Leaning her weight onto a walker, 90-year-old Toshiko Nakasoko moves in small, deliberate steps. With the help of a caregiver, she slowly lowers herself into a chair.
It is a familiar morning scene at Sumudure no Ie, the only nursing care facility on Hateruma Island in Taketomi, Okinawa Prefecture. On one morning in late April, Nakasoko and other older people gathered for a regular meeting at the facility, sharing conversation and companionship.
Yet, this quiet routine is now increasingly threatened by the government’s evacuation plans for Okinawa’s remote islands that envision residents being moved off the islands in the event of a military contingency over Taiwan because of their geographical proximity and strategic importance.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.