In protest against the recent rape incident by a member of the U.S. military, Okinawans organized a large-scale rally in front of the gate to Camp Schwab in Henoko, Nago. According to organizer estimates, 2,500 people joined the rally, far exceeding the target of 1,000 participants. This shows the high level of outrage invoked by the incident. The U.S. and Japanese governments must recognize the severity of the situation.
From the time Okinawa’s administrative rights were returned to Japan in 1972 until the end of 2015, criminal offenses perpetrated by people affiliated with the U.S. military in Okinawa totaled 5,896 incidents and involved 5,815 perpetrators. Cases of rape, including the most recent one, reached 130 incidents, involving 148 perpetrators. These numbers can be seen as a scar representing the violation of Okinawans’ human rights due to the excessive concentration of U.S. military bases located here.
The sidewalk in front of Camp Schwab, where the rally was held, was densely packed with protesters coming from all over Okinawa. The presence of female protesters was particularly notable. Young mothers carrying babies and small children listened closely to each speaker’s words with serious expressions on their faces. Groups of mothers with children raised banners reading, “We won’t let anyone’s children be killed” in the direction of the base. Each and every participant at the rally viewed the incident as something deeply significant to his or her own life.
An act of sexual violence is an immoral act that tramples on the victim’s rights, silencing and insulting the victim with brute force. The recent crime is not the only example of this—in Okinawa, brute force is being used in other ways to trample on people’s rights and silence them. The plan to relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko, Nago is one such example.
Despite strong opposition to the plan by the mayor of Nago, the governor of Okinawa, and all four of Okinawa’s elected representatives in the lower house of the Diet, as well as 70 percent to 80 percent opposition by the Okinawan people as shown in public opinion polls, the Japanese government has continually trampled on the will of the Okinawan people by forcefully pushing forward with the plan.
In 2011, the director of the Okinawa Defense Bureau explained the reason for not publicly releasing the date on which it would submit the environmental impact assessment for the Henoko relocation as follows: “When you’re going to rape someone, you don’t tell them beforehand, ‘I’m about to rape you,’ do you?” His comments provide a glimpse of the trend of thought within the Japanese government. The new base construction is itself a form of assault against the Okinawan people.
At the rally, participants adopted a resolution demanding the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Okinawa. Their demand was not just for the new base construction plan to be cancelled, but for all U.S. bases to be closed. As the rally drew to a close, the participants joined in chorus to sing the protest song, “Okinawa wo kaese (Return Okinawa).” The song entreats, “Give us back a peaceful Okinawa with no military bases.” We can no longer tolerate the violations of human rights that accompany the presence of military bases.
On March 21, a prefectural citizens’ rally (organized by peace groups and citizens’ groups) opposing base relocation within Okinawa held an emergency protest in front of the gate to Camp Schwab. This emergency protest was a reaction to the March 13 rape incident in Naha, committed by a naval soldier stationed on Camp Schwab. According to the organizers of the protest, their goal participation had been 1,000 people, but in reality 2,500 people gathered. A participant stated that these kinds of incidents by American military members have occurred over and over again, and that Okinawan citizens’ anger is reaching its peak.
A written resolution from the emergency protest states that in order to ensure protection of the victim’s human rights and to show remorse, the Liberty Policy regulating alcohol consumption by naval forces and late-night activity off base should be strengthened, and there should be a ban on allowing U.S. military personnel at lodging throughout Okinawa. The protesters also requested revision of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty and withdrawal of U.S. forces from Okinawa. The prefectural citizens’ rally that held the emergency protest is composed of the Okinawa Peace Movement Center and the Helicopter Base Objection Association, among others.
At the emergency protest Mayor of Nago Susumu Inamine and Suzuyo Takazato each took the podium representing the women’s group Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence. Each requested that the plan for construction of a new base at Henoko as a replacement facility for Futenma be abandoned.
The rape incident took place on March 13 in a hotel in Naha. Naha City Office added suspicion that the victim was incapacitated to the sexual assault charge against the naval soldier stationed on Camp Schwab. He has been arrested on suspicion of committing rape against a victim incapable of consent. On March 22, the Prefectural Assembly made a resolution of protest, which along with the resolution from the emergency protest, predicts that the naval soldier will be unanimously found guilty of both sexual assault and incapacitated rape.
