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Robert Kajiwara is an American activist residing in Hawaii, USA. [1] He supports the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, the Chinese government's policies toward the Uyghurs and Tibetans, and the Ryukyu independence movement. [2] [3] [4] He has spoken out publicly against Hong Kong independence and Taiwanese independence. [5]
He is sometimes referred to as Robert Kajiwara [6] or Rob Kajiwara. [7] His Okinawan name is Higa Takamasa (比嘉孝昌), and his Chinese name is Wei Xiao Chang (魏孝昌). [3] He is a fourth-generation Japanese American of Okinawa. [8] He self-identifies as a distinctive Chinese person. He hails from Waipahu, Hawaii. [1] His maternal side is from Nakagusuku Village , Okinawa Prefecture. [9] His grandparents are of Ainu descent, [10] and his paternal great-grandmother was enslaved in Africa, later gaining freedom in Latin America. Her descendants moved to California and subsequently to Hawaii. [11] He is the director of the Peace for Okinawa Coalition . There was a time when he publicly shared the full name Robert Adam Takamasa Wei Xiao Chang Fija (Higa) Hernandez Kajiwara on his website. His Hawaiian name is Lopaka Kapiwala, and his Japanese name is Kajiwara Takamasa (梶原孝昌). [12] He has numerous names and roots, and his real name remains unclear.
As a social media influencer, Kajiwara regularly posts mainly in Chinese on Twitter and Weibo. [2]
In December 2018, he held a discussion with Houshin Nakamura , a supporter of the Ryukyu independence movement, and released a video titled "Why Okinawa Should Become Independent." [13] By January 2019, he started a petition that gathered over 200,000 signatures. [14]
At the eve-of-election rally in Okinawa in February 2019, he expressed support for Ryukyu independence, saying, "I believe that Ryukyu independence is a strong option, especially as a countermeasure against water pollution caused by the Henoko base construction." [15] Yuuzo Takayama and Shinako Oyakawa also attended and joined the discussions. [15]
On February 20, 2019, he was reportedly taken into a separate room by immigration authorities and asked numerous questions, after which Kantoku Teruya, a member of the House of Representatives, intervened on his behalf. [16] On February 25, he held a discussion with Jinshiro Motoyama and Hajime takano . [17]
On February 20, 2019, in an op-ed in Honolulu Civil Beat , he expressed his support for Ryukyu independence. [18]
In March 2019, he met with Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki. [19] Additionally, it was revealed that the Okinawa police had been gathering information on him, which the Okinawa Times criticized as "treating him like a suspect." [20]
He is also an author and, in writing his book OCCUPIED OKINAWA, he expressed gratitude for the extensive knowledge provided by the ACSILs . [21]
In June 2019, Kajiwara, representing an NGO, gave a speech during the general debate at the United Nations Human Rights Council, stating, "Okinawa suffers from an excessive burden of military bases. Please confirm the fact that the people of Okinawa suffer from discrimination and prejudice." The Japanese government countered, saying, "The residents of Okinawa enjoy full rights as citizens, and the government has done everything it can to reduce the burden of the bases. The placement of bases in Okinawa is not a form of discrimination but is due to geographical reasons." [22]
Additionally, at the same council meeting, Kajiwara stated, "Japan used the Battle of Okinawa to cover up the mass genocide of Ryukyuan people." In response, Governor Tamaki said, "I am not in a position to comment.". [23] Masako Ganaha criticized Tamaki for not rejecting Kajiwara's remarks and for the silence of Okinawa's two major newspapers on the matter. [24]
Satoru Nakamura stated that the Ryukyu independence movement advocated by Kajiwara has been influenced by China since 2012. [25]
According to Nakamura, after the 2010 incident involving a Chinese fishing boat colliding with Japanese vessels near the Senkaku Islands, propaganda claiming "the Japanese military committed mass genocide against Ryukyuans" began circulating in China. On November 8, 2012, Tang Chunfeng, a Japanese affairs expert from the Ministry of Commerce, published an article in Chinese Communist Party-owned tabloid Global Times asserting that "China should support the Ryukyu independence movement." [26] [27] Nakamura noted that Kajiwara's June 2019 speech at the UN was strikingly similar to this narrative. [26] [27] Nakamura also criticized Kajiwara for his tweet claiming, "Okinawans are not Japanese. Some worry that China might invade Okinawa if it becomes independent again. The truth is China has never harmed Ryukyu and has always treated Ryukyu with respect and dignity. China will never invade Okinawa," calling it an act of appeasement toward China. [26] [27]
