What have the past forty-four years brought to Okinawa? In 1972, the people of Okinawa desired to return to Japan and the protection of its peace constitution, and to achieve self-governance.
But what has actually occurred? The overwhelming burden of U.S. military bases remains unchanged, and accidents and incidents involving U.S. military personnel continue. The right to a peaceful existence guaranteed by the Japanese constitution has not been fully recognized in Okinawa.
A prominent issue involving the U.S. bases is the construction of a new base in Henoko, Nago, where the Japanese government is taking an authoritarian stance that ignores Okinawa’s subjectivity.
We do not want to think that the past forty-four years have merely perpetrated structural discrimination against Okinawa. On the forty-fourth Reversion Day, we should reconsider this day as a day of autonomy, a day to honor the concept of Okinawans deciding our own future.
A natural wish
Chobyo Yara, a leader of the movement to achieve the reversion of Okinawa to Japan, expressed his thoughts on reversion as follows:
“To put it simply, we yearn to recover our humanity. It is an utterly natural wish, and it is our demand” (Okinawa ha damatteirarenai, Yell Books, 1969).
The Yara Petition (kengisho) detailed the problems arising from twenty-seven years of U.S. rule, demanding that the Japanese government: (1) Enact policies prioritizing the welfare of the Okinawan people; (2) Pay particular respect to Okinawa’s local autonomy, given the post-Meiji history of denial of Okinawa’s autonomy; (3) Repudiate war and pursue peace above all else; (4) Restore human rights to Okinawans under the peace constitution; and (5) Promote economic development prioritizing the interests of the Okinawan people.
The demands made in the Yara Petition remain relevant today. In fact, the “natural wish” of which Yara spoke remains unfulfilled even now.
The conflict between Okinawa and the Japanese national government over the construction of a new U.S. base in Henoko is particularly symbolic of this unfulfilled wish. The national government is infringing on Okinawa’s local autonomy by nonchalantly ignoring the Okinawan people’s opposition to the new base as expressed in various elections.
Construction on the new base is currently suspended as part of an out-of-court settlement, but national government representatives constantly repeat the line that “Henoko is the only solution.” The government shows no respect whatsoever for Okinawans’ natural rights to local autonomy, popular will, and self-determination.
We have yet to see an end to incidents that threaten Okinawans’ right to a peaceful existence. In March, a U.S. soldier stationed at Camp Schwab violated a woman in Naha.
The incident showed that the U.S. military’s measures to impose curfews and restrict alcohol consumption are utterly ineffective.
The national government is also taking no steps to relieve the overwhelming burden of bases in Okinawa. The government claims that it is working to reduce the burden on Okinawa, pointing to the recent return of around fifty-one hectares of land comprising the West Futenma Housing Area. However, in mainland Japan, three hundred and forty-five hectares of land formerly designated for exclusive use by the U.S. military have been returned since 2014. As a result, since 2014, the percentage of land area designated for exclusive use by the U.S. military in Okinawa compared to the rest of Japan has risen slightly from 73.8 percent to 74.46 percent.
The government should stop this form of “burden reduction” that is all show and no substance.
Bases are an obstacle
Recently it was discovered that a high school textbook that had passed the government’s review process contained a grave error regarding the economic contribution of U.S. bases to Okinawa’s economy. The incident shows that the myth that Okinawa’s economy is reliant upon the bases remains prominent in other parts of Japan. In 1972, base-related income made up 15.5 percent of Okinawa’s economy, but as of fiscal 2013, that number was only 5.1 percent.
It has become clear from our experience of the past forty-four years that the U.S. bases are no more than an obstacle to the growth of Okinawa’s economy. Okinawa has achieved tremendous development through utilization of former base land after its return.
In areas where former base land has been returned, comparisons have been made between the direct economic benefits accrued from rent paid to owners of land used by the U.S. military, income earned by workers employed on base, and other base-related income before the land was returned, and revenue from manufacturing and other forms of income resulting from development after the land was returned. The Kuwae and Kitamae areas of Chatan saw direct economic benefits increase to 108 times those seen before the return. In the Shintoshin area of Naha, direct economic benefits increased to 32 times those seen before the return.
The Abe administration claims that it will enact “diverse support and seamless policy measures” to achieve regional revitalization. If that is the case, should it not respect Okinawa’s autonomy and lend a hand to efforts to turn Okinawa into an island that pursues peace?
If Okinawa is made into a logistics hub that serves as a gateway to Asia and attracts tourists from other parts of Japan and abroad, it can become a driving force for Japan’s economy. People in Okinawa do not want to remain an “island of bases” forever.
