With the reversion of Okinawa prefecture to Japan in May of 1972, an ionospheric-observation facility operated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the grounds of the U.S. military's Zukeran Communication Station was converted into the Okinawa Radio Observatory of the Radio Research Laboratory (presently the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Incorporated Administrative Agency), Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Later, the observatory was transformed into the Okinawa Subtropical Environment Research Center. Since its establishment, the center has collected ionospheric observation data and promoted further development of environmental remote-sensing technology, including HF ocean radars and wind profilers.
June 1972 Routine observation of the ionosphere begins		May 1972 Reversion of Okinawa prefecture to Japan
		March 1976 Withdrawal of the U.S. military from the Zukeran Communication Station April 1976 Temporary office for relocation of Radio Research Laboratory opened Dec. 1976 Completion of, and relocation to, the Nakagusuku office
Feb. 1977 Routine observation of the ionosphere is again initiated
July 1979 Introduction of the 9B-type semiconductor ionosonde
				1986 R&D into HF ocean radar begins
		April 1988 The "Radio Research Laboratory" is renamed the "Communications Research Laboratory"
			Oct. 1992 R&D of wind profiler begins
April 1994 Start of observations using Type 10 Ionosonde with networking functions (Automation of data acquisition)			April 1994 Installation of the 1.3-GHz lower atmospheric observation radar dome	Feb. 1996 Ocean radar experiment building and storehouse completed
		April 1997 Symposium on the concept of "A Center for International Collaborative Studies on Subtropical Environmental Observation"
			April 1997 Development of a 443-MHz wind profiler begins
1998 Outsourcing of inspection & maintenance of instruments for ionospheric observation
		1999 Development of precipitation radar begins		1999 Development of Long-Range Ocean Radar
		Nov. 2000 " Symposium on Earth Environmental and Information Technology in Okinawa"
			March 2001 Wind profiler facility in Ogimi completed
		April 2001 Facility renamed the "Okinawa Subtropical Environment Remote-Sensing Center" with the restructuring of the CRL as an Incorporated Administrative Agency
				July 2001 Ocean radar facilities in Ishigaki and Yonaguni completed
Aug. 2001 Completion of the Ogimi Ionospheric Observation Facility
		Dec. 2001 Construction is completed on the Onna Research Facility in the Okinawa Subtropical Environment Remote-Sensing Center April 2002 Opening of the Onna Research Facility of the Okinawa Subtropical Environment Remote-Sensing Center
		Aug. 2002 Precipitation radar facility in Nago completed
		April 2004 "Communications Research Laboratory" is reformed to "National Institute of Information and Communications Technology"