On January 16, 2021, Kajiwara appeared in an interview with Code Pink titled "China Is Not Our Enemy with Rob Kajiwara", [28] where he stated, "The establishment of the Ryukyu Peace Alliance aims for Ryukyu’s independence and demilitarization." He also remarked, "After the Meiji Restoration, Japan began industrialization and militarization in a Western sense, and like the Western powers, it sought colonies, annexing Ryukyu." Kajiwara further argued that the 1972 transfer of Ryukyu from the U.S. to Japan was illegal under international law, claiming, "China and Ryukyu have historically had a friendly relationship, and the Ryukyuan people do not see China as a threat. China supports Ryukyu’s right to self-determination, but American and Japanese militarism opposes it.". [28] Early in 2023, Code Pink was featured in The New York Times for its close ties with Neville Roy Singham who has funded pro-Chinese government content. [2] During a Code Pink webinar, Kajiwara asserted, "The People’s Republic of China, including the Communist Party of China, has always acknowledged the Ryukyuan people's rise toward self-determination." [2]
On April 17, 2021, Kajiwara spoke in an interview with the No Cold War organization, stating that he participates in both the Ryukyu Independence Action Network and the Hawaiian independence movement. [29] [30] He emphasized that "there is a long history of peace and friendship between China and Ryukyu, and the overwhelming majority of Ryukyuans do not see China as a threat." [29] [30]
On November 8, 2021, the 42nd United Nations Human Rights Council, with China as the lead sponsor, adopted a resolution titled "The Negative Impact of the Legacy of Colonialism on Human Rights" (A/HRC/RES/48/7) with 27 votes in favor, 0 against, and 20 abstentions, including from France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and the UK. [31] [32] Kajiwara later thanked China in simplified Chinese via social media, stating, "Recently, at the United Nations Human Rights Council, China and others sponsored the resolution titled ‘The Negative Impact of the Legacy of Colonialism on Human Rights.’ This is an important document to help countries like Ryukyu, Hawaii, and Guam, which have been oppressed by the U.S. and its allies, to achieve independence." [33]
In Chinese media, such as NetEase, Kajiwara was introduced by the Chinese name "Wei Xiaochang" as a Ryukyu independence activist. [34] [35]
On March 21, 2022, according to NetEase, Kajiwara, along with Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, Ronald Barnes, and Leon Kaulahao Siu, held a discussion on the self-determination of peoples in Hawaii, Alaska, and Ryukyu. [36]
On January 16, 2023, Kajiwara gave an interview to state media outlet China Daily , where he stated, "The U.S. seeks to promote imperialism and hegemony by making China its enemy. This is why they insist on placing military bases in the Asia-Pacific, including in Okinawa." [37]
In April 2023, he posted a video on the Chinese platform Bilibili calling on "Chinese netizens to support Ryukyu in escaping Japan’s illegal control". [2] He has also labeled Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists as supporters of American imperialism. [5]
Kajiwara has praised China's ethnic minority policies in Xinjiang and Tibet, describing China's annexation of Tibet not as an occupation but as a "liberation", and stating that "Uyghurs and other Chinese ethnic minorities are taught their native languages in schools". [2]
Taiwanese media outlet The Reporter reported on the potential cognitive warfare in Okinawa involving Kajiwara and the Chinese Communist Party. [38] Kajiwara, as a well-known online figure of the Ryukyu independence movement, is described as the most famous and enigmatic presence on social media. It is suggested that he appears to be based in China rather than Okinawa, with most of his posts being written in simplified Chinese and his most active presence on China's Weibo. He is also frequently interviewed by Chinese state media, such as China Global Television Network. [38]
In response to an interview by The Reporter, Robert commented as follows: [38]
China is a great country, and many wise people there understand the Ryukyuan people, write great reviews, and ask insightful questions. That's why I like to communicate in Chinese. Most of the old Ryukyuan documents are written in Chinese as well.