The Abe administration is taking the teeth out of the Japanese constitution with measures such as allowing the exercise of the right to collective self-defense. Its refusal to pay heed to popular sentiment is also evident in the hardline stance it takes toward Okinawa. In such an era, we should see Reversion Day as an opportunity to take back the local autonomy highlighted in the Yara Petition.
On May 15, Okinawa marked 44 years since the administration of the islands was given back to Japan from the United States. A rally calling for peace and protecting life was held at a park in the Naha New Urban Center, a former U.S. military facility.
About 2,500 people, including participants in the “5.15 Peace March,” which started on May 13, gathered.
The participants confirmed that they would take action against the construction of the new U.S. base in Henoko, Nago, changes to security laws and the restart of nuclear power stations. They vowed to spread the movement all over the country.
According to the organizer of the 5.15 Peace March, initiated by the Okinawa Peace Movement Center, the total number of participants in the 5.15 Peace March was about 4,500 people.
The peace marches were held over three courses, including the southern part of the island, a fierce battle site during the Battle of Okinawa, and the western and eastern parts of the main island. Marches were also held in Miyako Island and Yaeyama Island.
Hiroji Yamashiro, the director of the Okinawa Peace Movement Center, said in his speech, “We would not allow the Abe administration to adversely revise Constitution.”
Dick Bruce, a 77-year-old former U.S. marine who was stationed for a 13-month duration on Camp Courtney in Uruma City in 1958-59, visited an elderly welfare center called Day Service RyCom in Okinawa City on May 7 to display his photographs and mingle with attendees. Throughout his stationing he kept a camera on hand and recorded the scenery of daily life, children, and the like in photographs. As he gazed upon his photographs with those at the center, he fondly recalled those days.
Bruce was first deployed to Okinawa when he was 20 years old, and took about 500 photographs during his deployment. Fifty-three years after his return to the United States he came to visit Okinawa again in May 2012. During that visit he exhibited his photographs in Kitanakagusuku Village, and Day Service RyCom also requested an exhibition from him. He was able to fulfill the request on this visit.
According to Bruce, in places surrounding Camp Courtney like Uken, where he used to frequently walk and take photographs, just about everything has changed. Thinking about how people used to interact, he mentioned that in those days everyone seemed to know each other and get along well.
On this visit to Okinawa, Bruce came with the purpose of putting right a regret that he had from the time he was stationed on Camp Courtney. One time he had given baseball equipment like gloves and balls to some children, but he did not have enough; one child did not receive a baseball glove. Bruce wanted to come back and present a glove to that one child. He pointed out that in the photograph with those children there was only one child not smiling. Yet he still hopes to make it right.
On May 11, Osaka-based USJ Co., Ltd., operator of Universal Studios Japan (USJ) theme parks, officially announced to the Okinawa prefectural government and the Japanese national government that it will cancel a potential plan building a new theme park in Okinawa. As part of a series of changes that occurred after USJ Co., Ltd.’s parent company changed in November of last year, it has decided to cancel plans to build a new theme park and instead concentrate investment of operational resources into its existing Osaka theme park.
USJ Co., Ltd. CEO Jean Louis Bonnier met with prime ministerial aide Hiroto Izumi on the morning of May 11 at the Prime Minister’s Official Residence to announce the cancellation. In the afternoon, he travelled to Okinawa to make the same announcement to Vice Goernor Mitsuo Ageda. Governor Takeshi Onaga, who is currently visiting the United States, spoke to the press on the morning of May 11 (May 11 evening Japan time). “Okinawa’s business community was divided on whether or not to support the plan. USJ analyzed the views of the Okinawan people in making its decision,” Onaga said. “I would have been glad to host the theme park if it meshed with Okinawa’s soft power, but it was unclear whether that would indeed be the case.”
In July of last year, then-USJ Co., Ltd. CEO Glen Gumpel met with Governor Onaga at the Prefectural Office and asked for Onaga’s support in building a USJ theme park in the northern part of Okinawa Island. He expressed that the park could begin operations as early as 2020. A representative from USJ Co., Ltd.’s marketing division told the press that after coming under new management, the company conducted a review of all of its current and planned operations, including the plan for a park in Okinawa. “We had anticipated sufficient benefits in terms of growth from [our plan in] Okinawa, but decided that at present we will not build any new theme parks. We have received support from the Okinawa prefectural government and have nothing but thanks for everyone in Okinawa,” the representative said.
Vice Governor Ageda and USJ Co., Ltd. CEO Bonnier avoided the Prefectural Office, where the press had gathered, and met at Naha’s Loisir Hotel instead. After the meeting, Vice Governor Ageda responded to questions from the press at the Prefectural Office. “We believed that [the construction of a USJ theme park] would contribute greatly to tourist increases and regional promotion, raising Okinawa tourism’s brand power. It is a great disappointment,” Ageda told the press. When asked whether the prefectural government will continue to petition for a USJ theme park to be built in the prefecture, he responded that he intends to consult with the governor and other stakeholders in making a decision.
