Okinawa resembles a joint Japan and US colony: US Marines set up a new unit
Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan is in a rush to militarize. Hence, unsurprisingly, the people of Okinawa (Ryukyu) will pay an even higher price. Indeed, it highlights Japan’s hidden disdain for the indigenous of Okinawa.
ABC News reports, “Today, a majority of the 50,000 U.S. troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact and 70% of U.S. military facilities are still in Okinawa, which accounts for only 0.6% of Japanese land.”
Yes, 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan just happen to be based in a land that was colonialized by Japan in the late nineteenth century. Despite Okinawa being accountable for only 0.6% of the landmass of Japan.
Ancient Ryukyu is like a colony for Japan and a military colony for America to contain China. For example, America utilized Okinawa to kill Koreans and the Vietnamese in the post-World War Two period. While today, Japan is freely joining in the containment of China under Kishida by bowing down to political elites in Washington.
Kyodo News reports, “The plans to set up a new unit in Okinawa could trigger a backlash from locals, however, as the island prefecture already bears the heavy burden of hosting about 70 percent of the total amount of land used exclusively for U.S. military installations in Japan.”
Reuters reports, “That large U.S. military presence has fuelled local resentment, with Okinawa’s government asking other parts of Japan host some of the force. Although reorganization may not increase the number of Marines in Okinawa, dispersing them could mean a broader presence along the island chain.”
America wants the Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) to be dispersed throughout Okinawa – further adding to the feel of being a military colony of America.
Kishida cares little about regional feelings in Okinawa. Instead, he plans to double the military spending of Japan and to be the “Northeast Asian divisionist” dream of America. Therefore, regional Northeast Asian powers – including China and the Russian Federation – are monitoring events carefully.
The Asia Pacific Journal reports – concerning the Korean War and Vietnam War – “The Pentagon had used Okinawa to stage the 1950-53 Korean War but it was during the Vietnam War that its military build-up truly bore fruit. The first combat troops to be dispatched to South Vietnam – including members of the 3rd Marine Division – came from Okinawa and, over the following years, hundreds of thousands more Americans transited through Okinawa. Tragically, many of those killed in action also passed back through the island, which hosted some of the military’s mortuary services.”
Overall, the people of Okinawa were expendable to both America and Japan during the war between these nations. Hence, turn the clock forward to 2023 and little changes. Therefore, the 0.6 percent of the landmass of Japan – along with the indigenous and cultural angle of this part of the nation – continues to be sidelined by America and Japan.
It appears that Kishida is intent on furthering the colonial feel of Okinawa.
Also, with America utilizing Okinawa in recent history to kill Asians in Korea and Vietnam: the same path is being planned by America in the worst-case scenario if China refuses to be contained.
America is laying traps for China under the Democratic Party concerning Taiwan. In history, China’s statecraft is famous. However, America’s appetite for war knows no boundaries – and the legacy of Japan and the United Kingdom equally adds to increasing tensions that are being upped by Biden and his useful puppet in Chiyoda (Kishida).
Kishida – hiding behind the coattails of America – declared, “We will show to the rest of the world an even stronger Japan-U.S. alliance, which is a linchpin of Japanese security and diplomacy.”
https://nautilus.org/supporting-documents/japan-under-the-us-nuclear-umbrella/ – Japan under the United States nuclear umbrella – NAUTILUS INSTITUTE
https://apjjf.org/Jon-Mitchell/4308.html
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi’s website and Modern Tokyo Times artist
https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News
PLEASE JOIN ON TWITTER
https://twitter.com/MTT_News Modern Tokyo Times
PLEASE JOIN ON FACEBOOK
http://facebook.com/moderntokyotimes