On March 17, residents and opponents protesting against the construction of six military helipads in Takae as a condition of the partial return of the U.S military’s Northern Training Area held a meeting at their sit-in protest site in front of the N1 gate in Aha, Kunigami Village. The protesters expect to block the construction for two years and to request a total return of the Northern Training Area. An organizer announced that approximately 390 people attended the meeting.
Three groups, the Association of Residents Against the Helipads, the Liaison of Protest Action Against the Takae Helipads Construction, and the Okinawa Prefecture United Action Association, organized the meeting. In rainy weather, participants in raincoats and with umbrellas listened to speeches by the host.
Forty-five-year-old Akira Shimizu of the Association of Residents Against the Helipads mentioned that the Northern Training Area was excluded from the area to be designated as a world natural heritage site of the Yambaru forest area. Shimizu called for the total return of the area and said, “We want to preserve world natural heritage, not helipads.”
Masahiko Nakandakari, co-leader of the Liaison of Protest Action, met with applause from those gathered when he mentioned the alignment of the protest action with Henoko’s. “The All-Okinawa Council, or Shimagurumi-kaigi, launched branches in various areas of Okinawa, and supporters now come to Takae regularly,” he said.
Kiichiro Yogi from the Okinawa United Action Association, who continues to join in a sit-in protest against the helipads, added, “Our struggle proudly continues to be a part of a post-war history of Okinawa.”
Based on the environmental impact assessment carried out by the Okinawa Defense Bureau, Koichi Makishi of Okinawa Peace Citizen’s Liaison talked about burrows of the Okinawa woodpecker found in the N1 area where the construction has been planned. Makishi pointed out, “We need to pick up such news to protect the forest of Takae.”
In the regular meeting on March 17, Naha City Assembly unanimously resolved to protest against a recent alleged rape incident, for which a sailor belonging to U.S. Camp Schwab has been arrested. The assembly unanimously passed a written opinion with regard to the incident now under investigation.
The resolution and written opinion condemn the alleged incident for trampling the human rights of the female victim underfoot and jeopardizing peaceful tourism. The resolution seeks complete compensation for the victim if the legal process finds the suspect guilty of rape, effective recurrence prevention measures, fundamental revision of the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement, and a consolidation and scale down of U.S. bases in Okinawa and a reduction of its personnel.
The written opinion will be sent to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and speakers from both houses. The resolution will be sent to the commander of U.S. Forces Japan. A representative of the Naha Assembly plans to directly hand the resolution letter over to the U.S. Consulate General Naha and related organizations.
After a U.S. soldier was accused of raping a woman in Naha on March 13, voices of protest arose from many corners, including Okinawan women’s groups and the mayors of cities and towns hosting U.S. bases. Widespread protests were held on March 15. After protesting on March 15, Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence, a women’s rights group jointly represented by Suzuyo Takazato and Keiko Itokazu, held a press conference at the Okinawa Prefectural Office. There they released a written statement demanding an apology to the victim and the total prohibition of U.S. soldier activity off-base, among other measures. On the same day, a group comprised of representatives from cities and towns in Okinawa that host U.S. bases also expressed their protests to the U.S. military stationed in Okinawa. The Naha City Council has drawn up a statement demanding full compensation to the victim and the implementation of measures to prevent such incidents in the future, as well as a protest resolution, both of which it plans to pass at its scheduled regular meeting on March 17.
The statement released by Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence is titled, “Appeal for sufficient measures to compensate the victim and for the withdrawal of U.S. forces.” It refers to the repeated incidents of sexual violence perpetrated by U.S. military personnel in Naha, and points out that the crimes must be viewed not as individual criminal acts, but as a form of structural violence perpetrated by the U.S. military troops stationed in Okinawa.
The statement further reminds us of attempted rapes by U.S. military personnel in 2010 and 2012, and demands the following: (1) Measures to protect the privacy of the victim and guarantee her proper physical and psychological care; (2) An apology to the victim and strict and impartial punishment for the perpetrator; (3) Prohibition of all off-base activity by U.S. military personnel; (4) Drastic revision to the Status of Forces Agreement; and (5) Complete withdrawal of all U.S. bases and troops stationed in Okinawa.
