to 1854. In 1879, Japan annexed the entire Ryukyu archipelago. The Meiji government then established Okinawa Prefecture. The monarchy in Shuri was abolished, and the deposed King Shō Tai was forced to relocate to Tokyo. Hostility against Japan increased in the islands immediately after the annexation, in part because of the systematic attempt on the part of Japan to eliminate Ryukyuan culture, including the language, religion, and cultural practices. Pacific war Okinawa Island had the bloodiest ground battle of the Pacific War from 1 April to 22 June 1945. During this 82-day-long battle, about 95,000 Imperial Japanese Army troops and 20,195 Americans were killed. The Cornerstone of Peace at the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman lists 149,193 persons from Okinawa – approximately one quarter of the civilian population – were either killed or committed suicide during the Battle of Okinawa and the Pacific War. Very few Japanese ended up in POW camps. This may have been because of Japanese soldiers' reluctance to surrender. The total number of casualties shocked American military strategists. This made them apprehensive to invade the other main islands of Japan, because it would result in very high casualties. American occupation Japan became a pacifist country with the 1947 constitution, so America was obligated to protect Japan against foreign threats. During the American military occupation of Japan (1945–1952), which followed the Imperial Japanese surrender on 2 September 1945, in Tokyo Bay, the United States controlled Okinawa Island and the rest of the Ryukyu Islands. The Amami Islands were returned to Japanese control in 1953. The remaining Ryukyu Islands were returned to Japan on 17 June 1971. America kept numerous U.S. military bases on the islands. There are 32 United States military bases on Okinawa Island by the U.S.-Japan alliance since 1951. U.S. bases on Okinawa played critical roles in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Laotian Civil War, Cambodian campaign, War in Afghanistan, and Iraq War. Okinawa served as a prime staging post for the aforementioned wars. Its ports and airports were used to transport supplies. The base at Camp Chinen, Nanjo City was used by the CIA for covert operations. In 1965, Admiral Ulysses S. Grant Sharp stated that “Without Okinawa, we couldn't continue fighting the Vietnam war.” Intense use of the island by the US military caused damage to the environment and residents. There were oil and fuel spills. Exposure to toxic substances caused illness of