The Japanese national government has been actively involved in endorsing the planned USJ theme park as part of its Okinawa promotion policy, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying that the government would to do everything in its means to support the plan. At a press conference on May 11, Suga stated, “As a private company, [USJ Co., Ltd. made] the management decision to cancel the planned Okinawa theme park. It is truly disappointing.”
Plan cancelled one year after becoming public, following suspension of negotiations
Talk of building a USJ theme park in Okinawa became public in July 2014. At the time, the plan under consideration involved developing an integrated resort (IR), featuring casinos among its entertainment features, within Nago’s Neopark Okinawa.
In September 2014, immediately after the news of a potential USJ park in Okinawa became public, then-Governor Hirokazu Nakaima met privately with USJ Co., Ltd. executives to discuss potential challenges that the plan might face. In March 2015, it was revealed that stakeholders were considering building the USJ theme park in the vicinity of the government-run Ocean Expo Park in Motobu. Soon, a plan to build a USJ theme park within the Ocean Expo Park was moving forward rapidly with involvement on the part of the Prime Minister’s Office. At the end of May 2015, prime ministerial aide Hiroto Izumi conducted an observation visit to the Ocean Expo Park together with USJ Co., Ltd. executive officer Morioka.
In July 2015, then-USJ Co., Ltd. CEO Glen Gumpel visited the Okinawa Prefectural Office to meet with Governor Takeshi Onaga and request his support in moving forward with the USJ theme park construction plan. However, in November 2015 USJ Co., Ltd. was acquired by a new American parent company, which began conducting a review of USJ Co., Ltd.’s business operations and plans, effectively shelving discussions with the Okinawa prefectural government and the Prime Minister’s Office.
Various flowers such as Vaccinium wrightii A. Gray, tiger’s claw, Chinese wood oil tree, and more are blossoming out in the northern part of Okinawa Island, signaling the coming of summer. Some of the flowers are fragrant, and the flowers will be spectacular with vivid colors and a bright aroma.
Chinese wood oil trees from Taiwan are blooming white flowers in Hana park, Higashi village. Purple Melastome and Jasmine are blooming until the end of May.
Red Tiger’s claw is blossoming along route 58 in Ogimi village, adding a bright color to the rich green mountainous landscape.
At 11:00 a.m. on May 10, a caravan led by Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga visited Honolulu city government to promote the 6th World Uchinanchu Festival. Onaga invited Mayor Kirk Caldwell to attend the festival. The festival will be held in October in Okinawa. The caravan will also visit Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Vancouver.
Mayor Caldwell said that he could not guarantee his attendance as the festival coincides with a mayoral race. However, he said that he would try to participate in the festival.
Honolulu and Naha entered a sister-city agreement in 1960. Governor Onaga, who previously served as the city mayor of Naha, and Caldwell affirmed their strong ties.
Onaga said, “I am deeply moved to hear Mayor Caldwell’s feelings towards Okinawa. We do hope that the mayor will take part in the festival.”
The governor presented the mayor with a Kariyushi-wear shirt. The mayor appeared once again before the members of the caravan, shortly after changing his cloth to the shirt.
The Japanese government has announced that from 2016 onward it will end a portion of subsidies for air-conditioning maintenance in schools near U.S. military bases. The air-conditioning maintenance is part of a soundproofing program that the government implements at such schools. On May 9, it was discovered that 108 nursery schools, preschools, and elementary, middle, and high schools in Okinawa will lose their air-conditioning maintenance subsidies. According to the Ministry of Defense (MOD), in fiscal 2015 it spent 317 million yen on air-conditioning subsidies at 262 schools and other facilities nationwide, including 218 million yen on the 108 schools and other facilities in Okinawa. While the policy shift will be implemented uniformly nationwide, since Okinawa is home to 41.2 percent of the schools and other facilities and received 68.7 percent of the subsidies, it will be significantly impacted by the change.
Air-conditioning maintenance subsidies are divided into four levels based on the noise level around the school or facility. Subsidies for facilities in areas in which the noise level is ranked 1 or 2 will be continued. However, for facilities in areas in which the noise level is ranked 3 or 4, where detailed design plans will be drawn up to update the air-conditioning units from 2016 onward, subsidies will be stopped. Affected facilities include those near Japan Self-Defense Force bases as well as U.S. military bases.
The MOD has mentioned the tight fiscal situation as a reason for halting subsidies to facilities in level 3 and 4 areas, explaining that the government’s overall subsidy outline was altered to eliminate subsidies to level 3 and 4 areas where the impact would be relatively lighter than in level 1 and 2 areas.
