Okinawa Revisited
ANDO Yuka / Former Political Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
April 11, 2023
Last year, Okinawa celebrated the 50th anniversary of its reversion to Japan from the United States. Okinawa was under U.S. occupation until 1972 after Japan’s defeat in the Pacific War. During those years in Okinawa, U.S. dollar bills were used, cars were driven on the right side of the road, and American culture was more prevalent than anywhere else in Japan. Even after its reversion to Japan, largely due to the significant presence of U.S. military bases, the influence of the U.S. is palpable in society.
In the Pacific War, Okinawa was the place where the only land battle involving civilians was fought in Japan; approximately 188,000 Japanese died in the Battle of Okinawa, out of which 120,000 were mostly local civilians. Since the population of Okinawa before the war was about 490,000, one-fourth of them perished in the war. This left a bitter feeling among the Okinawans that they had been sacrificed to block the American forces’ attack on the Japan Mainland. Against this backdrop, there has been a passion for peace as well as a strong anti-war movement in postwar Okinawa.
This strong desire for peace is embedded in the “Cornerstone of Peace,” which commemorates those who died in the Battle of Okinawa. Located in Mabuni, Itoman City, in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa prefecture, where the last battle was fought, Masahide Ota, the governor of Okinawa Prefecture (1994-1998), worked on the establishment of this “Cornerstone of Peace” as a project commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Then he insisted that it was important to engrave the names of all the war dead. In his book “Okinawa---Heiwa no Ishiji”, he states that there was not a single person who objected to including the names of U.S. soldiers killed in Okinawa. Thus the “Cornerstone of Peace” has become a memorial for all victims of the war regardless of their backgrounds.
In the old days, in the southern tip of Japan, Okinawa prospered through a transit trade with East Asia and Southern East Asia. Contrary to the stereotyped image of closed island societies, they have built peace by building friendly relations with the outside world. The peace-oriented nature of the Okinawa people, therefore, is not only brought by their experiences of the war but deeply inherent in them. It is said that the beauty of the Shuri town was exceptional. It was a symbol of prosperity based on peace. Before the war, there were more than 20 national treasure-class structures around the Shuri Castle, and Muneyoshi Yanagi, an authority on folklore and an art critic, said “After traveling around the world, there is no such a place like Shuri.” Ryotaro Shiba, a historical novelist and a travel writer, records a comment from a respected writer in his book “Okinawa Sakishima e no Michi” that “If the town of Shuri remained exactly as it was before the war, Okinawa would have become on par with Kyoto, Nara and Nikko’ in terms of a tourist destination.” Okinawa lost its irreplaceable cultural heritage during the Pacific War, but the full-scale restoration work of Shuri Castle began in the 1980s, and in 1992, the main hall of the castle was restored. However, in October 2019, Shuri Castle was burnt down again by an accidental fire.
In February this year, I revisited the Shuri Castle, where restoration work was underway. As I climbed the mild slope to Shurei-mon(gate) in the gentle sunshine, trying to visualize the old days of Shuri, I noticed Sonohiyan Utaki, just before Shurei-mon and stopped. The forest spread beyond the awesome stone gate of Sonohiyan Utaki and this whole setting was the prayer hall of the royal Shuri government. There are many other Utaki, sacred places for worship, inside and outside of Shuri Castle, signifying the essential role of faith as part and parcel of the lives of people in Okinawa. According to Mr. Shiba, “Just as priests of primitive Shinto in Japan were women, this was also the case in Okinawa. Women were closer to God and Men further away.” The Ryukyu (Okinawa) Kingdom “succeeded in the seemingly difficult task of controlling the smaller islands surrounding the main island through this religion.” In other words, the Ryukyu Kingdom reigned not through force but peacefully by relying on the power of the gods mediated by the sacred women.
Lately, the geo-political situation surrounding Taiwan, located very close to Okinawa, is becoming unstable. Faced with this reality, the Japanese government is working on strengthening Okinawa’s defense capabilities, causing certain repercussions locally. On Feb. 26th, during my visit there, a protest rally called “Stop turning the islands into war! The islands are for Promoting Peace! 2.26 Rally” was held. On the part of Okinawa, there is probably a feeling that the mainland government is going ahead to strengthen the defense capabilities of the island while Okinawa is being bypassed. Furthermore, they seem frustrated that all these developments are taking place even though the chasm remains unbridged between the central government and the local government on issues related to the US military bases such as the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the prospective site at Henoko. Crimes committed by US soldiers naturally irritate the local residents. Further, the words and deeds of the US military personnel stationed in Okinawa occasionally defy the local norms and sensitivities and exacerbate the resentment on the part of the Okinawan people.
