The issue of Okinawa is also the issue of the whole Japan: 45th anniversary of Okinawa’s “Return to Japan”

 

On May 14, 2017, a rally and a demonstration questioning the 45^th anniversary of Okinawa’s “Return to Japan” were held in the Shinjuku district, central Tokyo. TAMAKI Ai (photo), a 22-year old postgraduate student at Ryukyu University in Okinawa, appealed, “45 years ago, I was not born and even my parents were small. They often told me that people in Okinawa drove on the right (Japan had and still has a left-hand traffic rule) and used the US dollars before the return. What has changed in Okinawa since the 27-year US rule and the 45-year Japanese rule? While Okinawa has only 0.6% of the whole area of Japan, 70% of US military bases concentrate in the small prefecture. Violence of US soldiers has killed local Okinawans and Ospreys of the US military have crashed. Why does Okinawa have to suffer from the heavy burden of the US bases even 72 years after the end of World War II? I would like to ask these questions”. Tamaki continued, “You may say you are tired of or fed up with something political like the US military or security. But is the issue of Okinawa only that of Okinawans? It is the issue of the whole Japan, and your issue, isn’t it?”

(MIYUKI Emi)

 video (13 minutes)

「日本全体の問題ではないですか？」～沖縄「日本復帰45年」を問うアピール＆デモ

5月14日、沖縄「日本復帰45年」を問うアピール＆デモが、東京・新宿アルタ前で行われた。沖縄から琉球大学院生・22歳の玉城愛さん（写真）が参加しアピールした。「復帰の45年前、私は生まれていなかったし親も小さかった。復帰前はクルマは右ハンドルで通貨はドルを使っていたという話をよく聞いた。米軍の占領が27年、そして日本復帰後45年が経つが何が変わったのでしょうか。いまも日本全体面積の0.6％の沖縄に米軍施設の70％があります。暴行事件で命が奪われオスプレイが墜落しています。第二次大戦が終わって72年経つのに、なぜ沖縄の過重な基地負担が続くのか、これが私の疑問です」。道行く人に向かって玉城さんは続けた。「米軍や安保の話は政治的のことで疲れる、面倒くさいと思うかもしれません。でも沖縄の問題は沖縄の人だけが考える問題でしょうか。日本全体の問題、あなたの問題ではないですか？」。（見雪恵美）  

・動画（13分）