Resistant Islands: Okinawa Confronts Japan and the United States by Gavan McCormack and Satoko Oka Norimatsu will be released by Rowman & Littlefield in July 2012.

Resistant Islands offers a comprehensive overview of Okinawan history over half a millennium from the Ryukyu Kingdom to the present, focusing especially on the colonization by Japan, the islands’ disastrous fate during World War II, and their subsequent and continuing subordination to US military purpose.

Adopting an “Okinawa-centered,” or a people-centered view of Japan’s post Cold War history and the US-Japan relationship, the authors focus on the fifteen-year Okinawan struggle to secure the return of Futenma Marine Corps Air Station, situated in the middle of a bustling residential area, and the Okinawan resistance to the US and Japanese governments’ plan to build a substitute new base at Henoko, on the environmentally sensitive northeastern shore of Okinawa. 40 years after Okinawa’s belated “return” to Japan from direct US military rule, its people reject the role assigned their islands by the US and Japanese governments under which they are required to continue to attach priority to US military strategy, with the islands serving as a kind of stationary aircraft carrier offshore from East Asia.

Without precedent in Japan’s modern history, a peripheral and oppressed region stands up against the central government and its global superpower ally. The resistance persists and deepens. One recent prime minister who tried to meet key Okinawan demands was brought down by bureaucratic and political pressure from Tokyo and Washington. His successors struggle in vain to find a formula that will allow them to meet US demands but also assuage Okinawan anger. Okinawa becomes a beacon of citizen democracy. Its struggles raise key issues about popular sovereignty, democracy and human rights, and the future of Japan and the Asia-Pacific.

This year organizers in Okinawa and their allies in Washington, D.C. will hold events to call for the closure of the Futenma base in Okinawa as part of an effort to reduce defense spending in both nations. The lengthy dispute about the Futenma relocation plan could see resolution soon due to austerity measures aimed at reducing debt in the U.S. and Japan. For the past 16 years, protesters have maintained a permanent sit-in encampment in Henoko, Okinawa to signal opposition to a new replacement facility in the environmentally sensitive area.

The message of the Okinawans and Americans is simple: close the controversial Futenma base, and stop the expansion of U.S. military bases in Okinawa. Ending the current realignment plan is a first step in eliminating wasteful military spending on U.S. bases abroad, as well as relieving the burden of America’s military presence in Okinawa. The archipeligo prefecture is only 1% of Japan’s land mass, but it disproportionately bears the burden of 65% of US Forces in Japan stationed at nearly thirty bases and installations. Residents’ complaints range from fears of aircraft crashes to environmental degredation, noise pollution, and public safety threats.

The costs of relocating Futenma within Okinawa would be shared by the U.S. and Japanese governments. Based on a 2006 agreement, the Japanese government would pay an over $6 billion to relocate Marines to Guam. In the original plan, that money was supposed to be used to improve infrastructure and expand the capacity of bases there to host the more than 8,000 Marines and their families stationed at Futenma. Like Okinawa, Guam is Pacific island with limited political autonomy where U.S. military bases face local opposition.The kinds of facilities provided for Marines in Okinawa are profiled in the video below.

As the base situation in Okinawa becomes politically and financially untenable, the U.S. has reconsidered the agreement. According to recent reports on negotiations, about 4,700 Marines are expected to be relocated to Guam, while the rest would be rotated to through other U.S. military facilities in the region. Yet the U.S. still expects Japan to pay for reduction of its military footprint in Okianwa. As of March 9, the U.S. asked Japan for an additional 91 billion yen (nearly $1 billion) to cover the costs of the move. And recently, the U.S. asked Japan to cover 20 billion yen (about $245 million) in repair costs for upkeep of Futenma.