In the meantime, the emergence of a new culture can be witnessed in post-war Okinawa. In the town of Chatan, “Mihama American Village” was opened in the early 2000s on reclaimed land in extension to the U.S. military base that had been returned to Japan, and that whole area has become a popular spot for young people. This experiment to make use of the post-war characteristics of Okinawa, with its sizable presence of American bases, is a manifestation of the open-mindedness of the people of Okinawa. Just as the Ryukyu Kingdom developed its own culture by fusing it with foreign cultures such as that of the Chinese continent and won the admiration of visitors, Okinawa, blessed with beautiful nature, can become a hub of culture infused with peace. It has no small potential to turn itself into a force that fosters a culture of peace in the region.
However, given the imminent risk in the region, Okinawa seems to have no realistic choice but to take the two-pronged approach of promoting peace and building defense, if only for its own security. I do not think projecting peace and building defense are mutually exclusive. Having revisited Okinawa, I strongly felt that not only Tokyo and Okinawa but the whole of Japan need to muster the wisdom to create an environment that enables the people of Okinawa to tackle both these challenges.
Ando Yuka is Adjunct Lecturer at Keio University.
In the Pacific War, Okinawa was the place where the only land battle involving civilians was fought in Japan; approximately 188,000 Japanese died in the Battle of Okinawa, out of which 120,000 were mostly local civilians. Since the population of Okinawa before the war was about 490,000, one-fourth of them perished in the war. This left a bitter feeling among the Okinawans that they had been sacrificed to block the American forces’ attack on the Japan Mainland. Against this backdrop, there has been a passion for peace as well as a strong anti-war movement in postwar Okinawa.
This strong desire for peace is embedded in the “Cornerstone of Peace,” which commemorates those who died in the Battle of Okinawa. Located in Mabuni, Itoman City, in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa prefecture, where the last battle was fought, Masahide Ota, the governor of Okinawa Prefecture (1994-1998), worked on the establishment of this “Cornerstone of Peace” as a project commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Then he insisted that it was important to engrave the names of all the war dead. In his book “Okinawa---Heiwa no Ishiji”, he states that there was not a single person who objected to including the names of U.S. soldiers killed in Okinawa. Thus the “Cornerstone of Peace” has become a memorial for all victims of the war regardless of their backgrounds.
In the old days, in the southern tip of Japan, Okinawa prospered through a transit trade with East Asia and Southern East Asia. Contrary to the stereotyped image of closed island societies, they have built peace by building friendly relations with the outside world. The peace-oriented nature of the Okinawa people, therefore, is not only brought by their experiences of the war but deeply inherent in them. It is said that the beauty of the Shuri town was exceptional. It was a symbol of prosperity based on peace. Before the war, there were more than 20 national treasure-class structures around the Shuri Castle, and Muneyoshi Yanagi, an authority on folklore and an art critic, said “After traveling around the world, there is no such a place like Shuri.” Ryotaro Shiba, a historical novelist and a travel writer, records a comment from a respected writer in his book “Okinawa Sakishima e no Michi” that “If the town of Shuri remained exactly as it was before the war, Okinawa would have become on par with Kyoto, Nara and Nikko’ in terms of a tourist destination.” Okinawa lost its irreplaceable cultural heritage during the Pacific War, but the full-scale restoration work of Shuri Castle began in the 1980s, and in 1992, the main hall of the castle was restored. However, in October 2019, Shuri Castle was burnt down again by an accidental fire.
