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Okinawa Demands Democracy: The Heavy Hand of Japanese and American Rule

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

Extract

In “Okinawa Demands Democracy” Maedomari Hiromari patiently details the cruel political and economic injustices that burden Okinawans today, such as their pseudo-citizenship and semi-colonial status, a status that arose from the U.S. military occupation of Okinawa (which began with the horrific 1945 Battle of Okinawa). His analysis reveals the way that such injustices are an inevitable result of Tokyo's subservience to Japan's imperial masters in Washington, and it demonstrates that, as a result of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, none of the people of the Archipelago, in fact, enjoy full sovereignty. That same government that repeatedly plundered Okinawa during the past three quarters of a century under the banner of fighting for freedom and democracy has also repeatedly violated Japan's sovereignty.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2020

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References

Notes

1 Maedomari gives the exact amount as 1,014,300,000,000 yen.

2 Douglas Lummis, “The Most Dangerous Base in the World”. C. Douglas Lummis, “Futenma: ‘The Most Dangerous Base in the World’,” The Diplomat (30 March 2018)

3 Yoshikawa Hideki, “An Appeal from Okinawa to the U.S. Congress. Futenma Marine Base Relocation and its Environmental Impact: U.S. Responsibility” (沖縄から米議会への訴え 普天閒基地移設と環境影響 米国の責任は)

4 The Kōjien is an authoritative dictionary published by Iwanami Shoten.

5 Maedomari discusses the importance of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty in John Junkerman, “Base Dependency and Okinawa's Prospects: Behind the Myths: A Conversation with Maedomari Hiromori, Professor of Economics and Environmental Policy, Okinawa International University,” The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 22, No. 2, November 15, 2016. He sums up the situation this way: “Japan was required to provide land and facilities for US military forces, which it did by maintaining the bases on Okinawa. As long as the bases remained in Okinawa, the US was satisfied. So the bases have been retained in order to strike this kind of political balance.”

6 『沖縄の米軍及び自衛隊基地(統計資料集)』(Okinawa no Beigun oyobi Jieitai kichi tōkei shiryō shū [Collection of statistics on bases of the U.S. military and Japan Self-defense Forces in Okinawa]) 2018年3月、沖縄県知事公室基地対策課 (Okinawa-ken chiji kōshitsu kichi taisaku ka [Base Policies Division of the Okinawa Prefectural Governor Information Desk]), March 2018, page 104.

7 Just Kadena alone is a “keystone,” in Jon Mitchell's view: see here.

8 The Miyamori accident killed 17, and later, one more died due to the after-effects. See here.

9 For those who have not seen with their own eyes the amazing commitment to non-violence among Okinawa protestors, see the writings of Douglas Lummis, such as where he writes, that the “riot policemen are not always that gentle. But the non-violent behavior of the sit-inners does have an effect on them.” (See here.) One could say that the protestors have won the respect of the riot police, if not that of Prime Minister Abe, who has not spent much time at the gate to Camp Schwab.

10 Gavan McCormack, “‘All Japan’ versus ‘All Okinawa‘—Abe Shinzo's Military-Firstism,” The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 13, Issue 10, No. 4, March 16, 2015.

11 Justin McCurry, “U.S. grounds Osprey fleet in Japan after aircraft crashes off Okinawa,” The Guardian (14 July 2017). Jeff Schogol, “Second Osprey incident on Okinawa,” Marine Corps Times (16 December 2016).

12 “U.S. military chopper bursts into flames on landing in Okinawa,” Kyodo News (11 October 2017). There was a crash in California in 2018 as well: Tara Copp, “Marines: 4 Dead in CH-53 Crash,” Marine Corps Times (4 April 2018).

13 “Object possibly from U.S. military plane falls on Okinawa nursery,” Kyodo News (7 December 2017). “Window falls from U.S. military chopper onto Okinawa school grounds,” Kyodo News (13 December 2017). “Okinawa shogakkō ni beigun heri no mado rakka jidō kara 10m hodo no bashō” [About 10 Meters from the Children Parts Fall from the Window of a U.S. Military Helicopter onto an Okinawan Elementary School] 沖縄小学校に米軍ヘリの窓落下 児童から10mほどの場所, News Web Easy (13 December 2017). Video available from Channel 7 News here.

14 Motoko Rich, “Former U.S. Marine Gets Life in Prison for Okinawa Rape and Murder,” New York Times (1 December 2017)

15 About the sexual violence, see for example, Jon Mitchell, “U.S. Marine Corps Sexual Violence on Okinawa,” The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 16, Issue 3, No. 4, February 1, 2018.

16 In other words, the total budget for 2016 was about 341.6 billion yen.

17 For more information, see the website of the Okinawa Prefectural Industry Development Association here.

18 This area was returned to Okinawa in 1987. See Okinawa-Information.com, “Shintoshin Shopping Area, Naha Okinawa”.

19 For more information about Okinawa's MICE, see Okinawa Prefecture's webpage here.

20 The election was actually held on 30 September 2018 due to the death of the former governor, Onaga Takeshi.