Overall, Japanese and U.S. taxpayers share the cost of U.S. military bases in Japan. Japan’s sympathy budget pays for U.S. bases in Japan (about 149 bases throughout the country), an annual cost of over $2 billion (as of 2008). Despite the high costs associated with maintaining military bases in Okianwa, the U.S. insists on providing not only accommodations and training facilities, but also world-class entertainment to Marines in Okinawa. For example, the Taiyo Golf Club was re-opened in March 2010 during the height of the global recession. Despite the agreement to return the land to Okinawa, the Director/Superintendent of the Club, Rich Erland said, “The Marines will be glad to call this course their own.”

The U.S. was responsible for 43% of global military spending in 2010, according to the annual report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) last year. This research is aimed at documenting military spending world-wide, shedding light on bloated defense budgets. In the U.S., the Pentagon has insisted that it is “too big to audit” and avoided releasing specifics about spending at the Department of Defense. GDAMS is organized to coincide with the release of SIPRI’s numbers on military spending for the 2011 fiscal year, as well as Tax Day in America.

On April 17, Okinawan residents will hold events on the island at four different U.S. military facilities and construction sites – Futenma, Henoko, Kadena and Takae. Japanese press and interested individuals can find more information about GDAMS in Okinawa by visiting the Okinawa Outreach Blog. Event contacts are also listed on this GDAMS Events map. Last year, Okinawans also participated in the first annual GDAMS.

In Washington, D.C., Network for Okinawa (NO) members are taking part in local events to support peace advocates in Okinawa. The day will include a “walk of shame” to the offices of corporations that profit from military spending and dodge taxes. There will also be a stop at the White House and poetry reading in Freedom Plaza, where NO members will read statements of support. This event will begin at 12 noon at 18th and M Street, NW. There will also be a teach-in American University. Contact Noah Gimbel (noah.gimbel[at]gmail.com) at IPS for more information, or to get involved in this year’s events.

Further, American and Okinawan base opponents will use GDAMS as an opportunity to stand with South Korean opponents of a naval base in on Jeju Island. This base construction project has been met with considerable local and international outcry, and is part of a larger trend of militarization of North East Asia. Jeju Island protesters are also expected to take action for GDAMS 2.0.

• Target: Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko
• Sponsored by: Save the Dugong Campaign Center

Okinawa Marine Bases and U.S. Military Spending

 —–Can we close the Futenma Marine Base

Without Constructing Additional Marine Bases in Okinawa? —-

———————————————————————————————————–

Hosted by Nago City & Network for Okinawa

When: Wednesday, February 8th 2012 11am-Noon

Where: 2456 Rayburn House Office

Who: Susumu Inamine, Mayor of Nago City, Okinawa, Japan

         John Feffer, Network for Okinawa, Institute for Policy Studies

What: A briefing with the Mayor of Nago-City, Okinawa and Japanese Parliament

Member to talk about U.S. military spending and closing the Futenma

Marine Corps Air Station

To RSVP, please send an e-mail to nagomayorvisit2012@gmail.com

★　Futenma Marine Corps Air Station

Okinawa, or the “Island of Military Bases,” stations 33 U.S. military

bases. Futenma is the most controversial base located in the center of

Ginowan City. In 1995, an elementary student was raped by three service

members from the U.S. Marines, and in 2004, a helicopter crashed into a

local university. These high profile incidents fueled much public unrest

and anger as well as media coverage within Okinawa.

On January 25, 2012, Representatives Barney Frank, Rush D. Holt, Barbara

Lee, and Lynn C. Woolsey sent a letter to President Obama requesting

that the U.S. Marines withdraw from Okinawa.

★　2006 Realignment Plan To Nago City

Under the 2006 Realignment Plan, the American and Japanese governments

have developed plans to build new military facilities in Henoko, Nago

City, Okinawa, as a precondition for closing the Futenma military base.

The relocation would destroy a valuable ecosystem including 400 species

of corals, endangered turtles and dugongs (marine manatees). Local

residents have staged a permanent protest that has lasted over 2,000

days. In fact, U.S. District Court judge ruled that developing these

plans without proper assessment in Henoko violates U.S. law.

