Protests of US military presence in Okinawa

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A crowd of Okinawans protesting the Futenma base in Ginowan, Okinawa The protesting crowd in Ginowan on 2009-11-08.jpg
A crowd of Okinawans protesting the Futenma base in Ginowan, Okinawa

The main island of Okinawa accounts for 0.6% of Japan's land mass, [1] though about 75% of US Forces in Japan are stationed in the Okinawa prefecture, encompassing about 18% of the main island of Okinawa. [2] Following the ratification of the revised US-Japan Security Treaty in 1960, massive protests followed across Japan with an estimated 30 million Japanese citizens participating, known in Japan as the Anpo protest movement. [3] With such a strong focus of US Forces Japan in Okinawa, residents face economic problems of the highest unemployment in Japan as well as struggle for investment from outside businesses. [4] Immense public opposition in Okinawa is still met with difficulty to create change for Okinawan citizens, while 25,000 American troops remain in Okinawa. [5]

Contents

Background

Okinawa was originally the heartland of the independent Ryukyu Kingdom with its capital at Shuri. While being a tributary state to China, Ryukyu found itself under a state of dual subordination after losing a war to Satsuma Domain of Japan. Satsuma directed Ryukyu to increase trade with China in order to circumnavigate the Tokugawa Shogunate's policy of enforced isolationism. Following multiple visits to Ryukyu by Europeans and the Meiji Restoration, Japan increased control over Ryukyu until 1879 when, following a number of incidents of Ryukyuan resistance or refusals, the kingdom was forcefully annexed. Okinawa then became an official prefecture. [4] This was followed by a period of cultural assimilation in order to make the Ryukyuans Japanese.

During World War II, Okinawa was the battlefield for an intense clash between American forces and the Imperial Japanese Army during the Battle of Okinawa. More than a quarter of the civilian population died, and the battle resulted in the American occupation of the Ryukyu Islands. [4] While the Amami Islands were returned to Japanese control and military occupation ended in Japan in 1952, Okinawa remained under American control. Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972, though US forces retain bases on Okinawa to this day. [4]

There has been continued civil unrest from Okinawans for the removal of the condensed military presence on the island. Accidents and crimes against Okinawans by Americans for years are the main factors for the Okinawan opposition. The US has been continuously unwilling to remove troops from Okinawa because of its strategic location for surveillance and deployment for Pacific-Asian foreign affairs. [6]

Protests

In 1955, there was a rape and murder of a 6-year-old girl by an American soldier near the Kadena base which was then followed by another rape of a child by a soldier one week later. This led to the first Okinawan Citizens' Rally in protest of military occupation. [6] Following this in 1956, the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR) recommended keeping US forces in Okinawa with no plans to leave in exchange for rental payments, and pursuit of acquiring more land for military use in a price report. [7] In response to these actions, members of the Okinawan Parliament threatened to quit and 16 political organizations combined to form the All-Okinawa Coalition for Land Protection. Upwards of 200,000 Okinawans participated in protests across the island. [6]

Okinawans argued for land and private property rights, as farmers were limited by military presence. They also made antiwar arguments, arguing that they did not want their island used as an instrument to prepare for war and result in the death of more people. [6] The US argued that the military presence in Okinawa is helpful for economic stimulus to the citizens. During the Vietnam War Okinawans echoed even more antiwar sentiment, and protested nuclear weapons being stationed in Okinawa. [6]

In 1965, a six-ton trailer was parachute dropped outside of the Yomitan Air Base and resulted in the death of a young girl. This incident was followed by a protest of 10,000 Okinawans calling to stop all military activities on the island. [6]

In June 2016, estimates of 65,000 Okinawans protested the rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman by a former US marine. The Okinawan Governor at the time, Takeshi Onaga vouched for the removal of US forces as a result of the incident. [8]

Kadena Air Base

In June 1959, an F-100 fighter jet from the Kadena base crashed into an elementary school in Uruma, Okinawa. The crash killed 17 and injured 210 individuals. [9]

The residential area surrounding the Kadena Air Base have been subject to dangerously loud noise exposure from aircraft, during the Vietnam War, sound levels were dangerous enough to cause hearing loss for residents. Studies from noise recordings over the decades have allowed for the conclusion of risk of hearing loss among Okinawans in the area. [10]

