JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- Berlitz Japan, Inc. (ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社), Kansai
- Salary: ¥125,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month
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- FT English Teachers for Kids - Osaka
- Kohgakusha Co., Ltd. （株式会社興学社）, Osaka
- Salary: ¥255,000 ~ ¥275,000 / Month Travel Expenses, Encouragement of Japanese learning*
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- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
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bam_boo
As many here try to depict all Okinawan landowners as happy pittance receivers, I want to mention one really remarkable example of a base landowner who has turned his fate into a captivating lifework. I'm talking about Michio Sakima who first fought until he got his occupied land back and then created an art museum focused on war and peace.
The land of the Sakima Art museum is literarily cut out of the Futenma base and the building is a unique example of contemporary yet local architecture. The architect has designed the building in a way that one can enter the roof and oversee Futenma and once a year, on the Irei no Hi (end of the Okinawan battle), a sunlight beam crosses a hole in the wall and lights up a stairway that leads up into the sky. Quite stunning.
Sakima is an impressive personality who rejected to becoming corrupted and turned something that could have been a story of landowner subservience into a positive and creative vision.
Posted in: Okinawa governor, Nago mayor not happy with U.S. forces plan
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bam_boo
Yuri, I empathize with you and your Okinawan cause, which, in many respects, is my cause as well as it is a fight for very basic human values which are dignity, freedom and the right to self-determination.
Posted in: Okinawa governor, Nago mayor not happy with U.S. forces plan
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bam_boo
to help with the math... it's 40 years with compensation payed.
Yubaru, despite all your rationality you miss the point completely.
The problem is not past for Okinawans it is very present, in the form of US military bases occupying 20% of their island.
And a majority of not-corrupted Okinawans is just working very hard on eliminating the cause of their suffering and to make history really become history.
Posted in: Okinawa governor, Nago mayor not happy with U.S. forces plan
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bam_boo
To call it lease is an euphemism. You might call it a 'forced lease'.
Are you talking about the cake that Okinawans want to have and it as well? Just kidding...
To be serious, no not everyone thinks they are getting a fare share. The whole lease scheme is a very blatant example of a divide and rule strategy devised by really cunning Tokyo bureaucrats, make some people rich, divide the community and rule. The old romans kept their empire together with this strategy for centuries.
Posted in: Okinawa governor, Nago mayor not happy with U.S. forces plan
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bam_boo
I have described in former posts how the base economy prevents Okinawa from developing a healthy and sustainable economy. I wouldn't say that getting rid of the bases will in itself bring salvation, but it certainly is the first crucial step towards an economy that is based on the values Okinawans create themselves and in the end thats what any healthy economy relies on.
No, the base issue is the most pressing one as it hampers democracy and as such the solution of all other pressing problems in the prefecture.
Posted in: Okinawa governor, Nago mayor not happy with U.S. forces plan
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bam_boo
tmarie, may I remind you that the money Okinawan landowners get is not the result of a fair and mutual agreement between equal parties.
As such it is not lease or rent (eventhough the US and Tokyo would like to make it look like that), it is compensation.
I believe it is perfectly ok to receive compensation for something that has been taken away from you against your will and still complain about the fact that it has been taken away from you.
Posted in: Okinawa governor, Nago mayor not happy with U.S. forces plan
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bam_boo
I suppose you are talking about the rape case from 1995? It is just one incident on very very long list of Okinawan traumas in relation to the US military occupation of their island, but the one that was to be the straw that broke the camel's back. The trauma started with the illegal and unscrupulous seizure of private land that was the livelihood for many Okinawans. Then the treatment of Okinawans as second-class citizen who were deprived of basic human rights by the US military rule. Next the deceiving of Okinawans by the US and the central government through secret agreements during the reversion (making Okinawa to a kind of US military colony within Japan), which again was to deprive Okinawans of their rights, this time as Japanese citizens. And we could go on and on...
That the rape in 1995 arose such an strong sentiment amongst Okinawans is a result of this story of defiance and it probably became a symbol for the helplessness that Okinawans felt towards an unwanted occupying force that was acting in a disrespectful often brutal way.
It is also this historic backdrop that makes it perfectly understandable that Okinawans don't start rejoicing immediately when the US and the central government 'kindly' pronounce the result of their back-room arrangements.
Posted in: Okinawa governor, Nago mayor not happy with U.S. forces plan
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bam_boo
it will effect the economy quite a lot, but not so much because of the direct impact. The long term task will be to shift Okinawas economy away from the 'comfort budget' intoxication, a sleazy system established by Tokyo bureaucrats and politicians to keep Okinawans under control and the US military happy.