★　Public Opposition

More than 90% of Okinawans want the Futenma military base closed without

opening any new bases in Okinawa. It is unlikely that any new facility

would be operationally feasible or politically sustainable. A strong

U.S.-Japan alliance requires a strong relationship between Tokyo and

Okinawa, but the controversy of U.S. military realignment has only

caused “turmoil and instability.”

★　Reduction in Military Spending

It is vital for the U.S. to make fundamental adjustments with regards to

our security strategy so that our military can continue to protect us as

effectively as possible while spending less federal money. Reducing our

troops in Asia without compromising our security is a necessary

condition.

————————————————————————————————————————-

    For more information contact John Feffer at johnf@ipc-dc.org or 202-234-9382

                               www.CloseTheBase.org

————————————————————————————————————————-

The University of Hawaii’s East-West Center in Washington is holding a seminar on Okinawa:

Futenma Relocation: The View from HenokoFeaturing:

Susumu Inamine
Mayor, Nago City, Okinawa, Japan

As the United States reaffirms its defense commitments to Asia and a “pivot” of American policy toward the Asia-Pacific, the matter of base relocation in Okinawa continues to be a contentious issue between Naha, Tokyo, and Washington. Under the 2006 base realignment roadmap agreed between the US and Japanese governments, the Marine Corp Air Station Futenma was to be relocated from its densely populated location near Okinawa’s capital to the more remote Nago City to the north. The local political situation in Nago has shifted against the relocation of the base to the city’s Henoko ward. Futenma remains in place while Japanese officials attempt to find an amicable solution that satisfies both the need for local buy-in and Japan’s security commitments within the US-Japan alliance. Nago City Mayor, Susumu Inamine, will discuss the relocation of MCAS Futenma from the local perspective.

Tuesday, February 7
10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.

East-West Center in Washington
1819 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, Sixth Floor Conference Room

This event is free and open to the public.

To RSVP, please click here:http://www.eastwestcenter.org/l59
Kindly send your reply by February 6.

Susumu Inamine was elected Mayor of Nago City, Okinawa in February 2010 after serving as a city official for 36 years. He graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of the Ryukyus, in 1971, and began working in the Welfare Division of the Nago City Office the following year. Throughout his career as a civil servant, Mr. Inamine worked in numerous departments and capacities, including serving as the Director of Planning and Coordination, the Manager of the General Affairs Department, and the chairman of the Nago City Board of Education. He resigned from his position on the school board in 2008 to run as an independent candidate for mayor, on the platform of opposition to the proposed relocation of the Futenma air base to Nago City’s Henoko district.

The East-West Center
The East-West Center in Washington

www.eastwestcenter.org/about-ewc/help/email-updates/

The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the US Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options.

In conjunction with the Okinawa delegation, and as means of showing solidarity with their work, a Okinawan newspaper has submitted an op-ed to the Washington Post online. The piece highlights the ongoing dangers, complications and substantial needs to close the base, and will be featured daily from Jan 23 until Jan 26, so be sure to check it out here: http://www.okinawaiken.org/washingtonpost.

Also be sure to attend the talk at the Washington DC bookstore, Busboys and Poets, tonight from 6:30-8:30. Details for the event are as follows:

PRESS ADVISORY Contact: John Feffer, Institute for Policy Studies
For Immediate Release 202.234.9382 (English)
Ryota Moriki, delegation member,
81-90-9782-7823 (Japanese)

Okinawan Delegation Visits DC for Base Closure

Washington, DC – A delegation of politicians, lawyers, activists and students from Okinawa, Japan, will travel to Washington, DC, from January 21 to January 27 to advocate for the closure of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma. The delegation of 24 Japanese leaders will hold a series of Congressional meetings and community events to raise awareness of the Futenma crisis.

Okinawa is home to approximately 65% of U.S. Forces in Japan (USFJ), including the controversial Futenma base in Ginowan City. The relocation of Futenma base has been in negotiation since 1996 and continues to cause significant political strain on U.S. Japan relations. Given the current political climate in Washington, the group hopes that foreign base closures may comprise a portion of proposed cuts to military spending.