Koza riot

In December 1970, tensions in Koza, now Okinawa City, erupted in a clash between over 3,000 Okinawan citizens and US military police. [11] Clashes began when an American driver hit an Okinawan resulting in minor injuries. When military police arrived to see a crowd, warning shots were fired, which then caused the crowds to grow. [11] The clashes led to a riot that lasted throughout the night, resulting in 82 vehicles being burned and 88 injuries. The spontaneous riot was thought to be a breaking point for Okinawans who were subject to poor treatment under US military control. [12]

1995 rape incident

In September 1995, three US servicemen from the Navy and Marines serving at Camp Hansen kidnapped, beat, and raped a 12-year-old Okinawan girl. [13] The incident resulted in large protests in Okinawa calling for the men to be charged by Japanese authorities rather than American, where they were then charged and sentenced by the Naha District Court. [14] Protests spread across the island, 80,000 Okinawans protested the rape at the Ginowan City Convention Center. [13] Making international news, the incident shifted the dialogue to that of the damage caused by imperialism and calls for protection for women. [13] This then lead to a debate of whether there should be a revision to US military contracts in Okinawa. [14] The rape incident was cause for the call for the relocation of the controversial Futenma air station in Ginowan. [1]

Futenma base relocation to Henoko Bay

Following the rape incident, the US was pushed to agree to close the Futenma air base and relocate it away from downtown Ginowan in response to large protests surrounding the issue. [15] Futenma remained open for years while its relocation was debated and contested by Okinawans. [15]

In December 2013, Okinawan governor Hirokazu Nakaima gave the go ahead for construction on the Henoko Bay base, this was responded with citizen disapproval and outrage. [16]

On August 11, 2018, about 70,000 individuals gathered in Naha, the Okinawa Prefecture's capital in opposition to the moving of the Futenma US Marine base to the Henoko Bay, a less populated fishing village compared to Ginowan. The citizens of Okinawa wanted the base moved entirely off the island rather than across. Environmental groups oppose the relocation to the bay due to the potential harm to coral and dugongs in the bay. [17]

In February, 2019, a referendum for the citizens of Okinawa, over 70% of voters - about 434,000 people - voted against the construction of the new Henoko base. Following the results of the referendum, Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe pushed for an understanding by Okinawan citizens for the relocation of the base. Some Okinawan voters have claimed to feel their voices do not feel heard in Tokyo as the central government still pushes for the move of the base to stay committed to the security alliance between the US and Japan. [18]

Recent times

In April 2012, Japan and the US reached an agreement that 9,000 marines stationed on Okinawa will soon leave. The marines will be moved to Guam, Hawaii, or Australia to other military bases. [19] Though the realignment has not happened yet and is speculated to take place in 2024. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Okinawa</span> Major 1945 battle of the Pacific War

The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army. The initial invasion of Okinawa on 1 April 1945 was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater of World War II. The Kerama Islands surrounding Okinawa were preemptively captured on 26 March by the 77th Infantry Division. The 82-day battle lasted from 1 April until 22 June 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were planning to use Kadena Air Base on the large island of Okinawa as a base for Operation Downfall, the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands, 340 mi (550 km) away.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okinawa Prefecture</span> Prefecture of Japan

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan and has a population of 1,457,162 and a geographic area of 2,281 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Forces Japan</span> American military command stationed in Japan

United States Forces Japan (USFJ) is a subordinate unified command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). It was activated at Fuchū Air Station in Tokyo, Japan, on 1 July 1957 to replace the Far East Command. USFJ is commanded by the Commander, US Forces Japan (COMUSJAPAN) who is dual-hatted as commander of the Fifth Air Force. U.S. Forces Japan is currently headquartered at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Ryukyu Islands</span> Chronology of the Ryukyu Islands

This article is about the history of the Ryukyu Islands southwest of the main islands of Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masahide Ōta</span> Japanese politician; governor of Okinawa

Masahide Ōta was a Japanese academic and politician who served as the governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 1990 until 1998. After starting his career as a professor at the University of the Ryūkyūs, he wrote books in English and Japanese, mostly about the Battle of Okinawa and Japan–United States bilateral relations following World War II. After his retirement as professor he was elected as governor and was best known for his strong stand against occupation of prefectural lands by military bases of United States, going against the Japanese central government at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okinawa Island</span> Island within the Ryukyu Islands

