COMMENTARY
Yuki Shiroma, OCU
Okinawa was restored to the mainland 40 years ago, yet Okinawa, the Japanese mainland and the United States still maintain the problems of the past. Okinawa has been experiencing a number of social and economic problems, much more than the mainland has and for many more years. Okinawa is a small island far from the mainland.
About 70 years ago, Okinawa experienced a disastrous battle for the land and people. Nevertheless since the events of WWII, the Okinawan economy has grown significantly though, yet it is apparently still relatively frail compared to the mainland economy today. Okinawa people’s annual income average is the lowest in Japan. And also Okinawa’s unemployment rate is the highest in Japan. Okinawan people know these facts and are deeply concerned about making a better society.
What are the most apparent reasons for these inequities? First of all, as is well known throughout the world, Okinawa is home to many U.S. military bases concentrated into 70% of all bases throughout the entire country of Japan. And the U.S. military bases occupy up to 18% of Okinawa's useable land area. Vast areas are occupied by U.S. military bases situated in central locations in Okinawa’s urban areas, and these are greatly impacting city functions, transportation systems, and equitable land use.
These wide expanded bases obstruct the potential economic development of our home. Even today, there are many Okinawan people who demand the restoration of their land and the removal of U.S. military bases.
According to a survey conducted by the Ryukyu Shimpo on January 1, 2012, 66% of local citizens feel that the U.S. military bases should be withdrawn. In this way, Okinawan people feel that if the U.S. military base were withdrawn, then the people themselves can realize huge social and economic benefits.
As for the local economy, according to the Shimpo, on September 11 2010, a local government official said that removal all of the U.S. military bases from Okinawa could create twice the economic benefits than originally thought. The official, Yoshinobu Takamine, who is one member of the Diet in Okinawa who believes that “other prefecture people say Okinawa has received huge subsides for the U.S. military base burden. But, in fact Okinawa economy has lost many benefits due to widespread base presence. And in terms of employment, it could create 2.7 times that about 90,000 people. I want other prefecture people to recognize this fact that the U.S. military bases is cause of obstacle to development.”
There are successful examples of economic self-sufficiency in places that were once used as U.S. military bases in Tyatan and Naha new downtown. These both are representative examples of city growth in Okinawa today.
The national Japanese government has addressed the removal of U.S. military bases before, but only as a theory. It is not an easy thing to change ideas and circumstances that have been in place for a long time. But, many people still expect to remove the U.S. military bases and imagine life without them someday.
References
Ryukyu newspaper 2012 January 1 http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-185791-storytopic-1.html
Ryukyu newspaper 2011 September 11
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