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Okinawa vote a blow to Japan-U.S. ties

Have you heard of the legend of Yuzuki no kimi 弓月君 ? Japanese Legend says that Yuzuki no Kimi was a relative of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, came to Japan to find the elixir of life. He came to the Land of Wa (Japan) with some 5,000 men and women. He could not find the elixir of Life, so legend says he settled Japan. Thus it is claimed that from these some 5,000 people, developed the Yamato Civilization of the Yayoi Jidai.

In fact the Japanese Surname of Hata developed. In fact, Hata is the reading of Chinese Surname Qin: 秦.

;)

Hi,

Off topic----have you read James Clavell's Shogun----what do you think about it.
 
These Legends hold truth to it. In fact, the Japanese Empress Himiko is a descendent of King Taibo of the State of Wu. Early Yamato Civilization had cultural practices that were identical to the cultural practice of present day Zhejiang and Jiangzhu of China. This is where the State of Wu once was situated. The point is , the early leaders of Ancient Japan were Chinese, and early settlers were people from Qin and Wu States.

It was much later that the descendents of these early settlers took up and assumed their own identity. Japanese Identity.

Fascinating, Japanese people are indeed a branch of the Chinese family lol , remember to treat us with respect :lol:
 
Okinawa Elections Might Jeopardize US-Japan Relations / Sputnik international

Following the election of Takeshi Onaga, who opposes the US airbase on the Okinawa Island, Japan might jeopardize its relations with the United States.

MOSCOW, November 17 (Sputnik) – The election of Takeshi Onaga in Okinawa, who opposes the relocation of a US airbase on the island, might affect Japan’s relations with the United States, AFP said.

Onaga won the Sunday elections, promising voters of Okinawa to remove Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from the island.

“I will firmly implement my campaign pledge of seeking to remove the Futenma airbase outside Okinawa and never allow a new base in Henoko [a pristine coast of the island],” Onaga said, as quoted by AFP.

“The new military base will not be built. I will convey the will of the Okinawan people to the governments of Japan and the United States,” Onaga told the Japanese national broadcaster NHK, as reported by the New York Times.

The Okinawa Island is strategically important for the United States, as the airbase on the island gives the US a chance to oversee all activities in the Western Pacific. Considering China’s increasing role in the region, the US cannot afford to reduce its military presence on the island, AFP reported.

About two-thirds of the US 50,000 servicemen stationed in Japan are in Okinawa. The US military base is in the middle of Ginowan, a densely-populated city on the south of the island, and highly unpopular among residents, the New York Times said.
 
Hi ! I have not, but will definitely look into it. Is it good ?

Hi,

For me---it was the most fascinating book that I read about japan in the late 70's---. The Japanese culture----the state of govt---the rule of order and law---the loyalty to the emperor----and then the ultimate sacrifice of life for the greater good.

Being in Pakistan at that time----I had no clue what ancient japan was---.

I was shocked to learn that japan had an extremely advanced weapons ( guns ) industry---that was banned by the emperor in the late 15th or early 16th century---so when the first black ships anchored in japan----there were no guns in japan---they were destroyed---that was around 16th century.

I hope you enjoy the book----or you can watch the TV series---by the same name----with Richard Chamberlain.
 
What is the alternative? While I understand the frustration of Okinawa residents, I don't understand the opposition to moving the base away from population centers. If the base needs to be located in the area for strategic reasons, is there any prospect of building an artificial island near Okinawa, or use one of the smaller islands nearby (Kerama, Kume, Okinoerabujima, etc.)? A delay of 20 years doesn't give me hope that a negotiated solution is possible, so it's time to start thinking in a more radical way.


just build artificial islands near Senkaku for your military base, is like shooting down two birds with a stone
 
I respect and value your opinion, a lot more so than many members on PDF as I feel you are one of the more qualitative members, but in this instance I cannot take it at face value. "I guess Guam is the best option for the US military",

Plus Okinawa is only 822km from Shanghai and 645km to Taipei. That pretty much explains everything and why Guam isn't even on the table.
 
Okinawa Elects All Anti-U.S.-Bases Candidates


Some news of more resistance in Okinawa from Hiroshi Taka:

“I am writing this email to all the friends who have sent warm messages of solidarity to the people of Okinawa, who fought for a military base-free, peaceful Okinawa in the last weekend through the simultaneous elections at four levels: Governor of Okinawa, Mayor of Naha, three Prefectural Assembly members from Naha, Nago, and Okinawa City, and a member of Naha City assembly. They won the governor election, the mayoral election, the prefectural assembly elections in Naha and Nago. The result demonstrates that the Okinawans are undaunted, that the close-down of the Futemma Base and non-construction of a new base in Nago are an actual consensus of the whole prefecture.

“On Thursday last week, with your messages and Japanese translation, I went to Okinawa, held a press conference, visited the election campaign headquarters of Takeshi Onaga, the then candidate for the governor, and the election campaign headquarters of Ms. Shiroma, the then candidate for the mayor of Naha. I handed over your messages to Takeshi Onaga personally, at the midst of campaign when all those candidates were preparing to make speeches in the center of Naha City.

“Your messages were taken up by a major local paper Okinawa Times on Friday, Nov. 14 issue, and a number of other media. At the campaign headquarters of Onaga, the top leaders of the campaign kindly took time to listen to my presentation of the messages. At the campaign office of Shiroma, all campaign staff there stood up and with big applause, listened to my presentation. And at the speech rally of Onaga, Shiroma, and the other candidates standing against the Bases, most speakers, including Susumu Inamine, the mayor of Nago, referred to your messages, saying that the whole world was with them.

