Takahashi, Shinnosuke
Description
My PhD thesis examines the diverse concepts and manifestations of
Okinawan identity that underlie the Okinawan anti-base movement
or the so-called Okinawa struggle (or Okinawa tōsō in
Japanese). Located between the East China Sea and the Philippine
Sea, Japan’s southern-most prefecture, Okinawa, was once a
stepping stone for Japan’s colonial expansion to Taiwan in the
late 19th century. After the Battle of Okinawa from March to June
1945, Okinawa became a...[Show more] crucial defense line in the north-western
Pacific for the United States and Japan in the latter half of the
20th century. The Okinawan anti-base movement, which started in
the late 1940s, still continues today, almost seventy years on.
Although its core demands are for the removal of US bases from
Okinawan soil, many local residents see it in wider terms as a
demand for the liberation of Okinawa from its subordinated status
under the US-Japan security system. Explicit or implicit notions
of “Okinawan identity” are therefore crucial to this
movement.
While the notion of “Okinawan identity” appears to be a
self-evident and homogenous concept based on culture, ethnicity,
and historical experience, this understanding of identity
obscures the complexity and dynamism of identity and community
within the anti-base movement. Okinawan identity is not a fixed
entity, and to understand its creation and evolution it is not
sufficient to focus simply on the administrative territory
labelled Okinawa. Through case studies of two recent strands in
the anti-base movement, this thesis highlights the vital role of
place in formation of discourses and practices of Okinawan
identity. The case of the Takae Residents’ Society illuminates
the importance of a localized sense of place, while the case of
Okinawa Korea People’s Solidarity shows an emerging
regionalized sense of place across the national boundaries.
Applying recent theories on space, place and identity to these
case studies, this thesis explores multi-leveled forms of
identity—local, archipelagic and regional which the Okinawa
struggle has created. This thesis thus seeks to challenge our
understanding of the long and ongoing Okinawa struggle, and
contributes to wider debates about identity and protest movements
in the contemporary world.
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