NAHA, Okinawa — On Wednesday, Japanese naval divers successfully neutralized 24 artillery shells thought to be remnants of World War II in the waters near Naha, Okinawa’s bustling capital. The operation marked the third such exercise this month aimed at clearing hazardous leftovers from the intense battles that once ravaged this Pacific island.
The controlled detonation, which targeted ordnance found in the local port, was conducted by a team of eleven from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Sub Area Activity Okinawa unit. These explosives were located just off Shinko Wharf—one of Naha’s four civilian piers—at a depth of approximately 50 feet. The operation began around 1 p.m., about 2,300 feet from the coastline.
This demolition led to the destruction of over 1,630 pounds of military ordnance, briefly shaking the nearby two-story Naha Ecoisland waste disposal facility. Media personnel and self-defense force members observed the proceedings from this building, located at Pier 10.
Local maritime and civic authorities took extensive precautions. During the hours leading up to and following the detonation, boats were prohibited from entering within a 980-foot radius of the site, and divers and swimmers were banned from approaching within nearly two miles. These restrictions were imposed early in the morning and lifted shortly after the demolition at 2 p.m.
The shells themselves were unearthed over the past year during ongoing construction activities in Naha Port. After their discovery, the ordnance was stored under water near where they were eventually destroyed. The collection included three 275-pound bombs, several smaller shells and mortars, and a large bomb fragment.
According to a spokesman from the Maritime Self-Defense Force, divers stabilized the ammunition with sandbags deep underwater before using C-4 explosives for the ordnance disposal. The exact quantity of explosives used in the operation wasn’t specified.
The spot of this recent operation has seen similar activities in the recent past. Only earlier this year, in January, explosive experts handled a large 14-inch shell and a smaller 5-inch shell. This location was also the site of a 550-pound bomb disposal in December of the previous year.
Elsewhere on Okinawa, similar demining operations have been conducted with frequent urgency. Mid-February witnessed the destruction of 461 WWII-era shells in Nakagusuku Bay, located in the city of Uruma. And on the following day, ordnance disposal units tackled 138 shells on Ie Shima, a smaller island off Okinawa.
Local authorities have intensified efforts to dispose of unexploded ordnance nationally, especially around key infrastructure sites like airports. This followed an incident where a bomb exploded on a taxiway at Miyazaki Airport in Kyushu. Survey efforts have expanded to include airports in Naha, Sendai, Matsuyama, and Fukuoka, with teams conducting thorough magnetic surveys to detect and neutralize these perilous remnants of war.
As Japan continues to face this legacy of its wartime past, the ongoing recovery and disposal efforts serve as a stark reminder of the enduring impacts of conflict, and the continual need for vigilance and maintenance of public safety.