Okinawa marks 79th anniversary of end of WWII ground battle

Of course Kishida goes down there. Local Tokyo politicians are the same. It's just a photo op for them. Free media. Seriously, what does Kishida have to do with the end of WWII ground battle. Nada. Nothing. Instead of Denny Tamaki, who truly does love Okinawa, and Koshida wearing the exact same shirt in a photo, a photo of an Okinawan hero, veteran, or survivor is more deserved. Tamaki s correct in worrying about JSDF build up. But, it's the CCP's belligerence in the region he and Kishoda really need to worry about.

Of course Kishida goes down there. Local Tokyo politicians are the same. It's just a photo op for them. Free media. Seriously, what does Kishida have to do with the end of WWII ground battle. Nada. Nothing. Instead of Denny Tamaki, who truly does love Okinawa, and Koshida wearing the exact same shirt in a photo, a photo of an Okinawan hero, veteran, or survivor is more deserved. Tamaki s correct in worrying about JSDF build up. But, it's the CCP's belligerence in the region he and Kishoda really need to worry about.

That sour face says it all. Japanese rule over Okinawa has been a disaster for the indigenous population.

It's a photo op for Tamaki too. He wants to appear to be putting pressure on Kishida and his government. He has no other leg to stand on. No success stories for his government. How has Okinawa improved under his tenure?

Kishida is a digrace and hasn't done squat to ease any types of burdens on Okinawans

Deny will soon be back on junkets to Tokyo. His style of government is frequent trip to appear to be always negotiating with Tokyo, instead begging for increased omoiyari money paid to Okinawa for it's base and troop burden. While there, he enjoys living large as he got used to when he was one of Okinawa's Upper House of the Diet reps.

Yes, this is a mandatory photo op for politicians. But it is a real anniversary for those who lived through the war. I think it's a good idea to remember these event precisely because tensions between Japan and China are running high. We have to remember the horrible costs of war so that we don't start another one.

Nearly every year the PM comes to Okinawa to pay respects, make a speech, and then return to Tokyo, and nothing really changes.

This is ONE day that should be a national holiday, a day to remember ALL who died in the war.

obladiToday  06:25 pm JST

We have to remember the horrible costs of war so that we don't start another one.

Japan is already barred from "starting" any war by the first paragraph of Article 9.

The problem is that some nations take advantage of this fact and do as they please.

Japan needs to be able to defend itself to deter such aggression from ever happening.

Or there will be horrible costs of war.

ossan:

Japan needs to be able to defend itself to deter such aggression from ever happening.

What Japan needs to do is remove the shackles and become a sovereign nation where its foreign policy comes from Tokyo, not DC, and where the interests of the Japanese people are put before the interests of America and its military industrial complex. If things go south and a big war starts, it's ok for you as you can flee back to headquarters on the other side of the Pacific, but where can the Japanese go?

Just be smart, do not become a proxy/pawn. In todays World, no one wants war, even your neighbors,

Senkaku?? Its disputed, so, just negotiate with all disputed parties, in good faith. Taiwan?? its part of your neighbor's, just ask the UN, so, its not your business, don't get used, as proxy/pawn. Then , it will be okay.

Mr GoodmanToday  05:44 pm JST

Kishida is a disgrace and hasn't done squat to ease any types of burdens on Okinawans

Your sentence was too long..I'll fix it.

Kishida is a disgrace.

Pukey2Today  07:40 pm JST

ossan:

Japan needs to be able to defend itself to deter such aggression from ever happening.

What Japan needs to do is remove the shackles and become a sovereign nation where its foreign policy comes from Tokyo, not DC, and where the interests of the Japanese people are put before the interests of America and its military industrial complex. If things go south and a big war starts, it's ok for you as you can flee back to headquarters on the other side of the Pacific, but where can the Japanese go?

Japan already is a sovereign nation. Just as Australia, South Korea, NATO nations and all those who have security agreements with the United States. These nations are all allied with the U.S willingly, because they share the same security goals and mutual adversaries. You and your wumao crowd can keep chanting "vassal state" like zombies as much as you like but it simply isn't true. Besides, if Japan were completely independent of the U.S, you'd be the first to be crying "Japan is remilitarizing".

Japan's policy of a democratic nation that wants to live in Peace is it's own policy, not any other nations'. It was Japan that created the concept of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" in 2015 in the face of obvious territorial expansion by your country, all while lying to the world about a "peaceful rise".