Okinawa Island, officially Okinawa Main Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu (Nansei) Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five main islands of Japan. The island is approximately 106 kilometres (66 mi) long, an average 11 kilometres (7 mi) wide, and has an area of 1,206.98 square kilometers (466.02 sq mi). It is roughly 640 kilometres south of the main island of Kyushu and the rest of Japan. It is 500 km north of Taiwan. The total population of Okinawa Island is 1,384,762. The Greater Naha area has roughly 800,000 residents, while the city itself has about 320,000 people. Naha is the seat of Okinawa Prefecture on the southwestern part of Okinawa Island. Okinawa has a humid subtropical climate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Corps Air Station Futenma</span> Airport

Marine Corps Air Station Futenma or MCAS Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, 5 NM northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 3,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and other units, and has been a U.S. military airbase since the defeat of the Japanese Imperial Army in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Marine Corps pilots and aircrew are assigned to the base for training and providing air support to other land and sea-based Marines in Okinawa and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. MCAS Futenma is part of the Marine Corps Installations Pacific command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp Schwab</span>

Camp Schwab is a United States Marine Corps camp located in northeastern Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, that is currently home to the 4th Marine Regiment and other elements of the 28,000 American servicemen based on the island. The Camp was dedicated in 1959 in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Albert E. Schwab who was killed in action during the Battle of Okinawa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp Foster</span> U.S. Marine Corps facility in Okinawa, Japan

Camp Foster, formerly known as Camp Zukeran, is a United States Marine Corps camp located in Ginowan City with portions overlapping into Okinawa City, Chatan town and Kitanakagusuku village in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa Island. It is part of the Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan</span> 1960 military alliance treaty

The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, more commonly known as the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty in English and as the Anpo jōyaku (安保条約) or just Anpo (安保) in Japanese, is a treaty that permits the presence of U.S. military bases on Japanese soil, and commits the two nations to defend each other if one or the other is attacked "in the territories under the administration of Japan". Over time, it has had the effect of establishing a military alliance between the United States and Japan.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Okinawa rape incident</span> Rape of 12-year-old Japanese girl by U.S. servicemen

The 1995 Okinawa rape incident occurred on September 4, 1995, when three U.S. servicemen, U.S. Navy Seaman Marcus Gill and U.S. Marines Rodrico Harp and Kendrick Ledet, all serving at Camp Hansen on Okinawa, rented a van and kidnapped a 12-year-old Okinawan girl. They beat her, duct-taped her eyes and mouth shut, and bound her hands. Gill and Harp then raped her, while Ledet claimed he only pretended to do so due to fear of Gill. The offenders were tried and convicted in Japanese court by Japanese law, in accordance with the U.S.–Japan Status of Forces Agreement. The families of the defendants initially claimed that Japanese officials had racially discriminated against the men because they were all African American and coerced confessions from them, but later retracted the claims. The incident led to further debate over the continued presence of U.S. forces in Japan among Okinawans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koza riot</span> 1970 protest against US military presence in Okinawa, Japan

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 occupation. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Okinawa gubernatorial election</span>

The 11th Okinawa gubernatorial election was held on November 28, 2010. The official campaign start began November 11. The 2010 election garnered national attention mostly for the dispute between the central government and local communities in Okinawa over the planned relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan to Henoko in Nago that had also contributed to the resignation of prime minister Yukio Hatoyama in June 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yumiko-chan incident</span> Rape and murder of six-year-old Japanese girl by U.S. soldier

The Yumiko-chan incident was the rape and murder of five-year-old Japanese girl Yumiko Nagayama by American soldier Sergeant Isaac J. Hurt in Kadena, Okinawa on September 4, 1955. Nagayama's body was found near Kadena Air Base during the U.S. occupation of Okinawa, and an investigation led to the conviction of 31-year-old Sergeant Hurt on charges of murder, rape, and kidnapping. The Yumiko-chan Incident caused anti-American outrage in Okinawa and contributed to the first major Okinawan protests against the U.S. occupation and military presence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma</span> Political dispute in Okinawa, Japan

Over the last five decades there have been various plans for the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, a United States Marine Corps base located within the urban area of Ginowan City in Okinawa, Japan.