The accused soldier was stationed at U.S. Camp Schwab, and the group’s statement also raised the ongoing protests in front of the Camp Schwab gate against the construction of a new U.S. military facility off of Camp Schwab. “[This incident] shows that the U.S. military lacks appreciation for human rights and is utterly incognizant of the ongoing protests,” the statement declares. The statement will be sent to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, U.S. President Barack Obama, and related organizations in Japan and the United States.
At the press conference, Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence co-representative Suzuyo Takazato pointed out that recently, it has become increasingly common for U.S. military personnel to elude the curfew set under the Liberty Regulations, designed to prevent accidents and crimes off-base, and spend the night in Naha, Okinawa’s capital. “The U.S. and Japanese governments must come up with concrete measures to prevent U.S. military personnel from [evading regulations] and returning to the base in the morning,” Takazato said.
“The U.S. and Japanese governments state that they are endeavoring to enforce strict discipline and prevent reoccurrence, but the crimes do not cease. As long as U.S. troops are stationed in Okinawa, these incidents will continue,” said Keiko Itokazu, the group’s other co-representative.
[Kitanakagusuku] The Okinawa Council to Promote Conversion of Military Land to Civilian Use and Consider Military Base Issues is made up of representatives from the Okinawa prefectural government and municipal government bodies in cities and towns that host U.S. military bases. On March 15, the group protested the recent rape incident to the U.S. Consulate in Okinawa and to the Okinawa Area Field Office of United States Forces Japan. Among its demands were a reduction of the disproportionate burden of U.S. military bases in Okinawa and the cessation of operation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma by February 2019.
Okinawa City Mayor Sachio Kuwae (front row, center) and Naha Mayor Mikiko Shiroma (front row, left) speak to the press after engaging in protest action on March 15 in front of Camp Foster in Kitanakagusuku
Vice chair of the group, Okinawa City Mayor Sachio Kuwae, told the press, “We must prevent this sort of incident from occurring Okinawa, which hosts many U.S. bases. [Okinawa’s residents] cannot hide their feelings of unease.” Regarding the continual reoccurrence of accidents and crimes related to the U.S. military, he said, “These incidents cannot be tolerated. If the same thing happens again, it will cause an eruption in popular sentiment.” Mayor Kuwae encouraged all parties to pay attention to the pent-up anger held by people in Okinawa.
The group had already been planning to petition for a reduction of the burden of U.S. military bases borne by Okinawa on March 15, but after the incident on March 13, it included a protest against the incident as part of its appeal. The document it drew up to protest the incident states, “Prior efforts to enforce discipline have been insufficient, and the lessons of the past have not been properly acted upon. We hereby express our indignation and strongly protest [the incident].” Participants in the protest action included Mikiko Shiroma, mayor of Naha, where the incident occurred, and heads of other local government bodies that comprise the group. Mayor Shiroma is said to have expressed that the incident sent shockwaves through Naha, which is a popular tourist destination.
According to Okinawa City Mayor Sachio Kuwae, the group was received by U.S. Consul General Joel Ehrendreich, who expressed his deep dismay at the incident. Okinawa Area Field Office chief and U.S. Army Colonel Brady Crosier is said to have told the group that his office would cooperate fully with the investigation and ensure the thorough implementation of education programs for U.S. military personnel going forward.
In light of the recent incident of sexual assault on a Japanese tourist in Okinawa allegedly by a U.S. solider, on the afternoon of March 16, Commanding General of III Marine Expeditionary Force Lawrence Nicholson and U.S. Consul General in Naha Joel Ehrendreich had an interview with Governor Takeshi Onaga. The governor said, reading a letter of protest, that, “The incident is a malicious one which reminds Okinawan people of past unfortunate instances. We therefore cannot contain our intense anger, and will make a strong protest.” As such, he requested that preventative measures and troop training against such behavior be thoroughly instated.
General Nicholson offered an apology with the words, “Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to visit you today and express my deep regret and remorse at the incident,” and went on to say “the allegations against this individual bring great shame and dishonor on all of us.” He also assured the governor that, “whatever anger you or the citizens of Okinawa have, it is not a match to my anger at this situation.”
