Okinawa hopes Obama will resolve U.S. base issues

Tuesday 20th January, 12:04 PM JST

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ralphrepo at 07:19 PM JST - 20th January

Jets only generate maximum noise when they prepare to take off (on the runway with their brakes on, where they rev up to full military thrust before rolling down the runway). This can easily be mitigated with sound barriers (like the kind that's used on the sides of US highways to reduce noise pollution to adjacent residential areas) between the tarmac and civilian housing areas. IMHO, a small price to pay to maintain good relations with the population there.
memyselfI at 09:15 PM JST - 20th January

Would Okinawa People be happy if N. Korea missle ( drills ) around there island. Without a military presence Okianawa is up for grabs !!! If Americans move out. Japanese Self Defense force will have a huge airforce there. So, whoever is making the sounds. It doesn't really matter. Okinawa is the key to the pacific. Everybody knows this.
Weasel at 10:14 PM JST - 20th January

Okinawa hopes Obama will resolve U.S. base issues

When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who are....
GW at 10:43 PM JST - 20th January

I am getting tired of Okinawa`s whining! I mean the Futenma thing was settled back in the early 90s & was supposed to be implemented in 1995 I think but things got delayed, postponed or whatever I cant bloody remember.

It seems the US makes requests, submits ideas then Tokyo hums & haws & Okinawa complains........ I have ssympathy for Okinawa but their beef is with their own damned govt most of the time
sharky1 at 11:09 PM JST - 20th January

What US base issues?
istudiosRen at 12:33 AM JST - 21st January

We have an obligation only to protect them. Yes noise pollution can be irritating but I think it is a small price to pay. Obama isn't superman no matter how many people think he is the "second coming". Obama isn't going to "save the world". Sorry to disappoint most of the worlds populace with that bit of sad news.
alphawolf at 01:34 AM JST - 21st January

I don't care if Obama solves the problems in Okinawa or not. I am glad he is in and I supported him. Now I feel good about myself after all the years of media motivated white guilt. I voted for Obama even though I disagree with most of his liberal views, now leave me alone. :)
ca1ic0cat at 02:52 AM JST - 21st January

That's not noise, that's the sound of your freedom being protected!

I imagine the Okinawians would probably have more noise at Atsugi and less at home but, as they say in real estate, location, location,location.

I have to agree that US bases in Okinawa are so low on the list of priorities that they won't be considered in the first 100 weeks, let alone 100 days.
NeoJamal at 07:16 AM JST - 21st January

We have an obligation only to protect them By 'them' I think you mean Japanese on the home islands. However being Japanese citizens, Okinawans have the privilege to be 'defended' by the Americans. The fact that Okinawa is host to 40,000 marines and being second to Kanagawa for the prefecture with the most US airbases in Japan shows a very generous commitment by the US..NOT
KenMasters at 08:02 AM JST - 21st January

I think some of you guys need to take into account the history of Okinawa and its relations with Japan and the US.

nearly 75% of all the US bases in Japan are all in that tiny island. Japan wants the bases there and so do the US for various reasons, but none of the inhabitants of those islands want them.. especially since most of these bases were built on land where people were forcibly evicted. Many Okinawans have done things democratically, by voting in mayors and governors that support their cause, etc.. yet even these politicians only have a certain amount of ability as Tokyo and Washington will ignore their pleas.

Of course, the two main arguments to support the bases usually are 1) the economy and 2) regional stability.

in the case of 1) Okinawa under US control prior to the 1972 reversion, missed out on most of the rapid economic development that occurred in the rest of Japan. And although income derived from the bases contributed to half of Okinawa's economy at one point, its now less than 5% as the region develops its potential in other areas like tourism. With the bases occupying so much land (again 75% of Japan's US bases) so much potential cannot be realized. In one of the areas where the bases has left, a new commercial district was erected and is highly active and booming.

2) Historically, the only two outsider countries that Okinawa had difficulty was the various Japanese fiefdoms and the Japanese Empire, and the US. When it was an independent country it had very good relations with China, Korea, and most of Asia. While one could argue about the potential of N.Korea or a communist China doing something affecting Okinawa negatively.. the fact is that it has yet to happen, while negative consequences of Japanese and to some extent American actions in Okinawa have already occurred. However I do agree that having US forces in Japan is probably more tolerable than Japan re-arming itself as it would rile its neighbors. However it still does not excuse that a sheer majority of the bases in Japan are concentrated in an island thats about the size of New York City (just the 5 boroughs). If anything, they should be put on Kyushu as its much closer to North Korea and Russia, and still a reasonable distance to China. In addition, it is far more spacious and does not have the same level of population density as Okinawa island.

as far as the aircraft noise goes.. its only one issues stemming from the bases and they do operate at different standards than air spaces in America.

