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Okinawa Prefecture: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox settlement|conventional_long_name=Okinawa Prefecture|native_name=沖縄県|area_km2=2,281|population_census=1,466,870|population_census_year=2020|capital=Naha|largest_city=Naha}}
{{Infobox settlement|conventional_long_name=Okinawa Prefecture|native_name=沖縄県|area_km2=2,281|population_census=1,466,870|population_census_year=2020|capital=Naha|largest_city=Naha|image_map=Okinawa map.svg|map_width=260|image_flag=Flag of Okinawa.svg}}


'''Okinawa Prefecture''' is the southernmost prefecture of [[Japan]]. Although it makes up less than 1% of Japan's land area, it contains three-quarters of the [[United States of America|U.S.]] military bases in Japan and 30,000 U.S. soldiers.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Moé Yonamine|newspaper=Zinn Education Project|title=Fighting for Okinawa — My Home, Not a Military Base|date=2017-07-27|url=https://www.zinnedproject.org/if-we-knew-our-history/fighting-for-okinawa/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516012227/https://www.zinnedproject.org/if-we-knew-our-history/fighting-for-okinawa/|archive-date=2021-05-16|retrieved=2022-09-13}}</ref>
'''Okinawa Prefecture''' is the southernmost prefecture of [[Japan]]. Although it makes up less than 1% of Japan's land area, it contains three-quarters of the [[United States of America|U.S.]] military bases in Japan and 30,000 U.S. soldiers.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Moé Yonamine|newspaper=Zinn Education Project|title=Fighting for Okinawa — My Home, Not a Military Base|date=2017-07-27|url=https://www.zinnedproject.org/if-we-knew-our-history/fighting-for-okinawa/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516012227/https://www.zinnedproject.org/if-we-knew-our-history/fighting-for-okinawa/|archive-date=2021-05-16|retrieved=2022-09-13}}</ref>


== History ==
== History ==
=== Early U.S. colonization ===
[[Matthew Perry]] created the first military base in the Kingdom of Okinawa and used it to impose unequal treaties on Japan and Okinawa.<ref name=":02">{{Citation|author=David Vine|year=2020|title=The United States of War|chapter=Going Global|page=177|city=Oakland|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520972070|lg=http://library.lol/main/191568BFAC73F009132DB00ECD0F0F05}}</ref>


=== Japanese colonization ===
=== Japanese colonization ===
Line 9: Line 12:


=== Second World War ===
=== Second World War ===
The United States invaded Okinawa in April 1945. A third of the Okinawan population was killed and over 90% of the survivors became homeless.<ref name=":0" /> The United States occupied Okinawa until 1972, when it became a prefecture of Japan.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Lacei Amodei|newspaper=[[Liberation News]]|title=Okinawan women fight against GI abuses|date=2008-03-04|url=https://www.liberationnews.org/08-03-04-okinawan-women-fight-against-gi-html/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714121710/https://www.liberationnews.org/08-03-04-okinawan-women-fight-against-gi-html/|archive-date=2019-07-14|retrieved=2022-09-13}}</ref> In 2016, 65,000 people protested against the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Andrea Germanos|newspaper=[[MintPress News]]|title=‘Our Anger Is Past Its Limit’: Tens Of Thousands Rally Against US Bases In Okinawa|date=2016-06-20|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/anger-past-limit-tens-thousands-rally-us-bases-okinawa/217349/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126213048/https://www.mintpressnews.com/anger-past-limit-tens-thousands-rally-us-bases-okinawa/217349/|archive-date=2021-01-26|retrieved=2022-09-13}}</ref>
The United States invaded Okinawa in April 1945. A third of the Okinawan population was killed and over 90% of the survivors became homeless.<ref name=":0" />
 
=== Postwar occupation ===
The United States directly controlled Okinawa until 1972, when it became a prefecture of Japan.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Lacei Amodei|newspaper=[[Liberation News]]|title=Okinawan women fight against GI abuses|date=2008-03-04|url=https://www.liberationnews.org/08-03-04-okinawan-women-fight-against-gi-html/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714121710/https://www.liberationnews.org/08-03-04-okinawan-women-fight-against-gi-html/|archive-date=2019-07-14|retrieved=2022-09-13}}</ref> In 2016, 65,000 people protested against the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Andrea Germanos|newspaper=[[MintPress News]]|title=‘Our Anger Is Past Its Limit’: Tens Of Thousands Rally Against US Bases In Okinawa|date=2016-06-20|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/anger-past-limit-tens-thousands-rally-us-bases-okinawa/217349/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126213048/https://www.mintpressnews.com/anger-past-limit-tens-thousands-rally-us-bases-okinawa/217349/|archive-date=2021-01-26|retrieved=2022-09-13}}</ref>
 
== Pollution ==
[[File:Okinawa pollution.png|thumb|Toxic foam at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa]]
U.S. military bases are polluting the Okinawan environment with carcinogens including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The concentration of PFAS in the blood of Okinawans is more than 10 ng/mL in six towns and cities and above 20 in three.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Pat Elder|newspaper=[[CovertAction Magazine]]|title=The U.S. Military is Poisoning Okinawa|date=2022-12-28|url=https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/12/28/the-u-s-military-is-poisoning-okinawa/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230011158/https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/12/28/the-u-s-military-is-poisoning-okinawa/|archive-date=2022-12-30|retrieved=2022-12-30}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Prefectures of Japan]]

Latest revision as of 18:57, 14 July 2023

Okinawa Prefecture

沖縄県
Flag of Okinawa Prefecture
Flag
Location of Okinawa Prefecture
Capital
and largest city
Naha
Area
• Total
2,281 km²
Population
• 2020 census
1,466,870


Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost prefecture of Japan. Although it makes up less than 1% of Japan's land area, it contains three-quarters of the U.S. military bases in Japan and 30,000 U.S. soldiers.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

Early U.S. colonization[edit | edit source]

Matthew Perry created the first military base in the Kingdom of Okinawa and used it to impose unequal treaties on Japan and Okinawa.[2]

Japanese colonization[edit | edit source]

Okinawa was an independent kingdom until being colonized by Japan in 1879. The Empire of Japan suppressed Okinawan language and culture.[3]

Second World War[edit | edit source]

The United States invaded Okinawa in April 1945. A third of the Okinawan population was killed and over 90% of the survivors became homeless.[1]

Postwar occupation[edit | edit source]

The United States directly controlled Okinawa until 1972, when it became a prefecture of Japan.[4] In 2016, 65,000 people protested against the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.[5]

Pollution[edit | edit source]

Toxic foam at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa

U.S. military bases are polluting the Okinawan environment with carcinogens including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The concentration of PFAS in the blood of Okinawans is more than 10 ng/mL in six towns and cities and above 20 in three.[6]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Moé Yonamine (2017-07-27). "Fighting for Okinawa — My Home, Not a Military Base" Zinn Education Project. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  2. David Vine (2020). The United States of War: 'Going Global' (p. 177). Oakland: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520972070 [LG]
  3. Elliott Gabriel (2018-03-01). "Amid Marine Base Hazards, Okinawa Struggles With New Wave of US & Japanese Militarization" MintPress News. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  4. Lacei Amodei (2008-03-04). "Okinawan women fight against GI abuses" Liberation News. Archived from the original on 2019-07-14. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  5. Andrea Germanos (2016-06-20). "‘Our Anger Is Past Its Limit’: Tens Of Thousands Rally Against US Bases In Okinawa" MintPress News. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  6. Pat Elder (2022-12-28). "The U.S. Military is Poisoning Okinawa" CovertAction Magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-12-30. Retrieved 2022-12-30.