Myth, Protest and Struggle in Okinawa [Paperback]

Okinawan people have developed a unique tradition of protest in their long history of oppression and marginalization. Beginning with the Ryukyu Kingdoms annexation to Japan in the late nineteenth century, Miyume Tanji charts the devastation caused by the Second World War, followed by the direct occupation of post-war Okinawa and continued presence of the US military forces in the wake of reversion to Japan in 1972.

With ever more fragmented organizations, identities and strategies, Tanji explores how the unity of the Okinawan community of protest has come to rest increasingly on the politics of myth and the imagination.

Drawing on original interview material with Okinawan protestors and in-depth analysis of protest history, Myth, Protest and Struggle in Okinawawill appeal to scholars of Japanese history and politics, and those working on social movements and protest.

1. Introduction 2. Diversity and Unity in the Community of Protest  3. Annexation and Assimilation  4. The Battle of Okinawa and 'Okinawan Pacifism'  5. First Wave: Opposition to US Military Land Acquisition  6. Second Wave: Towards Reversion  7. The Anti-Wave Landowners and the Progressive Coalition  8. Kin Bay and Shiraho: Emergence of New Social Movements  9. Third Wave and Beyond: Power of Unaiand Dugongs.  Conclusion