Sincerely, An American who actually lived and worked in Okinawa
EurajReturns at 12:58 AM JST - 22nd January

‘‘I hope the first black U.S. president will understand the pain of Okinawa,’’ said Shoji Matsuda...

What the duce does that have to do with anything? I'm sure Obama will appreciate the comment, especially with how he's tried to steer away from having his race be an issue.
ralphrepo at 08:46 AM JST - 22nd January

‘‘I hope the first black U.S. president will understand the pain of Okinawa,’’ said Shoji Matsuda...

"How, exactly, is Obama's blackness supposed to make him somehow more in touch with the, ahem, "plight" of Okinawans...?"

Okinawans were a people that was collectively subjugated by the Japanese throughout history, and still thought of by many Japanese today as being "black" to their "white." The average outsider only looks upon the word "Okinawan" as a geographic indicator of origin (similar to "New Yorker" or "Californian") without further racial meaning. To Japanese, it is more akin to the Hindi Indian subclass concept of "Untouchable" or similar to the white racist concepts that have historically plagued black Americans.
LFRAgain at 04:38 PM JST - 22nd January

Ralphrepo,

"Subjegated" and "slavery" are not the same thing. Such a comparison diminishes the severity of slavery and what those who suffered through it endured. To make such a comparison is akin to an Okinawan claiming brotherhood with a hypothetical Jewish U.S. president for their shared “holocaust” experiences, when nothing could be further from the truth.

I agree that Okinawans have legitimate complaints about having to shoulder a disproportionately large share of the US military presence in Japan, but looking to Barrack Obama as a savior via a distorted linking of the histories of Okinawans and American blacks isn’t the way to go about correcting the problem.

KenMasters,

Thanks for bringing a more personal perspective to the thread, but there are few points you made I'd like to address.

1) Yes, as you pointed out (twice), 75% of US bases in Japan are located on Okinawa, but that does not translate to US based occupying 75% of Okinawan land. You suggested as much when you claimed Okinawans were missing out on potentially profitable commercial development opportunities due to the amount of land being used by the US military. In actuality, the amount of land being used by US forces in Okinawa is closer to 18%. To be honest, I wasn’t under the impression that lack of land for commercial development ranked very high on the list of most Okinawan’s issues with the US military presence.

2) Your point regarding Okinawa’s past relations with neighbors disregards the fact that Okinawa became a de facto Japanese possession as early as 1609, and continues to exist as such to this day. With this in mind, the US military presence in Okinawa has nothing to do whatsoever with protecting Okinawa from potential aggressors, but rather with protecting Japan as a whole. While 75% of US forces are indeed in Okinawa, the other 25% are in other parts of Japan as well. Does the US navy presence in Sasebo, Nagasaki suggest that the US has a vested interest of some sort in protecting the people and city of Sasebo from perceived enemies? Not hardly.

The US military presence in Japan is based on a long-standing assessment by both the Japanese and US governments that a strong military deterrent in the area was and still is needed, an assessment that’s been validated by two regional wars resulting in well over 7 million deaths, and a burgeoning nuclear threat from North Korea, a nation that seems to have no qualms about conducting military missile research by launching test vehicles directly over Honshu. The US military presence in Japan, for better or worse, is needed. The devil is in the details, though.

Furthermore, the bases in Okinawa didn’t come about as the result of pointed discrimination or a grand conspiracy between the US government and Japan’s to “stick it to the brown folks down south,” but rather as a result of fate and military expediency. Okinawa holds several distinctions besides just being the home to 75% of US bases in Japan. It’s also the location of the largest battle on Japanese soil between US and Japanese forces, the location of the largest concentration of military personnel and equipment assembled in the Pacific in anticipation of a possible invasion of the home islands, and ultimately a militarily occupied territory administered by the United States after Japan’s defeat in the war. In administering Japan’s rehabilitation and reconstruction after the war, it made sense, militarily and economically to continue to maintain the bulk of US forces in Okinawa. As a result, a large number of bases grew over the years, and here we find ourselves today.

Is it fair to Okinawans? No. Is it right? Depends on who you ask. Some would say that the aggression-deterring presence of the US is keeping North Korea in check. Some would also say that that presence has helped keep tension between Japan and China at a minimum as well. It’s inarguable that the US presence is the single significant contributing factor to preventing Chinese-style communism from spreading beyond its current borders and overwhelming Japan, as it threatened to do in the 1950 and 60s. A lot of historical relativism to be sure, but still…

What is hard to fathom, though, is that of all the problems faced by Okinawans regarding the US military, the only example that seemed to immediately spring to mind for Shoji Matsuda was jet aircraft noise. Which, when placed against a backdrop that is littered with much more serious issues, such as environmental pollution and violent crime committed by US servicemen, makes his plea seem petty.
KenMasters at 04:58 AM JST - 25th January

LFRAgain,

Thank you for your reply which shows that you've put considerable thought into.

