American or Okinawan?
Okinawa has been Chinese, Japanese, American and now is something new
According to a Japanese opinion poll, “70% of Okinawan residents think the concentration of U.S. military bases in the prefecture is unfair.”
To imagine Okinawa, imagine a place ten times the size of Manhattan. Now imagine 2 of those Manhattans, are military bases. 25% of Okinawa is considered American soil. There are 32 air bases currently operating in Japan, with 70% of all air bases in Okinawa prefecture.
Beyond the physical allocation, there seems to be an entitlement among the noisier members of the military. On a busy tourist street, it is quiet. That quiet is broken by the shouting voices of the American military spilling from bars.
At the Naha Great Tug-of-War Festival in 2022, usually competitors are given a small piece of the world-record-breaking rope as a trophy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the prefecture had chosen not to do this. An Okinawan staff member told an American this was the case. The man took a knife out of his pocket, cut the rope himself, and said nothing as the man watched. This entitlement sometimes extends to criminal activity. If a crime is committed and the military personnel make it back on base, it’s difficult to find justice.
When enjoying some of the most beautiful, remote, views in Okinawa the mood is darkened by the buzzing of fighter jets overhead. This is so common, that Japanese tourist attractions such as Michi-no-eki (Japanese roadside rest stops) have a military base viewing platform as their primary attraction, others would have local fruit or hot springs.
Naha Airport takes breaks from commercial aircraft to allow military drills. Sitting in an A&W eating your lunch, you can watch fighter jets, Chinook helicopters and other military transport launches here. Cancer-causing chemicals are frequently detected near military bases, with requests for investigation made and often ignored.
In one section of the Yanbaru National Park, a beach is separated by a robust fence. One side is for tourists at a luxury hotel. The other is designated for military use only. No part of the beach is free to use by Okinawans.
I’ve spoken to many members of the American military in Okinawan. Most fit a young, masculine stereotype. All sport matching moustaches. The majority I’ve met were drunk. They are quick to state their pride and take their shirts off.
I’ve met a few who seem embarrassed by the others. They are kind, they understand why they are here and consider it a great privilege to be allowed to live in Japan. They recognise why they are here, the proximity to Taiwan and China. They love the food, a melting pot of Japanese, American and Chinese with Okinawan favourites. They recognise most of their job is simply responding to the activities China takes daily. I met a member of the Navy, who in his service, has never been on a boat.
A few American universities have a campus in Okinawa and offer discounted fees to Okinawans. I recently attended a graduation at the University of Maryland in Okinawa. I didn’t realise my friend was attending an American university, and the graduation processed 400 graduates that day. Of those 400, 2 had Japanese-sounding names or looked visually Okinawan.
When I asked some locals what they thought of the Americans, they were upset. The word they kept using was “disgusting”, which is harsh for Okinawan residents. It was clear there were years of resentment, big or small, bubbling over. Every person I spoke to had at least one extreme encounter which soured them.
The loud and individualistic nature of being American clashes with the quiet life of being Japanese, and the quieter life of being Okinawan.
It’s strange to be in a place, so recently occupied. The Ryukyu Kingdom, then a Chinese tribute, then a Japanese one, then briefly held by America post-war until being returned to Japan. They are now, arguably, Japanese. They are also Okinawan. With so much turbulence in the last 100 years, I asked my Okinawan friends what they consider themselves.
I asked if they considered themselves Japanese. Where I am from, if you call a Scottish person English, they can get upset. If you refer to the wrong part of Ireland, people are rightfully angry. My friends all considered themselves Okinawan and Japanese. They held no resentment toward Japan, despite being the least funded prefecture in the country. They considered this relationship obvious and were proud of it. They didn’t relate to the term Ryukyu, the more ancient name of Okinawan people.
It’s their home. It’s a bit Chinese, a bit American, a lot Japanese and all Okinawan.