The 2016 Okinawa Prefectural Assembly election, or more formally the 12th general election of members of the Okinawa prefectural assembly, was held on 5 June 2016.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Base Okinawa</span> Major World War 2 base

Naval Base Okinawa, now Naval Facility Okinawa, is a number of bases built after the Battle of Okinawa by United States Navy on the Okinawa Island of Japan. The naval bases were built to support the landings on Okinawa on April 1, 1945, and the troops fighting on Okinawa. The Navy repaired and did expansion of the airfields on Okinawa. United States Navy Seabees built or repaired the facilities on the island. The bases on Okinawa put the United States Armed Forces only 350 miles from Japan's home islands. Most facilities closed after the war, but some are still in use today in all branches of the United States Armed Forces.

References

  1. 1 2 "No home where the dugong roam". The Economist. 2005-10-27. ISSN   0013-0613 . Retrieved 2020-12-07.
  2. ↑ "2 沖縄に所在する在日米軍施設・区域". www.clearing.mod.go.jp. Retrieved 2020-12-07.
  3. ↑ Kapur, Nick (2018). Japan at the Crossroads: Conflict and Compromise after Anpo. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 1. ISBN   9780674988484.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Mitchell, Jon (2012-05-13). "What awaits Okinawa 40 years after reversion?". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  5. ↑ Spitzer, Kirk. "Tens of thousands protest on Okinawa to close key U.S. bases in Japan". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kawato, Yuko (8 April 2015). Protests against U.S. military base policy in Asia : persuasion and its limits. Stanford, California. pp. 45–56. ISBN   978-0-8047-9538-8. OCLC   904979310.
  7. ↑ "The (Melvin) Price Report - 1956". ryukyu-okinawa.net. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  8. ↑ "Massive protest on Okinawa opposes US military after killing". AP NEWS. 2016-06-19. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  9. ↑ "Okinawa school marks 50th year since deadly U.S. fighter crash". The Japan Times. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  10. ↑ Hiramatsu, K.; Matsui, T.; Ito, A.; Miyakita, T.; Osada, Y.; Yamamoto, T. (October 2004). "The Okinawa study: an estimation of noise-induced hearing loss on the basis of the records of aircraft noise exposure around Kadena Air Base". Journal of Sound and Vibration. 277 (3): 617–625. Bibcode:2004JSV...277..617H. doi:10.1016/j.jsv.2004.03.024.
  11. 1 2 Mitchell, Jon (2009-12-27). "Koza remembered". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  12. ↑ "[第４部・南島サウンド行＜５＞コザ暴動 「人生をグチャグチャにされた」 支配への怒り臨界点に達し―連載] / 九州歌謡地図 / 西日本新聞". archive.is. 2013-05-01. Archived from the original on 2013-05-01. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  13. 1 2 3 Angst, Linda Isako (June 2001). "The Sacrifice Of A Schoolgirl: The 1995 Rape Case, Discourses of Power, and Women's Lives in Okinawa". Critical Asian Studies. 33 (2): 243–266. doi:10.1080/14672710122284. ISSN   1467-2715. PMID   21046830. S2CID   44994357.
  14. 1 2 "Americans Charged In Rape in Okinawa (Published 1995)". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1995-09-29. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  15. 1 2 Brooks, William (2010). "The Politics of the Futenma Base Issue in Okinawa: Relocation Negotiations in 1995-1997, 2005-2006". Asia-Pacific Policy Papers Series– via Academia.
  16. ↑ "Okinawa Governor Gives Go-ahead For New US Base | Daily Digest". 2013-12-28. Archived from the original on 2013-12-28. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  17. ↑ "Okinawa protesters mourn governor, oppose US base relocation - Pacific - Stripes". 2018-08-15. Archived from the original on 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  18. ↑ "Okinawa referendum rejects new US military base but Abe likely to press on". the Guardian. 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  19. ↑ Bob Kovach and Chelsea J. Carter (2012-04-27). "U.S.-Japan deal withdraws 9,000 Marines from Okinawa". CNN Digital. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  20. ↑ "Marines' move from Okinawa to Guam could begin as early as October 2024, report says". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
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