He also explained why he now promotes Ryukyu's issues in simplified Chinese, whereas he previously used English and Japanese, saying [38]
Many Americans and Japanese hold prejudices against Ryukyuans and Chinese. So, it's like talking to a wall. I don't like writing in English or Japanese.
Kajiwara views the civilian casualties of the Battle of Okinawa in World War II as a massacre of Ryukyuans by the Japanese government. [38] When The Reporter's reporter invited him to meet in Okinawa, Kajiwara declined, citing a "business trip for a few months." A few weeks later, he uploaded rare photos of his visit to China. However, when the reporter tried to discuss his experiences with the Chinese government and media, as well as the "Chinese cognitive warfare" issue hotly debated between Japan and Okinawa, Kajiwara did not respond. [38]
On November 14, 2023, members of the Ryukyu Indigenous Mabui Group , along with Gamafuyaa, a volunteer group for recovering Okinawa war remains, and Takamatsu Gushiken, engaged in activities calling for the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples as defined by the United Nations. [39] Additionally, on November 9, 2023, in interviews with the Ryūkyū Shimpō and the Okinawa Times , Kajiwara expressed his ambition to create a film addressing the harm caused by military bases. [40] [41]
Onna is a village located in Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
The Ryukyuan languages, also Lewchewan or Luchuan, are the indigenous languages of the Ryukyu Islands, the southernmost part of the Japanese archipelago. Along with the Japanese language and the Hachijō language, they make up the Japonic language family.
The Ryukyu independence movement or the Republic of the Ryukyus is a political movement advocating for the independence of the Ryukyu Islands from Japan.
Hokuzan, also known as Sanhoku (山北) before the 18th century, located in the north of Okinawa Island, was one of three independent political entities which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century during Sanzan period. The political entity was identified as a tiny country, a kingdom, or a principality by modern historians, however the ruler of Hokuzan was in fact not "kings" at all, but petty lords with their own retainers owing their direct service, and their own estates.
The invasion of Ryukyu by forces of the Japanese feudal domain of Satsuma took place from March to May of 1609, and marked the beginning of the Ryukyu Kingdom's status as a vassal state under the Satsuma domain. The invasion force was met with stiff resistance from the Ryukyuan military on all but one island during the campaign. Ryukyu would remain a vassal state under Satsuma, alongside its already long-established tributary relationship with China, until it was formally annexed by Japan in 1879 as the Okinawa Prefecture.
The Koza riot was a violent and spontaneous protest against the US military presence in Okinawa, which occurred on the night of December 20, 1970, into the morning of the following day. Roughly 5,000 Okinawans clashed with roughly 700 American MPs in an event which has been regarded as symbolic of Okinawan anger against 25 years of US military administration. In the riot, approximately 60 Americans and 27 Okinawans were injured, 80 cars were burned, and several buildings on Kadena Air Base were destroyed or heavily damaged.
Kiyuna Tsugumasa was a politician of Ryukyuan descent who was active in Taiwan and Okinawa. He spent all his life seeking an independent Ryukyu. He was also known by his Chinese style name, Tsai Chang.
OKICA, short for "Okinawa IC Card", is a contactless smart card used for public transport in Okinawa.