Japan is fully aware of it's geographical proximity to adversarial nations, and for last couple of decades the JSDF has become more and more integrated with USFJ. Do you really think that the US would not abide by Article 5 of the US-JPN Mutual Defense Treaty when there are over 100,000 Americans living in Japan?

OssanAmericaToday  06:59 pm JST

Japan is already barred from "starting" any war by the first paragraph of Article 9.

The problem is that some nations take advantage of this fact and do as they please.

Japan needs to be able to defend itself to deter such aggression from ever happening.

Or there will be horrible costs of war.

Thats what the agreement with the USA is all about. But even before Kishida started spending trillions growing his military Japan had a defense force, combine that with the USA and Japan was good to go.

So now imagine if he spent the same trillions of yen he spends on weapons and the trillions of yen he gives away in donations in other wars Japan has no involvement in on the elderly in Japan who are killing themselves as they have no where to turn. Imagine what he could achieve about Japan dwindling birth rate by spending that money on free day care centers for young couple to be able to continue to work.

Kishida is hands down the worst PM Japan has had and it is not difficult to see he is wanting to get Japan involved in war. That is why I made the comment above about him being a disgrace.

AlongfortherideToday  08:40 pm JST

OssanAmericaToday  06:59 pm JST

Japan is already barred from "starting" any war by the first paragraph of Article 9.

The problem is that some nations take advantage of this fact and do as they please.

Japan needs to be able to defend itself to deter such aggression from ever happening.

Or there will be horrible costs of war.

Thats what the agreement with the USA is all about. But even before Kishida started spending trillions growing his military Japan had a defense force, combine that with the USA and Japan was good to go.

No it wasn't "good to go". The JSDF was created to hold off a Soviet invasion for 3 days until US reinforcements could arrive. Things have changed over the decades. The JSDF is responsible for more of Japan's own security now than it was back when it was created. It's adversaries have weapons and assets that require Japan to have it's own to counter them.

Claiming that Japan needs to spend it's money on domestic issues rather than defense is a textbook wumao argument. Japan is not like North Korea. It is a developed democratic nation with individual freedoms far greater than your country.

Kishida is hardly the "worst" PM Japan has had. There have been worse. Unless you are a CCP supporter.

I wonder if Kishida got the same wonderful welcome Okinawans gave to Abe? All you could hear was booing and hecklers.

@OssanAmerica - I agree with what you are saying except for this part.

It is a developed democratic nation with individual freedoms far greater than your country.

I’m pretty sure I know where Alongfortheride is from due to his past comments and it is not one of Japan’s adversarial neighbors. Wrong hemisphere to start with.

Other than that I completely agree with you.

I am not against using tax money to combat the declining birthrate, but national defense is a separate issue. They are not issues that should be considered together, and if we are to raise priorities, increasing defense spending is a higher priority.

If we cannot protect our country, we cannot raise our children in peace.

There are many hostile countries around Japan, including China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea, and all of them except South Korea are armed with nuclear weapons.

Foreigners who say that defense spending is unnecessary despite these countries are probably not concerned about Japan's security either.

If the elderly are living such a miserable life that they cannot survive because of poverty, they should receive welfare. It is absolutely unacceptable to reduce defense spending for the sake of elderly people who cannot even support themselves.

Anti-base sentiment runs deep due to noise, pollution, and a number of high-profile crimes committed by American service members.

This happens almost everywhere there already are military bases regardless of the soldiers. The only places that WANT military bases are

a) places with depressed economies

b) places at war

Doesn't matter if it is Okinawa, Japan, Germany, Italy, Columbia, Australia, Britain, or the USA. Locals want the money, but not the inconveniences and nasty chemicals that will be left behind.

If Japan doesn't think they are already at war, they need to look at the trade China has already cut-off. You are at war. It isn't a shooting war, but still a war, nonetheless. China uses economic warfare for everything from "wrong speech", to petty issues, to major issues. It is hard to tell what is petty and what is major. Chinese 2-50 yr old people are being taught in classes and on TV to hate Japanese.

When in China, if a cabby asks where you are from, if you want them to actually take you one a ride, do not say Japan or the USA. The CCP has been telling everyone who will listen to hate Japanese. They have CLASSES about it for their children! I'm not joking.

Every nation has the right to defend itself, why would Japan be any different?

At present Japan has a constitution devoted to peace, accepting a past that provoked a devastating war, a time of chaos, ending in the first use of atomic weapons.

