Okinawa

Okinawa, which sits closer to China than to Japan's main islands, is the focus of U.S. and Japanese efforts to beef up defenses in Japan's southwest islands.

One hundred newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 among U.S. forces on the small island that hosts about half the Americans stationed in Japan are further testing tense ties with Okinawa.

Richard Overton enlisted in an all-black battalion, serving in Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He loved ice cream, whiskey and cigars. "Today we mourn not just a hero, but a legend," the U.S. Army said.

The Marine Corps made the announcement that Col. Mark Coppess had been relieved of command without elaborating on the cause of his dismissal.

A 10-year-old boy was slightly injured when the object landed. It is the latest incident in the Japanese prefecture that have emboldened calls from locals to close down U.S. military bases there.

A Japanese man was killed early Sunday in a car crash involving a U.S. service member and alcohol was likely a factor. U.S. forces in Japan are now banned indefinitely from consuming alcohol.

Blue Seal ice cream was launched after World War II for American soldiers stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Today, it's a fusion of American and Okinawan tastes that's loved by locals and tourists alike.

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the heavy U.S. military presence on the island of Okinawa, Japan, after an American allegedly raped and killed a local woman.

The ban, which covers drinking both on- and off-base, will remain in place until sailors "understand the impact of responsible behavior," the Navy says.