In February this year, I revisited the Shuri Castle, where restoration work was underway. As I climbed the mild slope to Shurei-mon(gate) in the gentle sunshine, trying to visualize the old days of Shuri, I noticed Sonohiyan Utaki, just before Shurei-mon and stopped. The forest spread beyond the awesome stone gate of Sonohiyan Utaki and this whole setting was the prayer hall of the royal Shuri government. There are many other Utaki, sacred places for worship, inside and outside of Shuri Castle, signifying the essential role of faith as part and parcel of the lives of people in Okinawa. According to Mr. Shiba, “Just as priests of primitive Shinto in Japan were women, this was also the case in Okinawa. Women were closer to God and Men further away.” The Ryukyu (Okinawa) Kingdom “succeeded in the seemingly difficult task of controlling the smaller islands surrounding the main island through this religion.” In other words, the Ryukyu Kingdom reigned not through force but peacefully by relying on the power of the gods mediated by the sacred women.
Lately, the geo-political situation surrounding Taiwan, located very close to Okinawa, is becoming unstable. Faced with this reality, the Japanese government is working on strengthening Okinawa’s defense capabilities, causing certain repercussions locally. On Feb. 26th, during my visit there, a protest rally called “Stop turning the islands into war! The islands are for Promoting Peace! 2.26 Rally” was held. On the part of Okinawa, there is probably a feeling that the mainland government is going ahead to strengthen the defense capabilities of the island while Okinawa is being bypassed. Furthermore, they seem frustrated that all these developments are taking place even though the chasm remains unbridged between the central government and the local government on issues related to the US military bases such as the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the prospective site at Henoko. Crimes committed by US soldiers naturally irritate the local residents. Further, the words and deeds of the US military personnel stationed in Okinawa occasionally defy the local norms and sensitivities and exacerbate the resentment on the part of the Okinawan people.
