50 Years Ago Today - Japan and Okinawa

June 19, 1960: Japan-U.S. Security Pact

"The controversial Japan-United States Security Treaty got the automatic approval of the Diet on June 19 despite demonstration by nearly 300,000 people in Tokyo to prevent the ratification of the Treaty. The Treaty was automatically approved when the ruling Liberal Democratic Party decided not to call a plenary session of the House of Councillors (Upper House of the Diet) on June 18 as had been planned. Under the Japanese Constitution a treaty passed by the Lower House gets the automatic approval of the Diet if the Upper House fails to act on it within 30 days of its passage by the Lower House."  The Hindu

Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi was ultimately forced to resign over the treaty.  He is pictured below with Dwight Eisenhower.

June 19, 1960:  Protests Mar Ike's Okinawa Visit

President Eisenhower was met by angry protesters during a brief visit to Okinawa on his Far East tour.  A planned visit by the President to Japan had already been canceled at the the request of the Japanese in response to mounting protests over the Japan-U.S. Security Pact.  In Okinawa the residents had more local concerns, namely, the continued occupation and administration of Okinawa by the U.S. and the extensive U.S. military bases built on misappropriated land.

50 Years Later

The most recent protests against American bases in Okinawa were held this past April when 90,000 people gathered to oppose the continuation of U.S. military bases.   U.S. bases have been an ongoing sore spot in Japan - U.S. relations.  Okinawans complain of the noise, violence by U.S. military personnel, and the large amount of land tied up in the bases.

With continued tensions in Korea and unresolved issues between China and Taiwan it is unlikely that the U.S. will be drawing down it's military presence in Okinawa anytime soon.  Alas for the Okinawans!

Remembering and reflecting... Rob 

“The natives on Okinawa are growing in number and 

are very anxious to repossess the lands they once owned.”  

 President Dwight Eisenhower, 1958