Keiko Itokazu recalls a pivotal moment in her youth that ignited her lifelong opposition to the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. In 1965, a parachute from a training exercise malfunctioned, killing a fifth-grade girl, a shocking event that led Itokazu to confront the implications of U.S. military operations on the island. As part of her activism, she recently protested against a new Marine airfield. Okinawans have feelings of second-class citizenship and resentment due to the island's historical exploitation, dating back to its annexation by Japan in the 1870s and its use as a battleground during WWII.
Keiko Itokazu vividly recalls the tragic day in 1965 when a malfunctioning parachute drop from a U.S. military training exercise resulted in a fifth-grade girl's death.
Okinawans have felt the burden of military presence since the U.S. seized the island post-World War II, experiencing a legacy of being treated as second-class citizens.
Despite the U.S. returning Okinawa to Japanese governance in 1972, local residents like Ms. Itokazu continue to resist the ongoing American military bases on the island.
The history of Okinawa, once an independent Kingdom of the Ryukyus, underscores a legacy of external control and conflict, resulting in deep-seated resentment among its people.
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