“Through these visits, I felt first-hand how powerfully and greatly your messages encouraged those who deserved your encouragement.

“Great though their successes are, the struggle for a bases-free Okinawa and peace in the region and the world continues. I hope you will continue to support their struggle, as we living in the mainland Japan will.

Hiroshi Taka

Data: (* = elected)

For the Governor

* ONAGA Takeshi (Anti-base) 360,820

NAKAIMA Hirokazu (former Governor) 261,076

For the Mayor of Naha, prefectural capital

* SHIROMA Mikiko (Anti-base) 101,052

YONEDA Kanetosh (supported by LDP-Komeito) 57,768

For the Prefectural Assembly member from Naha

* HIGA Mizuki (Anti-base) 74,427

YAMAKAWA Noriji (LDP) 61,940

For the Prefectural Assembly member from Nago

*GUSHIKEN Toru (Anti-base) 15,374

SIEMATSI Bunshinmatsu Bunshin (LDP) 14,281″



---------------------------


I should note that the Mayor of Okinawa is already anti-base and recently came to Washington, D.C. with that message. I wrote this prior to his visit:

Imagine if China were stationing large numbers of troops in the United States. Imagine that most of them were based in a small rural county in Mississippi. Imagine — this shouldn’t be hard — that their presence was problematic, that nations they threatened in Latin America resented the United States’ hospitality, and that the communities around the bases resented the noise and pollution and drinking and raping of local girls.

Now imagine a proposal by the Chinese government, with support from the federal government in Washington, to build another big new base in that same corner of Mississippi. Imagine the governor of Mississippi supported the base, but just before his reelection pretended to oppose it, and after being reelected went back to supporting it. Imagine that the mayor of the town where the base would be built made opposition to it the entire focus of his reelection campaign and won, with exit polls showing that voters overwhelmingly agreed with him. And imagine that the mayor meant it.

Where would your sympathies lie? Would you want anyone in China to hear what that mayor had to say?

Sometimes in the United States we forget that there are heavily armed employees of our government permanently stationed in most nations on earth. Sometimes when we remember, we imagine that the other nations must appreciate it. We turn away from the public uproar in the Philippines as the U.S. military tries to return troops to those islands from which they were driven by public pressure. We avoid knowing what anti-U.S. terrorists say motivates them, as if by merely knowing what they say we would be approving of their violence. We manage not to know of the heroic nonviolent struggle underway on Jeju Island, South Korea, as residents try to stop the construction of a new base for the U.S. Navy. We live on oblivious to the massive nonviolent resistance of the people of Vicenza, Italy, who for years voted and demonstrated and lobbied and protested a huge new U.S. Army base that has gone right ahead regardless.

Mayor Susumu Inamine of Nago City, Okinawa, (population 61,000) is headed to the United States, where he may have to do a bit of afflicting the comfortable as he tries to comfort the afflicted back home. Okinawa Prefecture has hosted major U.S. military bases for 68 years. Over 73% of the U.S. troop presence in Japan is concentrated in Okinawa, which makes up a mere 0.6% of the Japanese land area. As a result of public protest, one base is being closed — the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. The U.S. government wants a new Marine base in Nago City. The people of Nago City do not.

Inamine was first elected as mayor of Nago City in January 2010 promising to block the new base. He was reelected this past January 19th still promising to block the base. The Japanese government had worked hard to defeat him, but exit polls showed 68% of voters opposing the base, and 27% in favor of it. In February U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy visited Okinawa, where she met with the Governor but declined to meet with the mayor.

That’s all right. The Mayor can meet with the State Department, the White House, the Pentagon, and the Congress. He’ll be in Washington, D.C. in mid-May, where he hopes to appeal directly to the U.S. government and the U.S. public. He’ll speak at an open, public event at Busboys and Poets restaurant at 14th and V Streets at 6:00 p.m. on May 20th.

A great summary of the situation in Okinawa can be found in this statement: “International Scholars, Peace Advocates and Artists Condemn Agreement To Build New U.S. Marine Base in Okinawa.” An excerpt:

“Not unlike the 20th century U.S. Civil Rights struggle, Okinawans have non-violently pressed for the end to their military colonization. They tried to stop live-fire military drills that threatened their lives by entering the exercise zone in protest; they formed human chains around military bases to express their opposition; and about a hundred thousand people, one tenth of the population have turned out periodically for massive demonstrations. Octogenarians initiated the campaign to prevent the construction of the Henoko base with a sit-in that has been continuing for years. The prefectural assembly passed resolutions to oppose the Henoko base plan. In January 2013, leaders of all the 41 municipalities of Okinawa signed the petition to the government to remove the newly deployed MV-22 Osprey from Futenma base and to give up the plan to build a replacement base in Okinawa.”


Reference:

Okinawa Elects All Anti-U.S.-Bases Candidates | Global Research
 
US military has bases in 63 countries in the world. Most of the nations where they have troops the locals either do not know fully about it and if they do they are unwanted. Despite the wishes of local civilians the Americans maintain their bases.

http://www.theweeklings.com/wp-content/uploads/US-Military-Bases-Around-The-World.jpeg

Also there are 100+ countries where there are American troops on the ground. Clearly most of the people in these countries don't want them there.
 

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