Yes, the bases occupy roughly 20% of the land (which is still quite considerable), but the devils is in the detail. Most of the bases are concentrated on the South-Central area of Okinawa Island, including two of the major air bases, Kadena and Futenma. The northern third of the island is mountainous and sparsely populated (although there is also a military training area there). The southern extremities is also not so well populated for other geographical reasons. The central and parts of the northern southern half is very flat and where most of the population resides and where most of the bases are. If we were to take into comparison, the amount of land used by bases in this area, they would occupy a significantly larger amount of useful area (no exact figures, but I estimate around 50-60%).

For this reason, no matter where in Okinawa you are (unless you live in the rural areas) the bases are a very visual part of every day life. The Urasoe-Shuri-Naha area (the ancient capital and current capital) where most of the population lives, is between both Kadena and Futenma. The three main Universities of Okinawa (Ryukyus, Okinawa International, and Okinawa Christian) are a stones throw from Futenma (indeed a Futenma military aircraft crashed into Okinawa International University not too long ago).

Although noise pollution is not as serious as other issues stemming from the base like return of land, crime, etc, it is probably the one issue that people encounter everyday. Violent crime is not a daily occurance, and land issues between people who refuse to lease their land to the base, etc won't get solved any time soon, but hearing noise from aircraft is a daily thing. I personally lived near Futenma, and although I am a big fan of aviation, I am not particularly fond of hearing choppers at 6 am all the way to midnight. In addition, the way aircraft operate in Okinawan airspace is different than that of Americans (back home I also live next to a major air base but it certainly is much different).

Now as for the larger issue of the bases. I do agree that it is something Japan wants and for the most part needs. Although Japan has a healthy military, it can't equip itself beyond a certain limit with out its neighbors going paranoid over the possibility of the return of a new Imperial Japanese Army. That is where the US forces come in. However I am one who is also firm on democratic values, and if the local people (regardless if it is Okinawa) vehemently protest the bases and have support of the local government, then I believe we should support their wishes.

The reason why Obama is probably important is because Okinawans generally acknowledge that its generally easier to deal with the Americans than the Japanese (the LDP is certainly set in its ways). Past efforts between local Okinawan governments and organizations who went directly to the US to address their concerns, have been more successful than going to Tokyo. Clinton did not remove any bases during his term, but he did much in other aspects towards Okinawan-US relations one in which he essentially made Obuchi to create the Obuchi scholarship for Okinawan students to study in the US.

Okinawa occupied a key area in Asia. The US certainly knew well that the Okinawans were a different people from the Japanese, which led towards massive US efforts to make the Okinawans more distinct from the Japanese during the US administration of the islands. Although one may think that is a good thing (and certainly after years of forced assimilation policies by Tokyo), it was done with the goal of hoping the Okinawans would want to stay as a US territory which did not happen. the Okinawans who thought return to Japanese rule would bring the end of the bases did not happen either.

As long as these issues continue unresolved, there will continued resentment towards Tokyo and Washington (but certainly more towards Tokyo). Combined with the LDP's refusal to completely acknowledge atrocities in Okinawa during WWII and its reluctance to deal with the base issues (resulting in Okinawans dealing with the US directly instead) Okinawans are certainly view such actions as a continuance of a colonial treatment reminiscent of Okinawa's days as an annexed country (whether true or not).

I've taken a few classes at the local Universities there and interviewed sentiment of several people of varying ages. Very very few had positive opinions towards Tokyo, while opinions on Washington were more complicated. However what is certain is that the education system there heavily emphasizes what Tokyo has done (and didn't do) to Okinawa, and numerous monuments dedicated to the battle of Okinawa (which saw a large number of civilian deaths, Japanese distrust and discrimination towards its own Okinawan soldiers, bad leadership of Japan, etc.. nearly everyone has at least one relative connected to this battle). Sentiment against Tokyo certainly is growing as the Okinawans certainly won't forget, and I cannot see how this will help Japan in the long run as it will eventually lead towards radicalization of certain groups and their popularity. In the long run, for the sakes of internal stability, it would be more appropriate to transfer several of these bases to other parts of Japan (although I've heard that they have considered that and none of the other local communities want a foreign base in their area).
johancohen at 10:29 AM JST - 27th January

it's perfect, Okinawa, who's to say what to whom and about how much less do we take in to accomadate a perfect relationship with America? what can Japan do without us? not much, and that's exactly right.