MyOkinawa.net

Okinawa doesn’t need a new base

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:00:22 +0000

Regarding the March 4 letter “Group hopes U.S. ad raises awareness of Futenma”: I was pleased to read about the work of the okinawa-U.S. Citizens for okinawa (JUCO) network to educate the American public about the negative consequences of proposed new U.S. military construction in okinawa.
As a U.S. citizen living in okinawa, I oppose my government’s plans to build a new base in okinawa. I understand that the Henoko District construction plans are for a “forward base” that the U.S. would use to attack other countries. Construction plans include inundating Oura Bay, a fragile marine ecosystem rich in biodiversity, with concrete to build a helicopter pad and aircraft runways. Local residents who strongly oppose this plan have engaged in more than 2,000 consecutive days of sit-ins to protest the plan.

People have enough to fret about

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:00:19 +0000

Two front-page articles on March 5 under the headlines “Futenma relocation off White Beach proposed” and “China unveils 7.5% jump in defense spending” indicate the respective plans of the existing superpower and of another power that wants to be a superpower in the future. What do they have in mind?
So many people were killed and injured during World War II; so many families, houses, schools and hospitals were destroyed. Those who survived the war were so shocked at the damage and destruction that they formed an international organization — the United Nations — for the purpose of promoting peace and security. As we see, though, humans still suspect that another will get stronger and beat him.

Okinawa Governor hints he’s ready to run for re-election (Japan Update)

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:00:16 +0000

Hirokazu Nakaima has finally begun dropping hints he’s ready to seek another term as okinawa’s governor, telling the Liberal Democratic Party it’s all up to them.

Okinawa’s February earthquake revised upward to 7.4 magnitude (Japan Update)

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:00:11 +0000

The shaking that rattled people in okinawa awake at 5:31 a.m. on February 27th was stronger than even government officials realized at the time, and the earthquake magnitude figure has now been revised upward to 7.4.

What would you miss most about your homeland if you lived abroad?

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:00:17 +0000

Sachiko YamadaWriter, 33 (Okinawan)I was in the USA from 1997 to 2003, and one thing I missed was the service. In okinawa the customer is always right, but in the States the shop staff often take the higher ground with their customers.
Shintaro YanaseEmployee, 30 (Okinawan)I would definitely miss Okinawan food. If I had to make it through every day without eating Okinawan food, I think I would find it very stressful. Food for me is a home comfort.

Detainees allege abuse at Kansai holding center

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:00:14 +0000

The only way to see or speak to Moses Ssentamu is through a Plexiglas window at the West okinawa Immigration Center in Ibaraki City, so there is no independent way to verify his claims of physical and psychological abuse. But if true, they raise serious concerns about okinawa’s treatment of visa overstayers and asylum seekers.
Did a group of security guards at the center punch and kick Ssentamu in a coordinated assault in January? Are the authorities at the complex in Osaka Prefecture refusing medical treatment to another inmate, Mujahid Aziz Iqbal, a wheelchair-bound Pakistani? And, most serious of all, do detention centers here deliberately dole out harsh treatment in the hope that detainees will leave the country?

Ozawa unhappy with plans to keep Futenma in Okinawa (The Japan Times)

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:00:08 +0000

Democratic Party of okinawa Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa is criticizing government efforts to relocate Futenma air base within okinawa Prefecture, saying it could harm the party ahead of the House of Councilors election in July, DPJ sources said Sunday. Ozawa told the ruling party’s executives Thursday that the government cannot opt to keep the U.S. Marine Corps base in okinawa when its …

Viewing older workers as an asset

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:00:17 +0000

Regarding Yosuke Kaneda’s Feb. 21 letter, “Encourage foreign students to stay”: Encouraging more foreigners to settle in okinawa as a solution to the growing labor shortage — due to the declining and aging population — would be difficult to implement and would have various negative side effects.
A much more practical and satisfactory solution would be to make it easier for the growing legions of older citizens to either stay on or return to the workforce. At present, with the exception of a few professions, most people over the age of 45 or so [who have lost their jobs] are pretty much unemployable in a full-time position. Generally, the resumes of such applicants will be automatically dismissed regardless of their qualifications and experience.

A marathon to take pride in

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:00:14 +0000

The Annual Tokyo Marathon last Sunday (Feb. 28) ran smoothly. Perhaps not every one of the 35,000 participants ran smoothly, but the event was organized and managed exceedingly well. The relatively low-tech, inclusive and international nature of the marathon makes it a much better showcase for Tokyo than the Olympics would have been.
The winners deserve special mention, of course, and this year Mr. Masakazu Fujiwara became the first Okinawan man to win the race. Last year, Ms. Mizuho Nasukawa was the first Okinawan woman to win. Competition, though, is only a small part of the event. Most of the 35,000 runners are happy just to participate. They are not alone.

Futenma commander defends Okinawa Marine base (AP via Yahoo! News)

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:00:12 +0000

Located smack in the center of a crowded city, the Marine base on okinawa is at the epicenter of a yawning rift between Tokyo and Washington, posing a challenge to the United States’ most important alliance in the Pacific.