Moreover, the long-simmering dispute over the US Marine Corps base on Okinawa, which had roiled bilateral relations during the years the Democratic Party of Japan was in power, has been settled amicably, with the US agreeing to move the base to a less populated part of the island. Of course, some Okinawa residents remain opposed to the US base’s continued presence on their island, but most Japanese recognize the need for this tangible symbol of their alliance with America, which remains the bedrock of Japan’s national-security strategy.