For decades, residents of Japan's southern island of Okinawa have strongly opposed the US military bases in the region, seeing them as sources of crime and pollution.
But a subtle shift is underway, driven by Chinese sabre-rattling and economic challenges.
"If we think about the security of Japan and of east Asia, the presence of bases on Okinawa is inevitable in a way," says Ryo Matayoshi, a municipal councillor in the Okinawan city of Ginowan.