Okinawa: The Future of US Military Bases Review History Movie Review

Okinawa: The Future of US Military Bases Review
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Okinawa: The Future of US Military Bases Review
The location of the United States military bases on the island of Okinawa was very strategic, especially in the post-world war II environment. There was always a potential threat from the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait to mainland Japan. There was a more recent threat by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The strong alliance between Japan and the US military was always to rebalance the defence inclination towards the Asian continent and the uncertainty surrounding the future presence of American forces in Okinawa.
Despite the necessity of having the bases in Okinawa, many residents have resisted further expansion. They even agitate for their relocation altogether. The controversies surrounding the US bases pose the questions of sustainability of the alliance between the US and Japan. The Okinawan people's grievances are not unfounded. The US military bases take up to 20% of the island's arable land. The activists worry that, with growing populations and restricted areas for the military bases, the island is getting congested by the day. Traffic jams and pollution are also on the rise. Another vital element in the resistance is that the Okinawan people's culture is being eroded every day against their wish to preserve the little they can. The hope is that relocation of the bases will allow the locals to start normalizing their lives without such a heavy military presence that has been disruptive. That is why the activists are hell bound on having the base moved in the hope that things like agriculture will thrive better, and they stand a chance at the restoration of their dying culture and traditions.
The matter of relocating the United States military base of Futenma out of Okinawa was one of the election promises that Prime Minister Hatoyama had initially committed himself to fulfill. However, a few months after the electioneering period, it dawned on him that the weighty matter of relocating the base, together with other campaign promises, would be challenging to deliver on. The main reason for his failure to perform as expected was his inability to change Japan's political landscape and its foreign po...