A deal to return American military land on Okinawa to the Japanese government was hailed today as the biggest such land transfer in more than four decades. But the move is unlikely to reduce frustration on the strategic island that remains crowded with American bases – a legacy of World War II. <br/> <br/>The agreement covers about 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of the 7,500-hectare Camp Gonsalves jungle warfare training centre, also known as the Northern Training Area.<br/> <br/>Lieutenant General Jerry P Martinez, US Forces Japan Commander, said in a statement that the agreement would reduce the amount of US-administered land on Okinawa by 17 percent. <br/> <br/>The US wrested Okinawa from Japan in the closing months of the war. A 27-year occupation followed before Okinawa was given back to Japan, but US bases remained. <br/> <br/>Today Okinawa is considered a strategic linchpin for security allies Japan and the US as they face China's increasing military might and unpredictable North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.