During the interview Nicholson explained, “Today I represent 27,000 uniformed military on Okinawa, 17,000 family members, and 4,000 civilian workers; 50,000 Americans.” In relation to Americans stationed in Okinawa he emphasized that, “We are your neighbors; we are your friends; we live in your communities,” bringing this point home with the assertion that, “Everyday there are hundreds of thousands of interactions and engagements between Americans and the citizens of Okinawa.” He noted that Americans and Okinawans “work together in all of the community.”
Onaga stated, “Over the past 70 years since the end of the war … many incidents and accidents have been occurring in Okinawa.” He went on to explain that, “every time said kinds of incidents or accidents have taken place in Okinawa, I have repeatedly, 10s or even 100s of times, written requests and objections to the American government and military, and to the Japanese government. However, the situation remains unchanged.” He requested a drastic reduction of the base burden with the words, “The root of the situation is this: over the past 70 years after the end of the war, Okinawa, which accounts for only 0.6 percent of the total land mass of Japan, continues to host about 73.8 percent of facilities used exclusively by U.S. forces.”
On March 11, Cecilia Gerkens, a sixty-two-year-old woman from Singapore living in Holland, reunited with her relatives in Okinawa for the first time in three decades. She visited Okinawa to pay respects at her ancestors’ grave, because she wanted to fulfill the last wishes of her father, Yoshio Nakachi. He was born in Miyako Island and emigrated to Singapore before World War Two. Cecilia said her father’s last words were, “Respect your Okinawan lineage.”
Yumeno Miyagi, 82, a younger sister of Yoshio, read an article about Cecilia wanting to see her father’s relatives, which was published on March 10 in Ryukyu Shimpo, and she visited Cecilia at the hotel where she was staying in Naha. They shared an embrace, saying it was great to finally meet each other.
“My father led me here,” Cecilia said, wiping away her tears. Miyagi said, “I wish I could see my brother.” She gave condolence money to Cecilia to place offerings beside Yoshio’s mortuary tablet.
Kotoku Nakachi, 83, a cousin of Cecilia, could not visit to see her because he is in hospital. But his son Hidenori, 47, and five relatives visited the hotel.
Cecilia said she could not forget her father’s words. “I repent that I spat on the tomb when I visited Okinawa, because I could not forgive my father,” he told her. “He put me out to service for money when I was a young boy.”
At eight years old, Yoshio started to work in Itoman, known as a fishermen’s town. But he fled to Singapore, hiding on a foreign ship, in 1938. He had been living there, pretending to be Chinese, when he was captured as a prisoner by the Japanese Army.
His life was full of ups and downs, and he served as an interpreter between local people and the Japanese Army during World War Two.
However, he could not temper his anger against his father who had abandoned him. But Cecilia persuaded her father that the grandfather had made his hard decision in an extremely poor life at that time.
Just before he passed away, Yoshio left her these last words: “I want you to respect our relatives and Okinawan lineage.”
Cecilia said, “I want to apologize that my father spat out a curse to my grandfather.”
Cecilia visited the ancestors’ grave with relatives on March 12.
She said, “My roots are in Okinawa. I want to pass on my thoughts to my two sons who live in Holland.”
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) held an award ceremony for the year 2015 at the ministry office on March 9 to acknowledge businesses that promote experience-based youth programs. The ministry awarded “Shimpo Science Club”, hosted by Ryukyu Shimpo (co-sponsored by Okinawa Churaumi Foundation), with a special award from the selection committee for the Minor Business Category.
Vice-Director Masanobu Kohagura from the sales division’s advertising department, who has been engaged in the project since its beginning, received the award. Kohagura commented, “I would like to share my gratitude for students and the Churaumi Foundation who attended and supported the project.”
The Ryukyu Shimpo’s project started in 2011. It provides research grants for elementary and junior high school students who study and present findings on Okinawan nature, animals and plants. As many as 436 students have participated in the project in five years. Its participants have received awards from the prefectural governor at the Exhibition of the Science-Work by Students in Okinawa and from the Natural Science Study Competition held by Mainichi Shimbun. MEXT acknowledged its educational work and outcomes.
The highest rank of Ministry Award for the Large Business Category was granted to Panasonic’s visualization program called “Kid Witness News (KWN).” The Ministry Award for the Minor Business Category was given to Kanazawa Daichi’s “Co-op Farm Soy and Miso Course.”