Being hooked up on big budgets from Tokyo which require minimal intelligence on the side of the Okinawan beneficiaries, has reshaped a big part of the local economy to become passive and dull.
Many Okinawan friends of mine are highly critical of this system, which for example will provide 90% of funding for public works projects in municipalities that host US military facilities. One friend says that this system tends to reduce the creative part of the brain of decision makers in those municipalities as with 10% own effort they will get 100%. While 100% usually means useless, bad-planned, environmentally harmful public works.
I suppose it will take Okinawa a huge effort and more then just some years to detoxicate the Okinawan economy, but I believe it is the right and only way for Okinawa.
Okinawa has marvelous resources, its nature and the creativity and unique culture of its people, but it needs to get back to its cultural roots, which in my eyes means especially two things:
to live in tune with it's marvelous, but very fragile and in many ways very tough natural environment
and to focus on its independent cultural identity and its creative power, either in order to survive in the centralized and bureaucratic Japan or, even better, to become more independent and profit from its location in-between big asian nations.
I'm confident that Okinawa can thrive even without any US bases and an all-dominating tourism sector, but that won't be possible overnight and it will need to provide its young generation with a different more creative and more internationally oriented education.
Posted in: U.S., Japan announce agreement to send Okinawa Marines to Guam
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bam_boo
Are you talking about Maher? The guy who is calling Okinawans "lazy" and "masters of extortion."?
Posted in: Okinawa fears revised plan may leave Futenma where it is
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bam_boo
That's true. But many Okinawans do so as well, especially elder ones. I think it is important for the Okinawan identity to differentiate themselves from the rest of Japan and it is natural as Okinawans really feel different in so many respects.
I believe the only way for Okinawa to preserve their own identity within the Japanese nation would be to become an autonomous region. The current status as a remote prefecture in a highly centralized system is in many ways fatal for Okinawa. To become independent in a regional framework would be even better, but that doesn't seem to be a realistic option at the moment.
Posted in: Okinawa fears revised plan may leave Futenma where it is
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bam_boo
Yubaru, for the discussions sake it would be good to argue the details, and I would be glad to hear them, but of course this is not the right thread for that discussion...
There's no doubt that some people in Okinawa benefit from the bases, but Okinawa as a whole has not at all benefited from the US bases.
To the contrary it will take Okinawa decades to overcome the sleazy system that has been imposed on Okinawa by the US military and the central government in Tokyo against the will of the majority of Okinawans and the fact that some Okinawans are partaking in that system doesn't relieve the US and Tokyo from their responsibility towards establishing it.
Saying Okinawa has benefited from this carrot and stick system is cynical as Okinawans didn't have much of a choice in establishing it and as such are not at all in the position to be happy about the benefits, except you see Okinawas as subordinates who should be happy about the master giving them food.
The current system with US bases that have been forced onto Okinawa deprive Okinawa of a self-determined, democratic future which is based on values created by Okinawans themselves.
Only a drastic change of the status quo will make it possible for Okinawans to realize a better future for their islands. Preventing the Henoko relocation and getting rid of MCAS Futenma are two huge milestones on that path to a better future for Okinawa.
If Okinawans choose to host US bases in an open and truly democratic process, based on proper information and clearly outlined choices, I would accept that, even my belief is that any kind of military facilities in Okinawa mean more of a threat to island then a protection.
There is no way to protect a place like Okinawa by military action in a meaningful way if a powerful enemy should ever again chose to attack the island and the ones who know that best are Okinawans themselves with their horrifying experience during WW2.
Posted in: Okinawa fears revised plan may leave Futenma where it is
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bam_boo
Yubaru, Do you want to deny that Okinawan politics and economy have been deeply influenced by the budgetary carrot-and-stick policy of the central government in Tokyo? I don't think that there's any lack of evidence for Tokyo's bullying and pressuring approach towards Okinawa.
Sad is that quite a number of Okinawans think that they have no choice then to eat the carrots and avoid the stick... but I can empathize with that.
Shall we go on small tour around Okinawa to take a look at the most obvious results of what the Tokyo 'carrot and stick' budgets do to the Okinawan environment?
We could start in Yanbaru, in the north of the island, with the Rin-do, a massive network of completely useless forrest roads that criss cross the unique forrest. Then we can find completely non-competitive pineapple fields that were created by flattening hilltops with comfort money from Tokyo.