Tactically, the activists from Okinawa share much in common with Occupy protesters. They have been “occupying” proposed base construction sites through vigils, sit-ins and demonstrations for over seven years. The delegation plans to host a teach-in in coordination with Occupy DC and Occupy Washington DC (see Event 2 below for more information and contact John Feffer above for forthcoming details).

Former Ginowan City Mayor Yoichi Iha is a major organizing force behind the delegation. Members will include National Diet (Japanese parliament) members from Okinawa, prefectural assembly members, lawsuit plaintiffs and lawyers, woman’s rights activists, environmental activists, sit-in protesters from Henoko and Takae, and students.

“The U.S. can bolster their presence in Asia at the same time they reduce their outdated footprint on Okinawa,” says Suzuyo Takasato, an organizer of the delegation. “The people of Okinawa are solidified in their opposition to the base. It is pointless to keep a military base open that does nothing but create animosity towards the United States.”

As the U.S. shifts its foreign policy focus to Asia, the delegation hopes this will mean a leaner military presence in Okinawa. “In this case, less is more,” says John Feffer, co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies. “Less Marines in Okinawa translates to more resources for combating 21st century threats like cyber attacks, and a drawdown could improve strategic mobility.”

Press is invited to attend the following events planned by the delegation:

Event 1

WHO: Partial delegation
*Speakers*
Ms. Keiko Itokazu, Member of Japanese National Diet
Mr. Osamu Makishi, Citizens’ Network for Okinawan Biodiversity
Mr. Toshio Ikemiyagi, Leading attorney of the lawsuit for the Kadena Air
Base’s noise pollution
*Moderator*
Mr. John feffer, Institute for Policy Studies
Prefectural legislators, peace and environmental activists, and students from Okinawa, Japan
WHAT: Panel discussion on environmental and civic rights impacts of US military bases in Okinawa
WHEN: January, 23 2011, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
WHERE: Langston Room, Busboys and Poets, 14th & Vst. N.W. Washington D.C.
WHY: U.S. military bases in Okinawa have been the source of dramatic controversy in Japan
and the US for decades. Many in Okinawa have criticized US bases for the dangers they pose, including military accidents, environmental and health damage, and crimes committed by US military personnel–most infamously, the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl.
PHOTO: Japanese members of parliament, prefectural assembly members, activists

Event 2

WHO: Partial delegation
WHAT: Occupy DC Tour, Information Exchange, Teach-In
WHEN: Wednesday, January 25, 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm (time tentative, contact Benjamin King
at 202-286-8856 on the day of the event for details)
WHERE: McPherson Square
WHY: In Okinawa, protesters have been conducting vigils and sit-ins at proposed base relocation sites for over 7 years. Occupy Wall Street and Occupy DC have pursued similar tactics. Members of the delegation will present background information about their struggle to close U.S. military bases. This is an opportunity for dialogue and information exchange between the Okinawan delegation and Occupy protesters. Great photo opportunities.
PHOTO: delegation members, Japanese activists, Occupy DC and Occupy Washington DC protesters

Event 3

WHO: Full delegation
Mr. Tokushin Yamauchi, Member of Japanese Parliament
Ms. Ms. Keiko Itokazu, Member of Japanese Parliament
Lawyers, prefectural legislators, peace and environmental activists, and students from Okinawa, Japan
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: January, 26 2011, 5:30 pm
WHERE: National Press Club (room # 1093)
529 14th Street Northwest Washington D.C., DC 20045
WHY: Members of the delegation will issue a statement to the press re: their visit to DC.
PHOTO: Japanese members of parliament, prefectural assembly members, activists

*Location*: Langston Room @ Busboys and Poets, 14th & V st  N.W. Washington D.C.
*Date*: January 23, 2011
*Time*: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
http://www.busboysandpoets.com/events.php

*Speaker*: The delegation from Okinawa
including Ms. Keiko Itokazu (Japanese Diet member) and
Mr. Hiroshi Ashitomi (Sit-in protester for nine years at the U.S.
construction site in Okinawa) etc..
*Moderator*: John feffer, Institute for Policy Studies

