--- title: "Munitions depot explosion at Kadena Air Base leaves four injured" description: "Four Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force members were injured Monday after a piece of military ordnance went off at the U.S. Air Force base." date: "2025-06-09" modified: "2025-06-09" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/kadena-air-base-munition-explosion/" categories: - "Air Force" - "Around the World" - "Japan" - "Military Branches" - "News" tags: - "adsafety" --- # Munitions depot explosion at Kadena Air Base leaves four injured ![An orange sticker with a warning about explosives.]() *An explosive warning sticker leftover from a munitions storage facility ribbon cutting at Kadena Air Base on January 31, 2025. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Catherine Daniel* Four members of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force were injured after a munition exploded on Kadena Air Base on Monday. The Air Force’s 18th Wing, based out of Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, confirmed that an explosion occurred at a munitions storage site on the northern side of the base. No U.S. personnel were injured and local authorities said that there is no risk of further explosions, [according to]() the U.S. Air Force and Kyodo News. Members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force were working in the munitions storage area, managed by the Okinawa Prefectural Government, when one item exploded, leaving four Japanese troops injured. [According to]() Japanese media, the explosion happened while JSDF members were preparing to safely dispose of an unexploded ordnance. Per reports, the depot is a temporary storage spot, mainly used for leftover unexploded munitions from World War II. Okinawa was heavily bombed during World War II, as part of the U.S. military’s campaign to capture the island in 1945. 80 years later and Japanese and American authorities [continue]() to locate and dispose of unexploded ordnance, with more than 2,000 tons of munitions taken out. *This is a developing story.* ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **A Marine Corps** [**reply-all email apocalypse**]() **has an incredible real-life ending** - **Army** [**shuts down**]() **its sole active-duty information operations command** - **Army plans to close more than** [**20 base museums**]() **in major reduction** - **Former** [**Green Beret**]() **nominated to top Pentagon position to oversee special ops** - **The Navy’s new recruiting commercial puts the ‘**[**dirt wars**]()**’ in the past** ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()