Interest
Hayao Miyazaki Voices Support for Demilitarizing Okinawa
posted on by Eric Stimson
Toshinobu Nakazato, a former Speaker in the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly, is leading a movement to oppose the relocation of an American military base on Okinawa. He is sending postcards to celebrities from the mainland to lend their support to his cause. At a press event at the prefectural office, it was announced that 89 people had replied, among them eminent anime director Hayao Miyazaki.
Demilitarizing Okinawa is essential for peace in East Asia.
Okinawa Island, southwest of the Japanese mainland, has long resented the extensive American military presence there. The current issues concern new V-22 Osprey aircraft at the Futenma Marine Corps Air Station, which have a dubious safety record for deployment in a populated area, and a planned relocation of the Futenma base to less densely populated Henoko.
Source: Ryūkyū Shimpō via Hachima Kikou