A legacy of war, that's ghostly resonance echo through the generations and will continue to do so.

The Government of china has failed to take heed, it is now a pariah state threatening the entire region.

Its seizures, the insistence that essential water ways, seas, trading routes are the property of the government of china alone.

To be controlled, to dictate ideology, to harass neighbour's at will.

This is a wake up call, confront the bully now with harsh reprisals, and develop a deterrent.

Despot Xi Jinping...

President of the People's Republic of China has brought the region, possibly to a point of no return, inevitable global conflict/war.

Thank goodness the planned invasion of the home islands was not necessary.

Okinawa Gov Denny Tamaki is politically a hapless fool, another delusional governor, believing the path of appeasement will somehow tame the chinese dragon, only to be devoured last.

The people of Okinawa need to to be fully compensated, recognising the communities sacrifices.

Having US bases of this magnitude, and the consequences to social cohesion must be fully understood.

The US servicemen must be compelled with harsh retribution if they fail to respect J laws.

I mean harsh retributions, that the local communities demand within J prison system.

No ifs no buts.

Haaa NemuiToday  09:33 pm JST

I’m pretty sure I know where Alongfortheride is from due to his past comments and it is not one of Japan’s adversarial neighbors. Wrong hemisphere to start with.

So after living in Japan for 26 years am I not entitled to my own opinion?

I say it again Kishida is the worst PM Japan has had. Watch this space, if he stays in power he will take Japan into a war

Agent_NeoToday  09:49 pm JST

There are many hostile countries around Japan, including China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea, and all of them except South Korea are armed with nuclear weapons.

And under Kishidas leadership Japan is becoming one of them.

Foreigners who say that defense spending is unnecessary despite these countries are probably not concerned about Japan's security either.

Japan has been my home for 26 years thank you. I will say what I want to say and am well entitled to that.

Agent_NeoToday  09:49 pm JST

If the elderly are living such a miserable life that they cannot survive because of poverty, they should receive welfare. It is absolutely unacceptable to reduce defense spending for the sake of elderly people who cannot even support themselves.

So you are ok that these same elderly worked for 50-60 years paying Japans high taxes only for them to be ignored when they need help from that same government that are wasting that tax they paid. I don;t see it that way

So after living in Japan for 26 years am I not entitled to my own opinion?

Of course you are. I'm just saying, when OssanAmerica says "than your country" he is likely mistakenly suggesting you are from somewhere that you are not.

However, I do disagree with your opinion also. War is likely in the region not because of Kishida or Japan, but will not exclude Japan either.

What Japan needs to do is remove the shackles and become a sovereign nation where its foreign policy comes from Tokyo, not DC, and where the interests of the Japanese people are put before the interests of America and its military industrial complex.

Japan is completely in the thrall of the United States of America. Their unconditional surrender still resonates today.

Haaa NemuiToday  11:01 pm JST

If Kishida actually cared about his own people he could easily reduce the crazy spending he is doing by lets say even 1/3 and spend it in health car for the over 65's and to support young couple wanting children and still have the military he wants.

And for the record I am all for countries having military , I am certainly not a tree hugger at all. I just don't trust what he is currently doing is for his country but rather is own fantasies.

China, think again !

Let's send the words of Uesugi Yozan, "self-help," "mutual help," and "public help."

If you've lived in Japan for 26 years, you're probably familiar with them, right?

Does it happen so often that people who pay taxes properly until they're old suddenly can't make ends meet?

In the first place, there are many elderly people who are able to live properly, so why should we be the first to help the incompetent elderly who can't make ends meet with the taxpayers' money?

If they can't make ends meet for some reason, they can receive welfare and be able to live a minimum standard of living, so that's enough.

Helping unproductive elderly people is just a hindrance to Japan's future. Isn't it only the Chinese Communist Party that would be happy with your words?

The truly incompetent prime ministers are decided among the Japanese people as not Kishida, but Murayama, Hatoyama, and Kan.

I think Kishida is a useless guy too, but he's better than them.

Prewar Japan had planned that spend everything of Okinawa for the war, the then Japanese force had mobilized Okinawa citizen to build military facilities, had even massacred citizen who they mobilized on the pretext of suspicion of spying.

Such militarism "Great Japan Empire" had victimized and killed more Okinawa citizen at ground battle than casualties of Japanese soldiers.