Mamoru Shō is an ethnic Ryukyuan, and the current head of the Shō family, the former Ryūkyūan royal family.
The Ryukyuan mon was the currency used in the Ryukyu Islands. The Ryukyuan monetary system was based on that of China, like those of many nations in the Sinosphere, with the mon serving as the basic unit, just as with the Japanese mon, Vietnamese văn, and Korean mun. Like Japan had also done for centuries, the Ryukyuans often made use of the already-existing Chinese cash coins when physical currency was needed.
The Second Shō dynasty was the last dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1469 to 1879, ruled by the Second Shō family under the title of King of Chūzan. This family took the family name from the earlier rulers of the kingdom, the first Shō family, even though the new royal family has no blood relation to the previous one. Until the abolition of Japanese peerage in 1947, the head of the family was given the rank of marquess while several cadet branches held the title of baron.
The First Shō dynasty was a dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom on Okinawa Island in the 15th century, ruled by the First Shō family under the title of King of Chūzan. According to the official history books compiled during the second Shō Dynasty, it lasted from 1406 to 1469. However, the official account is considered unreliable by modern historians because it contradicts contemporary sources.
A number of flags have been used to represent the Ryukyu Islands, the Ryukyuan people, and the former Ryukyu Kingdom.
A referendum was held in Okinawa Prefecture on 24 February 2019. The referendum asked whether voters approved or opposed the landfill work at Henoko Bay for the construction of a new United States Marine Corps base. This is the second prefecture-wide referendum in Okinawa, the first being the 1996 referendum on the reduction of US military presence. Governor Denny Tamaki announced the referendum in November 2018, fulfilling his manifesto promise from his successful campaign for governor.
Okinawa (沖縄) is a name with multiple referents. The endonym refers to Okinawa Island in southwestern Japan. Today it can cover some surrounding islands and, more importantly, can refer to Okinawa Prefecture, a much larger administrative division of Japan, although the people from the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands still feel a strong sense of otherness to Okinawa.
Ryukyuan tea ceremony is a tea ceremony popular in the Ryukyu Islands. Ryukyuan tea ceremony is influenced by both Chinese tea ceremony and Japanese tea ceremony. Based on the unique taste of tea drinking, the unique tea culture of the Ryukyu Islands has been formed. Although there are imports from Japan and China, Ryukyu also produces tea and tea sets locally, providing conditions for the consumption of tea by the Ryukyu people. This tea-drinking preference of drinking both Japanese and Chinese teas is believed to be the foundation of Ryukyu's unique tea culture.
"Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow Taiwan, Day After Tomorrow Okinawa"(Japanese: 今日の香港、明日の台湾、明後日の沖縄, Chinese: 今日香港，明日臺灣，後天沖繩) is a phrase referencing the expansion of China. It reflects concerns regarding the united front strategy employed by the Chinese Communist Party toward Hong Kong and Taiwan, which are believed to also affect Okinawa and key leaders of its independence movement. Taiwanese media interpret this sentiment as "After Hong Kong, China will invade Taiwan, and then it will target Okinawa in Japan."
Tang Chunfeng, (Japanese: 唐淳風) is a Chinese diplomat and researcher affiliated with the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China. He also served at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Japan from 1999 to 2002. He is recognized for his active support of the Ryukyu independence movement, advocating for the autonomy of the Ryukyu Islands, particularly Okinawa, from Japan, and has contributed to various public discussions on the historical and political relationship between the Ryukyu Islands and China.
Satoru Nakamura is a Japanese journalist and the president of the Okinawa Policy Research Forum. He also serves as a director of the Free Press Association, an organization dedicated to protecting the public's right to know.
The Preparatory Committee for the Ryukyu Special Autonomous Region of China is a political organization based in Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It claims that the Ryukyu people are one of the ethnic groups of the Chinese nation, supports Ryukyu independence, and asserts that the Okinawa Islands are Chinese territory.