Vice-Director Kohagura attended a symposium after the ceremony and joined discussions on the role of business in enriching young people’s experiences.
On March 9, the Association for the Advancement of the Japanese Culinary Art hosted its 29th Japanese Culinary Competition in Tokyo. In the Regional Cuisine Division, 39-year-old Tsukasa Chinen received the top honor with the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award. Among other restaurants, Chinen manages Yuuzuki, an izakaya serving traditional multi-course meals in Urasoe, Okinawa. Minister Awards from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Transport, Tourism and International Affairs, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology are all respectively top awards in the Regional Cuisine Division. Chinen has made an unprecedented achievement by collecting all five crowns, with his most recent award.
The competition is split into three divisions. A total of 132 people participated this year, with 40 participants in the Regional Cuisine Division, 64 in the Modern Japanese Cuisine Division, and 28 in the Traditional Japanese Cuisine Division. This year was Chinen’s eighth year participating in the competition.
Upon graduating middle school in Okinawa, Chinen moved to Osaka to learn how to prepare Kaiseki, a traditional multi-course Japanese meal. Chinen was running his own restaurant in Okinawa by the age of 26. Chinen reflects, “Back then, not many Japanese people were interested in traditional Okinawan cuisine. I wanted to show what makes our local foods, ingredients, and traditional cuisine so special. That’s why I tried adding in Okinawan essences in Kaiseki, creating a traditional Japanese-Okinawan Kaiseki fusion.”
For this competition, Chinen used goya (bitter gourds) in all of his dishes. “I took a risk, but I really wanted to be particular about using a food which would represent Okinawa.” In regards to his most recent award, Chinen said, “This beats every award I’ve received so far.”
On March 4, the captain of the Daisan Ryutoku Maru, Norio Iju, caught the biggest Pacific bluefin tuna fish to be landed on Kume Island this fishing season. The fish weighed 214 kilograms and was 2.5 meters long. The captain’s family and residents welcomed his boat at Gima fishing port, and celebrated the big catch.
The captain said, “This is a very good start for me this season.” This year’s pacific bluefin fishing season will continue until the end of June.
Year by year, citizens opposing relocation of Futenma and the new base construction at Henoko have been increasing their contributions to Nago City and Okinawa Prefecture through the Furusato Tax Program (a program by which residents can divert part of their residence and income tax to a local government of their choice). There have been more and more accompanying messages of support such as, “we want to promote peaceful urban planning devoid of military bases.”
Contributions to Nago City through furusato taxes in fiscal year 2015 (calculated as of March 7, 2016) amount to about 257,780,000 yen altogether from 1188 taxpayers. This is about 12 times the total of fiscal year 2014 and double the number of contributors. Furusato tax contributions to the prefecture for fiscal year 2015 (calculated as of January 31, 2016) amount to about 44,090,000 from 820 taxpayers. This also marks an increase from fiscal year 2014, when furusato tax contributions amounted to 13,000,000 yen from only about 240 taxpayers.
Number of individual contributors through the Furusato Tax Program
Nago City also received 200,000,000 yen from anonymous contributors in Tokyo Prefecture in December last year. Also starting last year, the Furusato Tax Program can be applied for online. Contributions increases are likely in part due to this change.
Many are adding messages of support such as, “I support Mayor Susumu Inamine, who opposed relocation of an American military base [Futenma] to Henoko,” and “Please save the beautiful ocean at Henoko for the sake of children in coming generations.” A representative of Nago City Finance Division said, “We, headed by the mayor, want to live up to this support.”
At meeting of the Prefectural Assembly’s General Affairs and Administrative Planning Committee, head of the Prefectural Taxation Division Kaoru Sashida stated that, “Following Governor Takeshi Onaga’s inauguration in December 2014, [furursato tax] contributions have been increasing.” She explained that, “Individual contribution amounts vary from 300 yen to 3,000,000 yen, averaging at 5,300 yen.” Shashida made this comment in response to a question by assemblyman Osamu Toguchi of the Communist Party. According to the Taxation Division, taxpayers are writing messages of encouragement and support when they make their contributions.
Webcam(Kokusai Street)
