The title of this blog may seem strange, especially in view of the fact that Okinawa Prefecture with its five districts has representatives in the Japanese Diet (Parliament, House of Representatives). After all, Okinawa had been a Japanese prefecture since 1879 when it was annexed and allowed to send representatives to Tokyo government. However, even as a prefecture, Okinawa and Okinawans were always treated less than equal by the government as well as people of Japan.
Although after annexation, Okinawans were put under Japanese rule and system, they were more of a colony than a bona fide prefecture, part of Japan. Children were taught Japanese from kindergarten onward. The education system was based on what was nationwide in Japan. Yet, it was inferior to that of "mainland" Japan, and graduates of Okinawan high schools had a tough time getting into the top notch Japanese universities. Okinawans in general were treated as second class citizens. Those who chose to go to "naichi" (main islands) ended up working in the bottom strata of the Japanese work force. They were placed almost in the same category as Chinese, Taiwanese and Koreans (Taiwan and Korea had been colonized by Japan). The Japanese referred to these people as sankoku-jin (three country people, referring to China, Taiwan and Korea). They were at the bottom of the Japanese society and the Okinawans were relegated to the same level! At times, sankoku-jin meant China, Korea, and Okinawa, since many Japanese considered Taiwanese as Chinese!
During World War Two, Okinawans were drafted into the Japanese military but were not allowed to serve in regular units. They served in "work battalions," usually as simple laborers or ammunition bearers. Unlike Koreans who had a proclivity for military service, few if any Okinawans distinguished themselves in combat, mainly because they were not allowed to serve in that capacity! It was a strange way of treating people who were supposedly from a region that was a part of the country. But then again, we too weren't exactly progressive with our segregated military!
Despite the horrors of World War Two where Okinawa lost about a quarter of its civilian population, most people on Okinawa had hopes that things would be better. There was no clamor for return to Japan. Of course the Okinawans were in no position to demand anything at the end of the war. These are people who had been harshly treated by the Japanese for centuries, even after they supposedly became Japanese. So, it was not in their DNA to protest or make any demands.
The U.S. on the other hand, immediately started building bases and became the occupier of Okinawa. Initially, as a defeated nation, Japan had no say so as to what took place on Okinawa. But, after the signing of the 1952 San Francisco Treaty, when U.S. Occupation of Japan officially ended, the subject of Okinawa came to the forefront. In fact, it was one of the key issues discussed during the hammering out of the agreement for the treaty!
Japan was anxious to reduce U.S. military bases and presence in Japan to get started on the road to recovery. However, at the same time, Japan was very nervous about Soviet Union and Communist China. Korean War was still raging and Japan saw how the Chinese had been fighting UN forces to a standstill in Korea. They knew that Chinese memory was long and that WWII had only ended seven short years earlier. Japan wanted protection from the U.S. and Okinawa was a perfect place to have the U.S. military built-up! As far as Japan was concerned, it was out of sight and out of mind. After all, Okinawa was not "real" Japan! It was better to have all those bases and military personnel there than in their own backyard! Poor Okinawans had no say so what so ever!
Okinawa's status was unclear. It was in pseudo trusteeship, not officially, but for all practical purposes. As kids - teenagers, most of us who lived on Okinawa during the 1950s and 60s really had no idea of the true status of Okinawa. We lived in an insular society, on military bases and housing areas that were microcosms of typical American community, and starting in 1958, even the currency was the U.S. dollar! But life outside of U.S. bases was quite different. Unemployment was high, and a young graduate of Ryukyu University really did not have much of a future. The best paying jobs were working for the U.S. military as a clerk or other low level position, not something that a new university graduate looked forward to!
Okinawa has always been an agricultural society. The bulk of the population engaged in farming of one sort or another. The island of Okinawa is hilly, and flat areas were always considered premium land for farming. When the U.S. military started appropriating land for bases, naturally, flat areas were the ones that were taken first. Think about it. Except for housing areas that have hilly land, the bases themselves are flat, premium farm land. U.S. bases currently take up about 18% of the total land mass on Okinawa. At its peak in the 1950s and 60s, with all the housing areas included, it was more like 25% of total land mass. Since only about 50% of the land on Okinawa is flat and arable, you can figure out how much of the farm land has been taken up by U.S. bases.
In the mid 1950s the U.S. and the Japanese government discovered that about 250,000 Okinawans were displaced by U.S. bases. They had no land to farm. So a plan was hatched by both governments to encourage Okinawans to emigrate to South America. Deals were struck with South American countries to accept Okinawan immigrants, there was a lot of back door politicking and illegal funds passed. The plan was to resettle the 250,000 or so Okinawans in Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, and even Mexico. Between 1954 and 1962, approximately 17,000 Okinawans emigrated. Some were successful in establishing farming communities, like Colonia Okinawa in Bolivia. Others simply joined existing Okinawan/Japanese immigrant communities in Brazil and other countries. Many also perished in harsh conditions in Amazonian jungles and others returned after several years. Of course you can't really blame the Japanese government. Post war Japan was crowded and with few opportunities for employment. The government had to do something to relieve the situation and Okinawa was just a part of it.
By the 1960s there was some serious dialogue between the U.S. and Japan about Okinawa's reversion to Japan. Japan had recovered from the war and was becoming an economic power. Naturally, their politicians began to think of ways to increase Japan's territory and regaining Okinawa was one of them. It is ironic, because back in 1952 during the signing of the San Francisco Treaty, Japan was willing to let U.S. have trusteeship over Okinawa and eventually make it into a protectorate. This, the Japanese politicians thought, would guarantee that U.S. would always be present near by to protect Japan! How times change! Within a decade, after economic recovery, Japan was no longer thinking the same way. Now they "wanted their cake and eat it too!"
However, what really surprised many of these Japanese politicians was some of the reactions from Okinawans when reversion talks began in earnest. There were prominent Okinawan politicians who did not want the reversion to take place! Naturally, it was assumed that those who made their living off U.S. military presence, like those involved in various "entertainment" industries, would be against reversion, and indeed they were! But the objections of respected politicians and scholars really surprised the Japanese. However, most of this information was kept out of the Japanese press!
In the next blog I will discuss some of the interesting views of prominent Okinawans like Chotoku Ogimi, Akira Arakawa, and Genwa Nakasone.
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