Takae in Context

Why are the events in Takae, a rural village in Okinawa, Japan (the Ryukyu Islands), important to America and the rest of the world? To understand this, we need to look at Takae in context.

First, we have to look at the history of Okinawa (see Wikipedia). Without summarizing the entire history of the islands, note that they have been a contested territory in the modern (post-Meiji) era. China and Japan vied for control of the Ryukus, which were annexed to Japan and granted constitutional rights and freedoms (such as the right to vote) years after the rest of Japan's four major islands. After World War II, "Okinawa was under United States administration for 27 years. During the trusteeship rule the United States Air Force established numerous military bases on the Ryukyu islands."(Wikipedia) During the Vietnam War, Okinawa was an important strategic point for U.S. military forces, and evidence that Agent Orange was stored or used in Okinawa has recently come to light. (Agent Orange is an extremely toxic herbicide used as a chemical weapon in Vietnam.) Now, 75% of all U.S. military personnel in Japan are stationed in Okinawa. Thus, Okinawa's history in the modern era reflects the struggle for international power, control and dominance in East Asia.

According to many Okinawans, this is a painful history. The lack of sovereignty and the ubiquitous presence of the U.S. military is a troubling part of post-war memory. The relocation of the Futenma airbase has brought these issues to the fore, causing a major controversy in Okinawa and Japan at large. According to Wikipedia:

The governments of the United States and Japan agreed on October 26, 2005 to move the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma base from its location in the densely populated city of Ginowan to the more northerly and remote Camp Schwab. Under the plan, thousands of Marines will relocate. The move is partly an attempt to relieve tensions between the people of Okinawa and the Marine Corps. Protests from environmental groups and residents over the construction of part of a runway at Camp Schwab, and from businessmen and politicians around Futenma and Henoko, have occurred.^[32]

The legality of the proposed heliport relocation has been questioned as being a violation of International Law, including the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.^[33][34]

The controversial relocation plan has sparked a continuous sit-in at the proposed relocation site for over six years. During Prime Minister Hatoyama's term last year, I remember seeing a major headline about the Futenma relocation issue almost every day. While this has become a major issue in Japanese politics, representing the imbalanced relationship between Japan and America, it remains largely unknown in America.

In this context, the plan to construct six U.S. military helipads in the rural village of Takae and surrounding Yambaru forest as an extension of Camp Gonzalves (a.k.a. Northern Training Area, Jungle Warfare Training Center) has been met with considerable controversy, including a continuous three-year sit-in at the proposed construction sites.

To take action on this issue, join the protest on January 20 (Japanese) to demand the stop of the construction of the U.S. military helipads in Takae, Okinawa!

English call to action (look for English below the Japanese):
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/hansentoteikounofesta09/20110127

If you can't join the protest in Tokyo, please write an email to the U.S. Ambassador to Japan.