In the meantime, the emergence of a new culture can be witnessed in post-war Okinawa. In the town of Chatan, “Mihama American Village” was opened in the early 2000s on reclaimed land in extension to the U.S. military base that had been returned to Japan, and that whole area has become a popular spot for young people. This experiment to make use of the post-war characteristics of Okinawa, with its sizable presence of American bases, is a manifestation of the open-mindedness of the people of Okinawa. Just as the Ryukyu Kingdom developed its own culture by fusing it with foreign cultures such as that of the Chinese continent and won the admiration of visitors, Okinawa, blessed with beautiful nature, can become a hub of culture infused with peace. It has no small potential to turn itself into a force that fosters a culture of peace in the region.
However, given the imminent risk in the region, Okinawa seems to have no realistic choice but to take the two-pronged approach of promoting peace and building defense, if only for its own security. I do not think projecting peace and building defense are mutually exclusive. Having revisited Okinawa, I strongly felt that not only Tokyo and Okinawa but the whole of Japan need to muster the wisdom to create an environment that enables the people of Okinawa to tackle both these challenges.
Ando Yuka is Adjunct Lecturer at Keio University.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
沖縄を再訪して
安藤 優香 / 元外務大臣政務秘書官
2023年 4月 11日
昨年、沖縄は米国からの本土復帰５０周年を迎えた。太平洋戦争後の沖縄は、１９７２年まで米国の占領下で、通貨は米ドル紙幣が使われ、道路は右側通行、米国文化も日本の中で最も直接的に流入していた。返還後も駐留米軍基地の存在が大きく、アメリカの影響は、沖縄を訪ねると随所で感じられる。
沖縄は、太平洋戦争で唯一の市民を巻き込む地上戦が戦われた地となり、日本側戦没者約１８万８千人のうち地元沖縄県出身は約１２万人も占め、その多くが一般市民であった。沖縄の戦争前の人口は約４９万人だったので、実に約４人に一人が亡くなったのである。沖縄県民の間には、「米軍の本土侵攻を阻止するために犠牲にされた」との苦い感情が残り、 戦後の沖縄には強い平和への思いと反戦運動が存在してきた。
沖縄戦戦没者を追悼する「平和の礎」には、この強い平和への思いが込められている。大田昌秀沖縄県知事（当時）は、戦後５０周年記念事業として最後の戦闘地域であった沖縄本島南部の糸満市摩文仁に「平和の礎」を建立した。その際、全ての戦没者の氏名を刻むことが大事であると主張したところ、敵として戦った米兵の名前を含めることに対しても、反対する者は一人としていなかったことを、大田知事は自身の著書『沖縄 平和の礎』で述べている。「平和の礎」では犠牲者が等しく偲ばれているのだ。
日本の南端の沖縄は、戦前の歴史を振り返っても、東アジアや東南アジアとの中継交易を通じて栄え、一般的に島社会特有の閉鎖性とは逆に、外部との友好関係を築くことで平和を築いてきた。沖縄県民の平和を志向する特性は昔からのものなのだ。その平和による繁栄の象徴、首里の美しさは格別だったという。戦前、首里城のまわりには国宝級の建造物が２０余り建ち並び、その美しさに民俗学・美術の権威ある柳宗悦は、「世界をまわってもこんな街はない」と語ったという。歴史小説家の司馬遼太郎も『沖縄・先島への道』で「『もし首里の街が戦前のままそっくり残っていたら、沖縄は京都、奈良、日光と肩をならべる』観光地になっていたろうと言われる」と、先人の言葉を借りつつ、紹介している。太平洋戦争でかけがえのない文化遺産も沖縄は失ったが、１９８０年代から本格的な復元作業が始まり、１９９２年には首里城の正殿等が復元された。しかし、２０１９年１０月の火事で首里城は再び全焼してしまった。
今年２月、再び復元工事が進められている首里城を久しぶりに再訪した。穏やかな日差しの中、昔日の首里に思いを馳せながら守礼門への緩やかな坂をあがると、門の手前の園比屋武御嶽（そのひやんうたき）の石門で足が止まった。威風堂々としたこの石門とその背後に広がる森は、王府の祈願所であった。首里城内外には、他にも聖地・拝所である御嶽が数多くあり、沖縄の人々の中に信仰が深く息づいていたことを感じる。司馬氏曰く「日本の原始神道の斎主が女であったように、沖縄においてもそうで、神の前では女がより神に近く、男はより遠」く、琉球王朝は「この宗教を通じて本来治めがたいかに思われた離島の統御に成功した」。琉球王朝は力をもってではなく、神聖な祝女を媒介した神の力に頼ることで平和な治世を築いたといえよう。
