Okinawans Protesting US Military Base Asked If They ‘Understand Japanese’

henoko protesters

Henoko protesters in March 2017. Screencap from official Kyodo News YouTube channel.

Okinawa's Defense Bureau has come under fire from residents, the media and local politicians after security staff under the command of the bureau used insulting language towards activists protesting the construction of an American military base by asking them, “Do you understand Japanese?”

The incident occurred on August 29 in front of Camp Swab, a United States Marines installation that sits on Henoko Bay in Okinawa, a Japanese island in the East China sea. The American military is in the process of building an airstrip on reclaimed land in Henoko Bay. Local activists have conducted a sustained campaign of civil disobedience to protest the base's construction, and the Defense Bureau, which is under the control of Japan's Ministry of Defense, is tasked with removing them.

Activists have long complained that Japanese security forces use heavy-handed tactics to deal with protests. For locals, the latest taunts and insults aimed at protesters by Defense Bureau officers underline how Okinawans often perceive themselves as being treated as second-class citizens, and not truly Japanese.

Defense Bureau uses abusive language with Henoko protesters: “Do you understand Japanese?” Okinawa backlash [ensues].

Once again, words that would wound the hearts of Okinawans.

According to an article by Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, the language used by security staff on August 29 was intended to mock the Okinawan dialect, which is quite distinct from the standard Japanese spoken by Defense Bureau officers. The incident received limited coverage in Japanese media.

At 2:56PM on August 28, the riot squad removed protesters engaged in a sit-in in front of Camp Swab. An officer of the Okinawa Defense Bureau called out from behind a fence to residents, “Do you understand Japanese?”

Besides the Tokyo Shimbun's short report, Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper described the Defense Bureau officer's remarks as “inappropriate” (不適切). Japanese Defense Minister Onodera Itsunori was quoted as saying he would like to caution Defense Bureau representatives “against using language that might invite misinterpretations” (誤解を招くような言葉遣いに気をつけるようしっかり注意したい).

Sankei also quoted Nagase Kazuo, the head of an umbrella organization representing local activists Okinawa, as remarking:

「沖縄は歴史的に方言差別や米国統治に苦しめられてきた。許し難い発言だ」

Okinawa has historically been discriminated against because of its dialect and has suffered under American occupation. It's hard to forgive such language.

Once its own kingdom, Okinawa has long felt apart from the rest of Japan. Following Japan's defeat in World War II, the United States administered Okinawa until 1972. It was developed into a base for the American military in the Western Pacific; despite accounting for just 0.6% of Japan’s territory, Okinawa is home to over 70% of American military installations based in Japan. US military bases occupy at least 18% of the main island of Okinawa.

In 2013, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and then Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima signed an agreement to build a new US Marine base at Henoko Bay, a relatively pristine area that will be destroyed by landfill to create the facility. The decision triggered ongoing protests and civil disobedience that briefly made national news, just as Okinawa marked the 45th anniversary of its return to Japanese sovereignty.

In April 2017, work commenced to fill in parts of Henoko Bay with rock to make way for a seawall and helicopter landing pad. Protesters showed up at the gated entry to the construction site, but were met with a crackdown by Japanese police. Okinawa Governor Onaga Takeshi sought an injunction to stop work on the seawall, with no success so far.

The remarks by the security forces may also be interpreted as questioning whether or not base protesters are truly Japanese, since there is the perception that many activists are foreigners.

Well, there are a lot of foreigners [at the protests]!

Can we really be sure everyone was able to comprehend Japanese?

In fact, the perception that Okinawan protesters may not be from Japan at all may come from deliberate disinformation campaigns, where right-wing counter-demonstrators pose as foreign agents.

The taunting by the Okinawa Defense Bureau officers highlights the divide that exists between local activists and the Japanese government, with no solution in sight.

8 comments

  • (By the way governor Takeshi Onaga admits, that he is a Pro-Japan Ryukyus person).
    Since 1998. Pro-Japan coverage to dare to invite the international community to give up. Pro-Japan Journal of Japanese & Western people including Ryukyu Okinawa media of the Ryukyus people. “Including the movement against the US military base by Pro-Japan Ryukyu guided pro tester who dared to ignore” Kadena base and Henoko base · CampSchwab existence in unconstitutional nuclear weapons dedicated ammunition warehouse ” Then.
    “The usual way to hide the problem that will lead to affecting the weakening of the Japan-U.S. Alliance,” the existence of “a nuclear weapons-only ammunition warehouse” “, the removal of all military bases in the whole Ryukyus Because it will definitely become exercise.

    Below is an excerpt of only the conclusion at the end of the sentence, “It is the day before the Indian troops withdrew in South Asia, the day before the North launched a test missile (towards the sky above the Japanese island)” that corresponds to ” The US military bases of the Japan-US alliance will concentrate. “Pro-Japan coverage of the Okinawa island of Ryukyu in East Asia on August 28, 2017.

    “We have no way to solve” while exaggeratingly reporting that “There is no problem to be solved just as much as 2% of the opposition movement of the entire US military base as a matter concerning military bases in Okinawa Island as a whole” We extracted only the conclusion part that will dare invite the international community to give up:

    <<In April 2017, work commenced to fill in parts of Henoko Bay with rock to make way for a seawall and helicopter landing pad. Protesters showed up at the gated entry to the construction site, but were met with a crackdown by Japanese police. Okinawa Governor Onaga Takeshi sought an injunction to stop work on the seawall, with no success so far.