Recent years, far-right LDP regime who beautify and justify prewar Japan are militalizing Okinawa with ignoring public will of Okinawa rapidly and forcibly on the excuse of national security.

But, Okinawa where military facilities most concentrate in Japan will be biggest target of military attack when the war, even enough shelters where many Okinawa citizen can evacuate is still nowhere.

Japan is completely in the thrall of the United States of America. Their unconditional surrender still resonates today.

How so? Japan has the right to remove all U.S. military presence whenever they want. The fact that they haven’t is proof that Japan wants them there.

U.S. military bases in Japan are located under the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.

The treaty was first concluded in 1951, revised in 1960, and since then has been enacted with automatic renewal every 10 years unless otherwise objected to.

Both countries can abrogate the treaty at any time, and if abrogation is declared, it will cease to be effective after one year.

And Bone....do you really think the US Japan treaty is neutral, friends holding hands , one ?

Rosy world view.

Okinawa is a USMC resort. No different to Guam. The Philippines kicked the US out of Subic, but the China tensions have them singing a different tune now. The US plays its manufactured geopolitical tensions as it conducts its partners to do its bidding.

And Bone....do you really think the US Japan treaty is neutral, friends holding hands , one ?

What does this even mean? Are you saying the U.S. and Japan aren’t allies?

And Bone....do you really think the US Japan treaty is neutral, friends holding hands , one ?

The US is assuming more burden in the relationship than Japan is.

This foo again.

When there's a problem or ACTUAL work to do, where is Kishida?

Most likely in hiding or on a jet off to another country.

When there's a photo op or the slightest chance of him looking positive in anyway, he's the first one in line.

Try reversing that, Kish. See how that works out for you.

I mean harsh retributions, that the local communities demand within J prison system.

No ifs no buts.

Japanese prison would be a cakewalk compared to what military folks go through in a brig. Not to mention the fact that once they get out, in most cases, they are convicted felons for life.

Agent_NeoToday  01:09 am JST

Let's send the words of Uesugi Yozan, "self-help," "mutual help," and "public help."

If you've lived in Japan for 26 years, you're probably familiar with them, right?

Does it happen so often that people who pay taxes properly until they're old suddenly can't make ends meet?

Do your homework on how the pension system worked when the people who are now in their 80's were working. And actually do your homework on how the pension system works now. Not all of these people were in higher paid jobs where they could put away extra money for retirement as there was no minimum wage salaries when these people were younger. You try working on ¥80,000 per month now and also saving and investing for your retirement and see how it would end up. That roughly the equivalent of what they were up against in their working life.

In ancient times our ancient ancestors would go to fight and get killed. Times have changed. Modern people are different. They all love life. They grow food, share it with other hungry people, and make Planet Earth green with their relentless labor of love.

But even before Kishida started spending trillions growing his military Japan had a defense force, combine that with the USA and Japan was good to go.

Fifteen years ago you maybe had a good argument. Today, the PLAN and PLAAF have grown exponentially in size and especially in quality. The margin of superiority of the combined US / Japanese force is greatly reduced and the trend line, absent some increase in defense spending by Japan and other US allies is not favorable towards maintaining deterrence.

Okinawa is a USMC resort. No different to Guam.

Lolololol !!! Obviously not a comment from a veteran of the US military in the Pacific! Tours of duty on "Oki" were and as far as I know remain undesirable. It is something you have to do to get promoted. At least for the Marines they are unaccompanied tours. You are deployed with your unit from a home base probably at Camp Pendleton. Momma and the kids and all the activities you love are far away.

Guam is no fun either unless you happen to be a scuba diver. It's a tourist trap for Japanese couples but for Americans serving there it is kinda lonely and confining. 75 miles , about 110 kilometers, of paved road on the whole island. You could lose the whole island inside Tokyo. We used to say Guam stood for Give Up and Masturbate O_O It certainly wasn't anyplace I wanted to do a tour of duty.

But, Okinawa where military facilities most concentrate in Japan will be biggest target of military attack when the war, even enough shelters where many Okinawa citizen can evacuate is still nowhere.

Because of Okinawa's geographic location, it is a prime target for the Chinese regardless of whether or not there are military facilities on the island. China very much needs to invade and take over Okinawa to build its own bases on and thus gain unfettered access to the Pacific east of the First Island Chain. China will attack Okinawa no matter how many or few military bases are there. In fact China would prefer Okinawa were undefended.