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  bdiego at 06:26 AM JST - 29th October

  Yuri certainly makes light of a serious issue, considering Okinawa was in fact colonialized by Imperial Japan and brutally murdered at their hands.

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  YuriOtani at 06:47 AM JST - 29th October

  bdiego, my residence is on Okinawa and get to observe closely to the activities of the Americans. The Ryukyu Kingdom is gone and the old royal family has no interest in an independent Okinawa. It would just be too hard for such a small country to exist. We have to live in the world around us. The PM needs to keep his promises and get out from under the Americans. We could still be friends and allies without an overbearing American presence.

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  TheMarion at 08:25 PM JST - 30th October

  YuriOtani, you did not anwer bdiego's obsrvation, but in a true Japanese manner you belittled the Ryukyuans. Why did you take up residence in Okinawa?

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  TheMarion at 08:36 PM JST - 30th October

  Would you kindly let me know, just what is Japan's Foreign Policy? The Japnese people are completely in agreement with ASrticle nine of the Japnese Constitution. What is wrong with PEACE........

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  bdiego at 07:47 AM JST - 31st October

  Yuri, I never disagreed that Americans can be a burden on Okinawa. I was referring only to tour extreme comments about them being pretty ironic given the brutality of Okinawa's history under Japan. The fact that Okinawans like being Japanese today is irrelevant to the fact that they've also been deeply wronged and periodically given a slap in the face by Tokyo politicians who deny it. African Americans want to be American too, doesn't mean they should put up with American politicians denying slavery even happened. Again, my comments were not about America but the irony of your attacks against them.

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  bdiego at 07:49 AM JST - 31st October

  And to add to that irony, Japan wants American bases. Doesn't make the problems that servicemen cause okay. The fact is, Japan is always complaining about the bases but they're the real reason we still have them. Something about "forever renouncing war" which they're now realizing is a pile of crap.

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  manta60 at 04:49 PM JST - 31st October

  The statement is true as long as the US does not recognize nor respect the concept of "sovereignty".

  I can't think of one instance where the US has EVER respeced any countries sovereignty.

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  Newsman at 08:33 AM JST - 1st November

  The oft-overlooked point in this controversy is that the decision about Futenma should be the by-product, not the beginning, of the discussion. The first question should be “What is a rational defense policy for Japan?”

  Look, Article 9 of the Japan’s constitution provides some sort of brake to Japan’s military capabilities. The article is essentially nonsensical – a gun to shoot an intruder is equally a gun that could be wielded in an attack – and so Japan has contorted its interpretation in other ways: through a) the maintenance of a smaller military than it reasonably could pay for otherwise, and b) outsourcing its defense to the U.S. A government has to think through its defense obligations; otherwise it is abdicating its responsibility to its citizens.

  If Japan really wanted the U.S. to leave, all it would have to do is follow the steps outlined in the SOFA, and say, in essence, “We’re terribly sorry, but we don’t want you here anymore,” and the U.S. would have no choice but to leave. The problem, however, is that Japan is woefully short of friends in Asia. At the grassroots level, things have improved tremendously – you’ve got many Japanese now openly enjoying South Korean culture, something unthinkable a decade ago – but then some fool politician goes and visits Yasukuni again, and then all bets are off. I think that Japan would be tremendously well-served by exploring an alliance with South Korea and Taiwan, but so far the politicians have not been able to see beyond their nationalistic noses.

  You may choose to believe that Japan’s future interests will be naturally aligned with those of the other big power in the region (China). If you do, fine, I respect that, especially since there is no way to definitively prove you right or wrong. I happen to believe that they are not, however, and if you think about it a bit you might find yourself agreeing with me. So if a) Japan does not have a strong military and b) does not have a military alliance with the U.S. or any other power, then exactly what is Japan going to do when China begins to pressure Japan to do something that is contrary to Japan’s national interest? Is Japan just going to roll over and say, “Sure, whatever you want”?

  A very small minority of U.S. servicemen has done some utterly reprehensible acts against Japanese civilians. Anytime such a violent crime is committed by U.S. servicemen, I agree they should be fully prosecuted. For the Japanese population at large, however, the American presence is at worst an irritation. But that’s it – it’s an irritation, and it is not reasonable to plan your nation’s defense based upon how you felt when you rolled out of bed this morning. If it is Hatoyama’s long-range plan to have the Americans out of Japan, he’d better start articulating what the alternative is for defending Japan. And he’d better start explaining now. It does the Japanese people no good to kick the Americans out first and then start going door to door in other Asian capitals, plaintively asking, “Does anyone want to be our friend?”

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  Hirota56 at 03:02 PM JST - 1st November

  Gee.....it is so sad that the US-Japan alliance is in woes. I hope that we can get along. After all we did fine and made this world a safer place to live in for 64 years.

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  mushroomcloud at 12:21 PM JST - 2nd November

  It seems, from the posts above from Okinawa residents, that people are just sick and tired of the American occupation over the last 60 years. Having their people treated as 2nd class citizens on their own island, along with the horror stories of Okinawan/Japanese women being assaulted and raped year after year, can cause anyone to question the unusually high burden that Okinawa has to bear in belonging to a nation with protectorate status under the United States.

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  lincolnlklim at 10:23 PM JST - 2nd November

  US is concerned now that the new government has shown that, unlike the previous administration, it has backbone and balls. US is worried that unlike LDP, DPJ government might not be as subservient and refuse to act like slaves kowtowing to their white masters.

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  mushroomcloud at 11:42 PM JST - 3rd November

  Agree with the other posts. Japan now as some spine and one swinging sack of balls.

  Kudos to Hatoyama for finally making Japan something other than a doormat of the United States. Japan can now be taken seriously as an independent nation.

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  mushroomcloud at 11:43 PM JST - 3rd November

  Meant 'Has some spine'.

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  TheMarion at 11:05 PM JST - 4th November

  Yuri: I too lived on Okinawa where I came to help the Ryukyuans rebuild their entire economy after WWII and I still have a home there, but my Okinawan wife wants to live in her new country (She is a naturalized American Citizen) Actually, I would like to see the USA military return to the States as I feel they have been there too long, however I would also remind those who blog on this subject that you can Google Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution in its whole form. Most of the oldsters feel the PEACE they have enjoyed for the past six decades was because of Article 9 - incidentally, I am a WWII vet who at age 89 is still very active politically in the interests of the Ryukyuan people.

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  TheMarion at 03:37 AM JST - 5th November

  Newsman says it like it should be - if Japan doesn't want the USA on Okinawa, all they would have to say is "go home Yankees."

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