Close by we have the huge dam projects, that are justified with growing water consumption and water shortage, while wells with marvelous quality drinking all over the island are drying out because of too much or bad planned urban development.
When we arrive in Henoko, carrot and stick jumps at us in the form of a huge newly built Okinawa National College of Technology... how the heck did this get to Henoko a sleepy village with 1000 some inhabitants? Because of its wonderful nature and the nice beaches close by? Sorry for being a bit cynical... Further down road into Henoko a hugely oversized Community center stick out of the small single-family homes (it makes sense to check its size on google maps as it really is HUGE), another carrot that was prepared to corrupt Henoko citizens who at first were largely agains the new base on their beach.
Just to compare the size of public facilities of Okinawan villages with US bases and the ones without is rather appalling.
We are just getting to the center of the Island and I could go on quite endlessly, but this would go beyond the scope of this discussion. I think you can get what I want to say.
There is a growing number of Okinawans who are fed up with such a system, even it can mean short-term economical challenges for them, but they feel that on the long run Okinawan well-being is dependent on their own ability to create things with real values.
To stop the Henoko construction is a huge step in right direction. To get Futenma closed soon will be the next and I believe it won't be as hard as the former.
Posted in: Okinawa fears revised plan may leave Futenma where it is
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bam_boo
smithinjapan, as all available polls and all other verifiable information shows us that the vast majority of Okinawans want the US bases drastically reduced I would say your statement is a false assertion.
I have asked you and others who did post similar claims in former threads to corroborate such claims and haven't seen one piece of verifiable information that could support your wired assertion that a majority of Okinawans are welcoming the status quo of US military presence in Okinawa.
Posted in: Okinawa fears revised plan may leave Futenma where it is
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bam_boo
Yubaru, your comment shows that you don't really understand the situation in Okinawa.
First of all the big chunk of the US base budget comes from the central government, plus the comfort budget that Tokyo is paying towards Okinawa since the reversion... so the Japanese government has to pay twice for the US military and to keep Okinawans well-behaved and quiet. And you can be sure that if there'd be no bases on Okinawa the central government wouldn't dare to pay such amounts to Okinawa. You just have to look at other underdeveloped areas in Japan to know...
Second, what you call depressed prefecture hasn't changed at all if seen in relation. Where did the huge 'comfort budgets' that Tokyo poured into Okinawa get the prefecture?
Did Okinawa climb up the wealth ladder in relation to other prefectures? No, not at all. Okinawa is still the prefecture with lowest income and, according to central Japanese standards, with the by far lowest level of education, etc. etc.
Why is that so?
Because the money that was poured into Okinawa up to now had just one very clear aim: to make Okinawans dependent and quiet (if not more directly to bribe them). The money was not allocated in a way that would empower Okinawans. Of course there are many Okinawans who benefit quite a lot from those comfort budgets, but those are not necessarily the ones who would guide Okinawa towards a brighter future. The ones that profited most were filthy politicians and their kin, usually low level constructions companies that know how to pour concrete, but not much more. The money with it's focus on unnecessary civil engineering and impressive but rather contentless facilities, has actually prevented Okinawa from becoming ready for the future and kept a big number of low level, low income jobs.
About the Futenma base, that Okinawas worry about it remaining open longer is understandable, but it will take less effort to get Futenma closed then it did to stop Henoko.
I believe it will be closed rather sooner then later, as it is unjustifiable to keep it open, I just very much hope that there will be no major accident before that happens...
Posted in: Okinawa fears revised plan may leave Futenma where it is
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bam_boo
Great news for Okinawa! Finally the central and super powers are acknowledging reality in Okinawa!
Not that anyone in Tokyo or Washington was really empathizing with Okinawans, but at least they got the message and apparently are afraid of wasting money on an unpredictable cause.
If what started as a budgetary consideration turns out to be a sustainable position (not clear yet as the Japanese government is trying to get by with a head-in-the-sand policy), Okinawan's democratic movement will see a huge boost. To experience that a citizens grass-roots-movement can get somewhere against all the odds should be truly inspiring!
The reduced footprint of US military in Okinawa will not create even the slightest geopolitical insecurity in the region. We're not living in an era where some dozen more or less fighter jets or some 10.000 more or less troops will make a difference in protecting any piece of land, at least regarding conflicts between super powers.
