The Okinawa Question
I have been thinking about Yukio Hatoyama’s sense of history since he stepped down as Japan’s prime minister last week, citing his failure to relocate the U.S. Marine air base out of Okinawa as one reason.
Why did Hatoyama make this promise in the first place, given that the relocation of the Futenma base is a thorny, complicated issue that has been stalled for the last 14 years?
Was it because Hatoyama understood the history of Okinawa’s sacrifices for the mainland, which has resulted in Okinawa’s hosting of 75 percent of U.S. forces in Japan today? Did he feel a responsibility to address the history of tensions between Okinawan communities chafing under the continuing burden of military bases, and the consistent lack of political will at the center to rectify this situation?… Seguir leyendo »