今、沖縄のごく近くに位置する台湾をめぐる情勢が不安定になっている。この状況を受けて政府が沖縄の防衛力強化を進める中、私の訪問中の今年２月２６日にも「島々を戦場にするな！沖縄を平和発信の場に！２・２６緊急集会」が開かれていた。沖縄側には、米軍の普天間飛行場の辺野古移設問題等、駐留米軍基地関連の問題についての本土政府との溝も埋まらないまま、防衛力強化が沖縄を素通りして進んでいるという思いがあるだろう。米兵が関わる犯罪はもちろんであるが、度々起きる沖縄県民意識から外れた駐留米軍の言動も、沖縄県民の反発を募らせるのは言うまでもない。
他方、沖縄では戦後、新たな文化も生まれてきていると感じる。沖縄の北谷町では、返還された米軍基地跡地の先を埋め立てて「美浜アメリカン・ビレッジ」が２０００年代はじめにオープンし、一帯は若者を中心にした人気スポットになっている。米軍基地の多い沖縄の特色を前面に出した試みは、沖縄の人々の大らかさと包容力を物語っていると感じてならない。琉球王国が中国大陸等の外部の文化をも融合しながら独自の文化を発達させて、訪ねる人々を感嘆させたように、美しい自然に恵まれた沖縄が、平和に根差した文化の拠点になり、地域の平和を醸成する勢力となる潜在力は小さくないのではないか。
しかし、差し迫った地域情勢を踏まえると、沖縄は自らの安全保障のためにも、現実的には沖縄の防衛力の強化との二本立てで取り組んでいかざるを得ないのではないだろうか。平和の発信と防衛力への取り組みは、相容れないものではない。沖縄の人々が主体的にその両方に取り組める知恵を、国や県は無論、私たち日本人全体で絞っていくべきではないか、と沖縄で強く感じた。
筆者は慶応大学非常勤講師
沖縄は、太平洋戦争で唯一の市民を巻き込む地上戦が戦われた地となり、日本側戦没者約１８万８千人のうち地元沖縄県出身は約１２万人も占め、その多くが一般市民であった。沖縄の戦争前の人口は約４９万人だったので、実に約４人に一人が亡くなったのである。沖縄県民の間には、「米軍の本土侵攻を阻止するために犠牲にされた」との苦い感情が残り、 戦後の沖縄には強い平和への思いと反戦運動が存在してきた。
沖縄戦戦没者を追悼する「平和の礎」には、この強い平和への思いが込められている。大田昌秀沖縄県知事（当時）は、戦後５０周年記念事業として最後の戦闘地域であった沖縄本島南部の糸満市摩文仁に「平和の礎」を建立した。その際、全ての戦没者の氏名を刻むことが大事であると主張したところ、敵として戦った米兵の名前を含めることに対しても、反対する者は一人としていなかったことを、大田知事は自身の著書『沖縄 平和の礎』で述べている。「平和の礎」では犠牲者が等しく偲ばれているのだ。
日本の南端の沖縄は、戦前の歴史を振り返っても、東アジアや東南アジアとの中継交易を通じて栄え、一般的に島社会特有の閉鎖性とは逆に、外部との友好関係を築くことで平和を築いてきた。沖縄県民の平和を志向する特性は昔からのものなのだ。その平和による繁栄の象徴、首里の美しさは格別だったという。戦前、首里城のまわりには国宝級の建造物が２０余り建ち並び、その美しさに民俗学・美術の権威ある柳宗悦は、「世界をまわってもこんな街はない」と語ったという。歴史小説家の司馬遼太郎も『沖縄・先島への道』で「『もし首里の街が戦前のままそっくり残っていたら、沖縄は京都、奈良、日光と肩をならべる』観光地になっていたろうと言われる」と、先人の言葉を借りつつ、紹介している。太平洋戦争でかけがえのない文化遺産も沖縄は失ったが、１９８０年代から本格的な復元作業が始まり、１９９２年には首里城の正殿等が復元された。しかし、２０１９年１０月の火事で首里城は再び全焼してしまった。
今年２月、再び復元工事が進められている首里城を久しぶりに再訪した。穏やかな日差しの中、昔日の首里に思いを馳せながら守礼門への緩やかな坂をあがると、門の手前の園比屋武御嶽（そのひやんうたき）の石門で足が止まった。威風堂々としたこの石門とその背後に広がる森は、王府の祈願所であった。首里城内外には、他にも聖地・拝所である御嶽が数多くあり、沖縄の人々の中に信仰が深く息づいていたことを感じる。司馬氏曰く「日本の原始神道の斎主が女であったように、沖縄においてもそうで、神の前では女がより神に近く、男はより遠」く、琉球王朝は「この宗教を通じて本来治めがたいかに思われた離島の統御に成功した」。琉球王朝は力をもってではなく、神聖な祝女を媒介した神の力に頼ることで平和な治世を築いたといえよう。
今、沖縄のごく近くに位置する台湾をめぐる情勢が不安定になっている。この状況を受けて政府が沖縄の防衛力強化を進める中、私の訪問中の今年２月２６日にも「島々を戦場にするな！沖縄を平和発信の場に！２・２６緊急集会」が開かれていた。沖縄側には、米軍の普天間飛行場の辺野古移設問題等、駐留米軍基地関連の問題についての本土政府との溝も埋まらないまま、防衛力強化が沖縄を素通りして進んでいるという思いがあるだろう。米兵が関わる犯罪はもちろんであるが、度々起きる沖縄県民意識から外れた駐留米軍の言動も、沖縄県民の反発を募らせるのは言うまでもない。
他方、沖縄では戦後、新たな文化も生まれてきていると感じる。沖縄の北谷町では、返還された米軍基地跡地の先を埋め立てて「美浜アメリカン・ビレッジ」が２０００年代はじめにオープンし、一帯は若者を中心にした人気スポットになっている。米軍基地の多い沖縄の特色を前面に出した試みは、沖縄の人々の大らかさと包容力を物語っていると感じてならない。琉球王国が中国大陸等の外部の文化をも融合しながら独自の文化を発達させて、訪ねる人々を感嘆させたように、美しい自然に恵まれた沖縄が、平和に根差した文化の拠点になり、地域の平和を醸成する勢力となる潜在力は小さくないのではないか。
しかし、差し迫った地域情勢を踏まえると、沖縄は自らの安全保障のためにも、現実的には沖縄の防衛力の強化との二本立てで取り組んでいかざるを得ないのではないだろうか。平和の発信と防衛力への取り組みは、相容れないものではない。沖縄の人々が主体的にその両方に取り組める知恵を、国や県は無論、私たち日本人全体で絞っていくべきではないか、と沖縄で強く感じた。
筆者は慶応大学非常勤講師
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