U.S. military bases in Okinawa have been the source of dramatic
controversy in Japan and the US for decades. Many in Okinawa have
criticized US bases for the dangers they pose, including military
accidents, environmental and health damage, and crimes committed by US
military personnel–most infamously, the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl.
Please join a delegation of Okinawan activists, students and politicians
to learn more about living with US bases and to engage in a constructive
dialogue about US-Okinawan-Japanese relations.
http://closethebase.org/

Contact:
John Feffer, Institute for Policy Studies
1112 16th Street, NW  Washington, DC, 20036
Phone: 202-234-9382
E-mail: johnf@ips-dc.org

Announcing the January 2012 Washington Delegation from Okinawa:
“Making Okinawan Voices Heard in America”

 
Purpose of Visit:

To promote awareness of enduring military base problems on Okinawa, Japan, and to propose the closure and consolidation of the 34 military installations on Okinawa as part of Congressional deficit-reduction plans to reduce defense spending by $1 trillion over the next ten years. The U.S. military built up its network of bases on the island by forcibly appropriating villages, homes and farmland in the wake of the Battle of Okinawa sixty-seven years ago. Highlighting the most critical problems facing Okinawans today, the delegation will demand:

1. The closure and return of U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station. Often referred to as the most dangerous base in the world, Futenma’s continued operations in densely populated residential areas of Ginowan City violate both US and Japanese safety standards. Planned deployment of the accident-prone MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to Futenma in 2012 faces strong opposition across Okinawa.

2. The cancellation of plans to construct a new Marine Corps air base at Cape Henoko, which involves massive land reclamation of a beautiful coral reef marine ecosystem and the habitat of the critically endangered Okinawa dugong (sea manatee).

3. The reduction of unbearable noise caused by air operations at Kadena Air Base, and the withdrawal of any proposal to integrate Futenma’s helicopter squadrons into Kadena’s operations. Kadena is already the subject of a lawsuit filed by 22,000 plaintiffs seeking to terminate nighttime flight operations at the base.

4. An end to the construction of six new helipads in the Yanbaru forest in northern Okinawa. This construction will result in the permanent destruction of forestland said to be comparable to a World Natural Heritage site, as well as the erosion of the quality of life for local residents of Takae.

5. The revision of the U.S.-Japan Status Of Forces Agreement, which will be demanded in particular by family members of Mr. Koki Yogi, who was killed by a civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force in January, 2011. The U.S.-Japan SOFA routinely obstructs fair trials and favors U.S. military and civilian personnel who commit crimes in Japan. Such crimes, which occur on a weekly basis, include fatal driving incidents, residential break-ins, taxi robberies, sexual violence, and other serious crimes against local citizens.

Tentative Meetings:

Federal agencies: National Security Council, Department of State, Department of Defense
Congressional committees and representatives: Senate Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Subcommittee on Military Construction; House of Representatives Committees on Armed Services and Foreign Affairs; the Sustainable Defense Task Force; Congress members seeking the withdrawal of US Marine Corps from Okinawa; Congress members seeking reductions in defense spending; Congress members from states and U.S. territories with Marine Corps bases, such as California, Hawaii, and Guam.

Think tanks: Brookings Institution, Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Institute for Policy Studies, New America Foundation, Center for a New American Security, etc.

Peace and environmental organizations: Social Justice Ministries with United Methodist Church, Peace Action, Network for Okinawa, Center for Biological Diversity, etc.