The MOD has not revealed the names of the schools subject to the policy change, but according to Ryukyu Shimpo investigations, facilities in level 3 and 4 areas that will lose their subsidies include 15 in Onna Village, 6 in Ie Village, 5 in Nishihara Town, and 19 in Naha City.
Meanwhile, the MOD says that if repairs are made on air-conditioning systems in schools and other facilities in level 3 and 4 areas from 2016 onward, the government will subsidize 85 percent to 95 percent of the costs in level 3 areas and 75 percent to 85 percent of costs in level 4 areas.
News of the policy change is making waves in Okinawa, and the Okinawa Office of Education has announced its intention to request the revocation of the partial abolition of air-condition maintenance subsidies. As of May 9, the liaison council of prefectural governors from the fourteen prefectures hosting U.S. bases says it does not have detailed information on the policy change and has not yet decided on a response. However, it plans to demand in its annual petition to the national government that all costs for air-conditioning maintenance be covered by national treasury funds.
An Okinawan team promoting the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival scheduled for October, headed by Governor Takeshi Onaga, is traveling to two countries and four cities in North America to encourage attendance for the festival. At 2 p.m. on May 9 (9 a.m. on May 10 Japan time), the team requested that David Ige, who is the Governor of Hawaii and a 3rd generation Okinawan-American, attend the festival. Governor Ige replied that he expects he will somehow be able to attend, and hopes to confirm his attendance later.
Governor Ige requested high attendance from Okinawans at the 2016 VEX Pan Pacific Robotics Competition that will open in Hawaii on October 7, saying that it will be an opportunity for cultural exchange between students in Okinawa and Hawaii. Okinawa’s Governor Onaga replied that he wants as many Okinawans as possible to be able to attend the contest.
At the 30th anniversary ceremony of the sister state affiliation between Okinawa and Hawaii in October last year, Governor Onaga wore a Hawaiian shirt that Governor Ige had given him as a gift. He wore the same shirt once again at their May 9 meeting.
On April 29 at Go-ma House in Nakasonecho, Okinawa City, an “Attractive Town Seminar” was held at the Multicultural Living Cafe@LGBT to get people to think about the diversity of gender and sexuality. Ramu-chan, Ma-chan, and Ran-chan, who work as radio personalities on FM Koza stated that gender and sexuality are diverse and urged society to recognize transgender as normal. They said they look forward to seeing a change in people’s minds.
Ma-chan shared stories from his elementary and secondary school years, relating that he was not understood by his peers and was bullied. He said he even once decided he wanted to die.
With support and encouragement from friends, Ma-chan unveiled his sexuality. “I like just being myself and just keep going my way.” Ma-chan shared an experience that triggered a change in his way of living.
Now Ma-chan receives requests from educational institutions to give lectures about being a sexual minority. Occasionally, Ma-chan gives advice to children. Ma-chan said, “I am happy that there is now an environment where kids with similar struggles can be counseled.”
Ramu-chan and Ran-chan said they were hurt by harsh comments – people said they were incomplete. The two continued to say that even if society does not want to admit there is sexual diversity, at the very least they hope people will communicate openly and relate to them normally as a person. They have expressed their hope that society is at least interested in the issue.
They have now formed a trio group named “Onei Colors,” in order to create an educational space where diversity of gender and sexuality is recognized as normal. The trio stated that there are children who are struggling and they hope the education system recognizes their needs.”
Korean Air Lines, the largest airline in South Korea, began regular flights between Naha and Seoul on May 5. This is the first time the airline has operated regular flights to Okinawa on the Seoul-Naha route. On the first flight from Seoul’s Incheon International Airport 236 people were on board with seat occupancy at 95 percent. This is the 118th regular flight service for the company.
The airline has been operating 20 charter flights between Naha and Inchon in January and February, and one charter flight between Ishigaki and Inchon in February. But until now, it has not operated regular flights throughout the year. The company aims for seat occupancy of 90 percent on an average.
A ceremony to celebrate the first regular flight between Naha and Seoul was held at Naha International Airport terminal building on the same day as the flight. JungSoo Kim of the Korean Air Lines said, “We would like to increase not only the number of tourists going from South Korea to Okinawa but also tourists going from Okinawa to South Korea.”
Fourteen international students who are currently studying in Okinawa under a project for international students of Okinawan descent, visited Vice Governor Mitsuo Ageda at the Okinawa Prefecture Office. They stated their goals for this year. Four students from the United States, three from Bolivia, two from Peru, one from Argentina, one from China and one from Taiwan visited the office. As well as studying Japanese and Sanshin at Okinawan colleges, they will do internships at Okinawan companies. Narumi Higa of Bolivia who studies at Okinawa International University, said, “I would like to study and make friends, expanding my Uchinanchu network.”
Webcam(Kokusai Street)
