Kyodo news agency, evacuees would be moved within six days to eight prefectures in southwestern and western Japan, traveling first to Kyushu before being relocated to designated accommodations. Tokyo has also announced evacuation drills on the Sakishima islands starting in April next year.
With Beijing asserting claims over Taiwan and increasing military activity in the region, Japan has intensified efforts to protect its remote border islands. Plans are in place to deploy surface-to-air guided missile units on Yonaguni, which lies just 100 km from Taiwan. The island, home to a Japanese self-defense force base, is constructing temporary underground shelters stocked with food and water supplies for up to two weeks, according to Japanese media reports.
Defence Minister Gen Nakatani expressed deep concerns over the situation, stating in January, “I want to take all possible measures for the defence of our country.”
While the evacuation plan does not explicitly mention Taiwan, Japan’s strategy reflects growing fears of a potential military confrontation. The plan has drawn significant attention in Taiwan, where local media linked it to cross-strait threats. One reader commented, “It feels more and more like a war.”
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, confirmed that the evacuation plan was designed for scenarios where “armed attacks are predicted.”
Okinawa, home to nearly 50,000 U.S. troops, would likely play a crucial role in any military response to a Taiwan crisis. Meanwhile, Japan remains locked in a territorial dispute with China over the Senkaku Islands, an uninhabited chain in the East China Sea administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing, where they are known as the Diaoyu.