Dates of visit:

Monday, January 23, 2012 – Thursday, January 26, 2012

Delegation Members:

Chairperson: Mr. Tokushin Yamauchi (member of House of Councilors)
Vice-chairpersons: Ms. Keiko Itokazu (member of House of Councilors), Ms. Suzuyo Takazato (representative of Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence), Mr. Hiroshi Ashitomi (representative of the Council Opposing the Helicopter Base)

Executive Director: Mr. Satoshi Tamanaha (Chairperson of Okinawa-ken High School Teachers and Staff Union)

Okinawa Prefectural Assembly members: Ms. Kyoko Higa, Mr. Taiga Teruya, Ms. Sueko Yamauchi
Municipal Assembly members: Mr. Isao Tobaru (Ginowan City), Mr. Takuma Higashionna (Nago City), Ms. Satoko Taira (Naha City), Mr. Naoya Kuwae (Okinawa City), Mr. Masaharu Teruya (Chatan Village)

Attorney at Law: Mr. Toshio Ikemiyagi (representative of 嘉手納基地爆音訴訟弁護団　[Kadena Aircraft Noise Lawsuit Plaintiff’s Group])
Represented organizations: 沖縄平和市民連絡会　[Okinawa Peace Network]、ヘリ基地反対協議会 [Council Opposing the Helicopter Base], 嘉手納爆音訴訟団 [Kadena Aircraft Noise Lawsuit Plaintiff’s Group] 、普天間爆音訴訟団　[Futenma Aircraft Noise Lawsuit Plaintiff’s Group] 、No Helipad Takae Resident Society　[高江ヘリパッドいらない住民の会]、Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence,　沖縄・生物多様性市民ネットワーク [Citizens’ Network for Okinawan Biodiversity], 与儀功貴君の遺族を支える会、合意していないプロジェクト [Project Disagree], 沖縄県高教組 [Okinawa-ken High School Teachers and Staff Union],　宜野湾市職労 [Ginowan City Labor Union]

Contact:

“Voices of Okinawa – Close the Base”
Space Yui
Room # 402, 3-29-41 Kumoji
Naha City, Okinawa, Japan
Tel & Fax: ＋81-98-864-1539

Mark Selden, editor of The Asia-Pacific Journal, notes that Okinawans have created the most vibrant and sustained grassroots movement for democracy and peace in the Asia-Pacific, comparable only to the Korean movement in intensity, longevity, and creativity.

Makoto Arakaki’s photographs of the late December sit-in at the Okinawa Prefecture’s administration building captures the intensity of not only this latest moment in history, but also of the breadth and depth of the entire Okinawan Movement, now in its sixth decade.

Okinawans, including prominent elected political leaders and journalists, successfully engaged in a 24/7 sit-in at the Okinawa Prefectural office to prevent the delivery of the proposed U.S. Marine Base Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before January 4, 2012 to the Okinawan Prefectural Government. Part of the EIA did reach the office in a surreptitious 4 a.m. backdoor delivery a few days before the end of the year, but not the entire document.

According to sociologist Masami Mel Kawamura, the Japanese government wanted “to rob the Okinawa prefectural government of precious time for preparation of “Governor’s Comments” on the EIS while distracting the media’s attention. According to the EIA law and ordinance, Governor’s Comments for the airport plan should be issued within 45 days after the submission of EIS while for the reclamation plan they should be issued within 90 days.”

Dr. Kawamura further explained, “During our sit-in, we found that the Ministry of Environment has a strict protocol regulating EIS submissions. It requires the project proponents (in this case, the ODB) to bring the EIS, in principle, to the concerned agency/governmental office (Okinawa Prefecture) during normal office hours. The ODB’s submission considerably deviated from this rule because of a delivery at 4 a.m.. There is no reason for Okinawa prefecture to accept the EIS.

“Our current goal is to prevent the ODB from completing the procedures required for a proper submission of the EIS by the end of this fiscal year (March). To reach the goal,

we must make the Okinawa Prefectural Government acknowledge that the 90-day period for their review of the EIS (governing landfill and reclamation) will not start, according to administrative law until the ODB properly submits the complete EIS.

“On Jan. 4, Okinawa prefectural assembly members are coming to the sit-in site to observe the Okinawa Prefecture Government. We are now calling for people to join us at 8 AM to support these assembly members.”

The EIS alleges that the destruction of Oura Bay and Henoko to make way for offshore runways for military aircraft would not result in any significant environmental impacts to Oura Bay’s biodiverse sea life, including the federally protected Okinawa dugong.