    The remarks by the security forces may also be interpreted as questioning whether or not base protesters are truly Japanese, since there is the perception that many activists are foreigners.

    Well, there are a lot of foreigners [at the protests]!

    Can we really be sure everyone was able to comprehend Japanese?
    In fact, the perception that Okinawan protesters may not be from Japan at all may come from deliberate disinformation campaigns, where right-wing counter-demonstrators pose as foreign agents.

    The taunting by the Okinawa Defense Bureau officers highlights the divide that exists between local activists and the Japanese government, with no solution in sight.

    Share this:

    Written by
    Nevin Thompson>>

    >>Okinawans Protesting US Military Base Asked If They ‘Understand Japanese’
    Locals think the comment intended to mock the Okinawan dialect.
    Posted 31 August 2017

    >>
    https://globalvoices.org/2017/08/31/okinawans-protesting-us-military-base-asked-if-they-understand-japanese/

  • Postscript:
    By the way anti – Japanese Ryukyu people account for 95% of the total population. Only 5% Pro-Japan Ryukyus people compared to it. Actually, the reality of the Ryukyus is hidden despite such a terrible thing, because of Japanese and Americans with those who were seduced by the Japanese:

    “On a small Okinawa Island where 1,200,000 evacuation lanes are not even a single nuclear material pollution accident”, “A fighter plane fighter training 300 times a day just above the nuclear weapons ammunition store Repeat “Okinawa island where the crisis is real life every day 365 days a year.

    • one okinawan

      If the anti-japanese ryukyu people means anti-japanese people who live in okinawa.

      You must show how did you find that 95% of okinawan people are anti-japanese.

      You may not know, ryukyu people (okinawan people) are japanese.

  • one okinawan

    As the article mentioned, some south korean and chinese consist of the protesters. And some of them were arrested in assult. So, I nerver, never think the statement of a member of defense bureau is discrimination.

    I wonder why foreigner participate in political activity in japan. The constructing of Us military base on okinawa is very strongly connected with japan’s security. This problem must be delt wiyh only japanese and american.

    I hope as you know, chinese officials think okinawa belongs to china. And chinese ship entered japanese territorial waters many times.

    There’s one more thing. Most newspaper in japan and okinawa are very biased the left. They treat question of military base very inflammatory. I guess they try to make okinawan people confused.

    I hope massmedia In japan become neutrality at least objectivly.

  • It is that expectation of meaningful discussion can be expected only when “correct order” is obeyed.

  • patronus95

    In fact, Okinawan (Uchinaaguchi) is not a dialect of Japanese, as the article seems to assume. Uchinaaguchi is a completely different language, with a different grammar and vocabulary, although related to Japanese like Italian or Romanian is related to Spanish.

    However, the language is now in danger of extinction, due to assimilation policy from the central government which imposed an ideology of racial and linguistic homogeny. The Okinawan language was banned at schools, among other discriminatory measures. Today, Okinawan speakers are mostly the elders, although many young people speak in a mix of Uchinaaguchi and Japanese.

    Anyway, Uchinaaguchi should not be considered as a Japanese dialect.

    • Thanks for your comment (I am the author).

      I am aware that “Okinawan” (or, more correctly, Uchinaaguchi) is a distinct language.

      But I am pretty sure that the language spoken by most Okinawans is Japanese, with an “Okinawan accent”, similar to a dialect? In other words, not everyone speaks Uchiaaguchi these days, but most people in Okinawa speak Japanese, but it is a distinct, local form of Japanese.

      Is this correct?

      • Hey, hey, wait a moment. If there is shame in you. I was expecting that the Global Voice will respond to it properly and against comments. Do you intend to ignore it thoroughly, my comment.

        I will mention from the conclusion above. In the first place the order is opposite. I do not have to respond.

        Because it is far from argument to act in violation of humanity.

        September 2. →. September 1. →. September 5th. What is this wrong turn? .

        It is becoming a topic in the world over the way of such outright intimidation like this.
        For example, the Korea-US alliance – Japan-US alliance “over the power to” show off overwhelming advantage “to North Korea.

        Actually this is also the topic ‘s overwhelming’ overwhelming power ‘is the essence of the problem, and our commenting itself, which is progressing in reverse order, is also the case. And even though this phenomenon is dressed like a natural phenomenon, it pretends to be like a storm typhoon (hurricane).
        So there is no need to respond properly.

        Let me explain in detail.

        First of all, 9/2 day comment on contents which completely ignored my comment on 9/1 day.

        This is the essence of the problem.

        At this time, it became an erroneous order that made the “overwhelming power” back to the back.

        The shameless “overwhelming power” acted, so the same person who commented on my 9/1 day comment completely and commented on 9/2 said, “This time it is on 9 / 5th You can ask such a question, against my comment on 9/1 “. It is said that there is as much shameless as possible.

        So why do I need to respond? To the question of the father who ignored me completely.

        I repeat it.
        It is expected that meaningful discussion can be expected only when “correct order” is obeyed.

        It goes without saying that this is the correct order:

        September 1. →. September 2. →. September 5th. And today.

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