Of course the commitment of the US to protect Japan makes a difference (like with Taiwan), but regarding Okinawa the Chinese conduct would have to change drastically to have to resort to any kind of power display from the side of the US. The conflict around the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands is about rather obvious interests and not as scary as some want to make it look like. Though it is rather unpleasant, there's nothing unusual about a China that is displaying its growing military power in its own geopolitical region. No reason to hide under the table, at least for the time being, but of course geopolitical situations can change.
In any case what ever kind of military conflict centering on Okinawa would be disastrous for the island, as 2WW has shown us in such a horrifying way, and should be avoided at any cost. Or to be more bold, it would still be 100 times better for Okinawa to become a part of China then to see the island eradicated in military action.
Posted in: Japan, U.S. discussing revised plan for relocating Marines from Okinawa
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bam_boo
smithinjapan
we had that discussion here before. There are numerous polls from various channels (Okinawan news papers, Japanese news papers) that all show the same results: depending on how you ask between 75% and 95% of the Okinawan population want's much less or no US bases their island and are clearly against the relocation of Futenma within the prefecture. I have posted various links to the polls in former posts.
From all objectifiable information I have access to there's no doubt what the vast majority of Okinawans long for.
I have never seen any signs of a 'silent pro US base majority' in Okinawa (except maybe for the wishful thinking displayed in the numerous posts of US military related people here at JT), but if you have any evidence of such please go ahead and show us where you get your data from... I'm open to discussing any somehow objectifiable information regarding the topic.
the US helping Okinawans to survive? You want to say that without the US military Okinawans wouldn't exist anymore?
Unfortunately even the so powerful US military can't prevent wars from happening and in certain cases a US military presence triggers even more violence then it prevents. You can be sure Okinawans would have survived without any US military on their island like they have for centuries. Okinawans have lived for centuries with the 'Chinese threat' and they have done so much better and more peaceful then since their quite disastrous incorporation into the Japanese nation.
very nicely said. I couldn't have said it better... yes, very unfortunately at the moment it's not their island and Okinawans have no choice...
except they stand up against the odds and make democracy work for their own benefit, much like they are doing now.
Posted in: Protesters block delivery of U.S. base environment report to Okinawa government
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bam_boo
@ 2020hindsights
it's not 'only a report', it's an environmental assessment which was ordered by the Japanese government to fulfill the purpose of making it possible to build a base into a pristine marine environment.
Anyone who believes such an assessment in Japan is unbiased lacks proper information about how such things work in Japan.
The agencies and companies involved in the assessment know very well what they ought to do and they know what will happen if they submit an assessment that is against the government order... they won't ever again get an assignment in Japan.
Some weeks ago we heard a Japanese government official involved with the assessment saying it was a rape towards the Okinawan people, and unfortunately he knew exactly what he was talking about.
Posted in: Protesters block delivery of U.S. base environment report to Okinawa government
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bam_boo
timtak, european and american families used to be different as well. Society is changing, lifestyle is changing and so is parenting.
Even in the west 'shared custody' or the access of both divorced parents to the child is a new concept and it took a while before it started working there as well.
From my european experience I would say that many parents have learned that it is possible to overcome seemingly adamant aversions because the law forces them two.
I would even go so far as to say that in my country there is a new culture of divorce which kind of requires divorced parents to get it together for the good of the child. Many divorced parents even manage to become friends again and to organize the future of their children in a friendly atmosphere together. If this happens divorced children can have as happy a life as non-divorced and they often are even feel privileged to have more custodians then non-devorcees, if they come along well with the new partners of their 'real' parents.
Also Japanese parents can learn that the responsibility of being a parent far exceeds the responsibility that two adult people have to take for each other.
Posted in: Clinton urges Japan to take action on child abduction issue
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bam_boo
OssanAmerica, were do you get your data from? According to wikipedia the island were not taken by Japan until 1895, because Japanese diplomats were afraid to arouse Chinese anger, thus implicitly admitting that they knew China had knowledge of and interest in the Islands.
Here the wiki text:
YuriOtani,
where do you get yours from? I couldn't find any material indicating the the islands ever were part of the Ryukyu kingdom.
If you admit that they are disputed zones then you should say the same to Japanese leaders.
Posted in: China sends patrol ship to disputed waters
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bam_boo
You are wrong, Riffraff, there has been a plebiscite in Nago city in 1997 in which Nago citizens clearly voted against the construction of the new US base in Henoko.
Posted in: U.S. Congress cuts funds to move Marines from Okinawa to Guam