More Information
This event marks the launch of Why are we in Okinawa? A History of Violence (Bloomsbury Academic), which traces how Okinawa was annexed by Japan, occupied by the United States, and now menaced by China.
Once a wealthy kingdom, Okinawa was seized by the Meiji government in the late 19th century then abandoned to US rule after World War II. During 27 years without civil or labour rights, Okinawans developed a powerful pacifist movement that helped secure reversion to Japan in 1972. Today, 31 US bases still occupy Okinawa, and tensions are rising as China questions Japan's sovereignty over the islands, firing missiles into nearby seas. Amid these ongoing problems, Okinawans resist through protest, music, comedy and art, offering an inspirational model of grassroots democracy and civic engagement.
ZOOM LINK: https://soas-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rY0A59TMQaaXckT9I9H2lQ#/registration
Contact
Kyle Kajihiro, Ph.D. | kkajihir@hawaii.edu