national

Emperor, empress to visit Okinawa in March to pay tribute to war dead

9 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© KYODO

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

9 Comments
Login to comment

American imperialistic scare tactic? Look how close the Senkaku Islands are to Okinawa and what the Chinese are doing there. Okinawa would be the perfect location for China to base its military presence and control the South China Seas region.

There are plenty of anti-military folks here on JT that conveniently choose to overlook this issue. The JSDF has been pretty damn busy with dealing the intrusions by the Chinese navy and air force. THe intrusions happen almost daily, and due to their frequency the local news has stopped reporting it daily and only reports on it when it's more than 1 or 2 ships or planes.

China wants direct access to the Pacific Ocean, Okinawa stands in the way.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Emperor, empress to visit Okinawa in March to pay tribute to war dead

First of all, I'm glad that the Emperor and Empress will visit to Okinawa to pay tribute to war dead and hope he can heal the old wartime wounds.

Okinawa was occupied by the United States after the war, reverting to Japanese control in May 1972. Resentment still runs deep over the continuing burden on the prefecture from hosting the bulk of U.S. military forces in Japan.. 

But let's not forget it was Japan who annexed Okinawa long before the war, took away their sovereignty, forcing Okinawa to assimilate as part of Japan, treated Okinawans as second/third class people, forbid Okinawans to speak their own language and practice their unique culture, and occupied the Island as colonizers until 1945.

During the 1930s and 1940s the Japanese military (using Okinawans as slave labor) built heavily fortified defense network of tunnels and caves throughout the island and used Okinawa as a military base and "sacrificial lamb" to buy time to prepare for the American invasion of the mainland that fortunately never came.

My 92-year-old Okinawan grandmother and surviving relatives who lived in Japan-occupied Okinawa before and during the war, remembers how the Imperial Japanese government and military treated Okinawans and still harbors resentment toward Japan in general. On the other hand, she found the postwar U.S. Marines and Army to be more benign, generous and respectful compared to the Japanese Imperial military.

The current generation Okinawans have no direct experience with Japan as an imperialistic occupier and colonizer.

It would be a generous act for the Emperor to apologize to the Okinawan people for what Japan did to Okinawa during those times. But we know this is an unrealistic expectation; Japan never apologizes for its actions.

More likely he'll say the Battle of Okinawa and casualties was a regrettable event and leave it at that. No accountability, no remorse, no apologies.

Would it be preferable for the Americans to withdraw their "burden" and allow Japan to become a colony of North Korea?

Let's rephrase this. "Would it be preferable for the Americans to withdraw their "burden" and allow Okinawa to become a colony of China?"

China is very interested in getting the American military presence (and Japanese presence) out of Okinawa and would be willing to help Okinawa to become an independent country to achieve that end. With the American "burden" out of the picture, China can resurrect their claim that the Ryukyu Islands belong to them.

American imperialistic scare tactic? Look how close the Senkaku Islands are to Okinawa and what the Chinese are doing there. Okinawa would be the perfect location for China to base its military presence and control the South China Seas region.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

This occurred as a result of being told by Hirohito before he passed away.

And how in the world do you KNOW this? Do you work in the IHA?

 It was the original Ryukyu natives who paid the ultimate price on both ends, of WWII and the forced annexation of the islands.

What the hell are you talking about? The annexation of Okinawa occurred decades prior to WWII and Hirohito wasn't even born yet!

Oh and just who are the "original" Ryukyu natives as you call them?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

re:  they have worked very hard to make amends,"

This occurred as a result of being told by Hirohito before he passed away.

However as history shows, it was not the Emperor calling the shots but the ministers and military masterminds.  It was the original Ryukyu natives who paid the ultimate price on both ends, of WWII and the forced annexation of the islands.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

This is just another scare tacit employed by Americans.

Excuse me? More like a scare tactic from Abe. The US has NEVER alluded to, talked about, or ever has felt "threatened" by NK.

Ya'll need to stop drinking the Kool-Aid!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Designer, Okinawa is in zero danger of being overrun by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. This is just another scare tacit employed by Americans.

I would love to be in Okinawa for the visit by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Okinawa was occupied by the United States after the war, reverting to Japanese control in May 1972. Resentment still runs deep over the continuing burden on the prefecture from hosting the bulk of U.S. military forces in Japan.

Would it be preferable for the Americans to withdraw their "burden" and allow Japan to become a colony of North Korea?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

During the couple's first trip to the prefecture in July 1975, three years after the reversion to Japanese control, activists threw a firebomb when the couple visited the Himeyuri war memorial in the southern part of the Okinawa battlefield. The then-crown prince issued a statement saying, "I deeply reflect on wounds of prefecture residents from the Battle of Okinawa."

This incident was not particularly directed towards the Crown Prince but towards his father Hirohito. There was a huge amount of anger towards Hirohito for sacrificing so many lives here, and he never came to Okinawa as the Emperor to apologize either. Folks here were royally po'd

This Emperor is loved dearly by the Okinawan people as they have worked very hard to make amends, I for one am glad they will come before they abdicate.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I would seriously like to join them on this visit. I do so admire this Regal Couple.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites