Kerama Islands
 |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Archipelago | Ryukyu Islands |
| Administration | |
Japan | |
The Kerama Islands (慶良間諸島, Kerama Shotō) are six inhabited and some twenty uninhabited islands in a group about 30 kilometers west of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
During World War II and preliminary to the Battle of Okinawa, soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division landed in the Kerama Islands on March 26, 1945. Further landings followed, and the Kerama group was secured over the next five days. Kerama was used as a staging area for the assault on Okinawa. During the battle the first civilian mass suicides that later marked the Battle of Okinawa took place.
The First US Navy ship to anchor in the harbor was the USS Makin Island, a small "jeep" carrier.
It was the site of a true story about romance between two dogs who lived on neighboring islands that was made into the 1988 Japanese film I Want to See Marilyn (Marilyn ni Aitai).[1] It is now a popular beach and diving destination for visitors to Okinawa.
The islands include
The islands are within Shimajiri District.[2]
Kerama Airport serves the island chain.