The Prime Minister's Okinawa Problem
Writer Profile
Ushio Shiota
Other : Non-fiction writerKeio University alumni
Ushio Shiota
Other : Non-fiction writerKeio University alumni
2019/04/10
On February 24, a prefectural referendum was held in Okinawa Prefecture, and "opposition to the Henoko relocation" exceeded 72% of all valid votes. However, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is prepared to push forward with the relocation regardless of the results.
The issue of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma began with the Japan-U.S. agreement on its return in April 1996 during the Ryutaro Hashimoto administration, but it remains unresolved 23 years later. In October 2015, while chatting with the editor-in-chief of "Sunday Mainichi," I wondered aloud why this wandering had continued for so long, and he invited me to "investigate and write a report." That was the start of the publication of this book.
That said, I am not an expert in Okinawa studies, nor did I have experience conducting continuous research or reporting on it in the past. I was aware of my lack of ability as a writer on "Okinawa," but having observed central politics for many years, I became interested in how successive post-war administrations have faced the Okinawa problem. Behind the scenes of power struggles such as the fight for control of the government, there were many instances where the Okinawa problem was used as a "political tool." With that in mind, I wanted to follow the trajectory of administrations from the perspective of "The Prime Minister's Okinawa Problem" and analyze the truth and falsehood of politics through the Okinawa issue.
My first experience with Okinawa was in June 1981, before I became independent as a non-fiction writer, when I was a reporter for the monthly magazine "Bungeishunju." I visited Chobyo Yara, the last Chief Executive of the Government of the Ryukyu Islands and the first governor of the prefecture after its return, at his home in Naha City for an interview. However, there was one time before that when I had developed an interest in Okinawa.
I was enrolled in the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law from 1966 to 1970 and studied in Professor Kikuo Nakamura's seminar. At that time, before Okinawa's return to the mainland, Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, who aimed to achieve the return, finally decided on the status of the bases after the return as "without nuclear weapons and on par with the mainland." At that time, a group of 14 experts called the Okinawa Base Issues Research Group, established within the Consultative Committee on Okinawa Issues (an advisory body), played a leading role. Professor Nakamura was one of its members.
Fifty years later, I tackled "Okinawa" for the first time in my 66th book. I believe that studying political science at university is the starting point of my writing and public speaking activities, and there is no doubt that the memory of Professor Nakamura's achievements—participating in and playing a part in the work related to the real-world politics of Okinawa's return—pushed me to write this book.
*Affiliations and job titles are as of the time of publication.