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Henoko Sports Day: US Marines and Okinawans Have Some Fun

A “Henoko Sports Day” event was held on Sunday near Camp Schwab in Okinawa Prefecture:

The event had American marines and locals participating in a variety of fun sports competitions. Local junior high schoolers were able to outrun the marines in a relay, but it looks like the marines were able to beat some adults in a beer drinking contest.

The event happened to take place on the same day that Prime Minister Hatoyama was visiting Okinawa to announce that he’d broken his promise not to relocate an air base to the Henoko area. When pressed by the FTV reporter, locals attending the event say they’re against the construction of a new base. Some girls who say they enjoy the open base events at Camp Schwab said they would not like the noise caused by the new airfield. An older man says that he doesn’t particularly like the fact that there are American bases, but having one base (Camp Schwab) isn’t much different than having two (Camp Schwab + a new airfield attached to it).

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28 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - May 25, 2010 at 5:14 am

Categories: Foreigners in Japan, Politics Tags:

John

If you are an Okinawan, you have to consider which is worse? Having U.S. Bases or being in jeopardy of aggression by China and or North Korea. Reference recent Chinese Naval intrusions and territorial claims on the Senkaku (sp) islands.

Fat Tony

Why is it that no one questions the timing of the Chinese ‘incursions’? No significant Chinese activity in the area for ages, and then suddenly, as the Japanese are reconsidering Futenma, they show up. It is almost as if they actually prefer the Marines rather than the SDF on Okinawa. Funny that.

hoihoi

no need..

Rob A

…to get up. I’m just passing…

k

I thought people enjoyed the sounds of fighters flying around. Personally, When I lived in New Mexico F-22s would sonic boom outside of my house at night, causing me to think that someone was breaking into my house and freak out. It’s so refreshing.

Rob A

If you’re bothered by Fighter Jets, you probably shouldn’t live near one of the US’s most used testing facilities. White Sands, Alamagordo, etc….why would you move there if you don’t like seeing/hearing fighter jets?

I personally love all sorts of planes and had no problem with F-16s taking off and landing near where I used to live. I guess some people are just more tolerant than others.

k

“When I lived there”. That was at my parent’s house, I duno how much pull you’ve got, but I dont think anyone would want to live in Las Cruces given the choice.

sherpa

Most of those bases were there long before people moved in around them (and they’re largely responsible for their economic well being). If I move next to a train station or rail line I’d avoid complaining about it because then I’d just look like an idiot.
bb

Sorry, but that is incorrect. Towns and villages were leveled by the invasion and the US built bases on top of the rubble. The temples inside the barbed wire fences are a testament to that.

http://www.allthingspass.com Blackanese

North Korea and China can’t do jack shit to Japan, our people need nuclear weapons and a larger army PLUS South Korea is Japans allie, they are modern rich countries. America is a occupier that is scared of Japan and South Korea, North Korea tested nuclear weapons, and America didn’t invade, yet they invaded Iraq on the lies of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Oh and don’t forget how America gave chemical weapons to Saddam and how the C.I.A. overthrew Mossadeq in Iran in 53 and put the tyrant Shah in power. South Koreans and Japanese need to unite and get rid of the menace of neo colonialism. Britain has a smaller population than Japan, yet the British patrol and conduct drills in Asian waters. When was the last time a Japanese or any other non White country built a military base in White countries? SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN UNITE if a small country like Britain can dictate with America to the world then why can’t the Japanese and our South Korean friends next door unite and bring stabilty to OUR REGION. Remeber how the Yanks came with that manga propaganda for their USS George Washington air craft carrier? and now this brainwashin propagand HAHA silly Yankee you so desperate. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1557792.php/Japanese-residents-protest-against-expansion-of-US-base

LOD

South Korea is Japans allie

Our ally named their assault ship Dokdo, you know.
tbrot

Asian imperialism is much more nuanced. Rather than building expensive overseas bases they just get us to buy all their stuff and take our jobs.

The idea of Asian unity is a joke. When has Asia ever been united except under the yoke of imperialism whether western or Asian.
birubo baguinzu

Dude, first of all you gotta understand that usually North Korea just pulls this shit to try to get some free money to pump into their sh*tfest of an economy. This time around it’s a little more serious with the breaking of the armistice and SK bringing down sanctions on NK. Nothing good is coming out of this ordeal, if SK goes to war say goodbye to their stockmarket, won, and rebounding economy. Won already weakened against the dollar today because of fears man.
Second-”South Koreans and Japanese need to unite”…Are you on drugs? Unless Hatoyama can pull a rabbit out of his ass that makes Koreans forget about the past, that aint happening.
Third- bleh

http://www.allthingspass.com Blackanese

USS WASHINGTON CVN 73 MANGA PROPAGANDA. I find those comments amusing how they justify American colonialism. They invaded Iraq under the basis of lies, saying Saddam had WMD but North Korea HAS got WMD go invade North Korea Yankee. @ K…You can go use your ”refreshing” F-22 jet fighters on the North Korea military. @ John… The Chinese are nothing, their OWN PEOPLE hate their evil communist ways, South Korea and Japan can kick their metal munching asses back to the Tang Dynasty WE NEED nuclear weapons to deter those Yankees and Communists. The issue with Senkaku islands is nothing, look at how Western countries, even a small country like Britain can conduct military drills in ASIAN WATERS.. like i said before, when was the last time Japan or South Korea conduct military drills near British waters? would Australia let Japanese submarines patrol coast of New Zealand or Australia? its called NEO COLONIALISM.. Japan and North Korea are modern countries who are examples to Asia and beyond, we have among the lowest crime rates in the world! but that positive example is a threat to Yankee doodle and British bulldog. Japan is an example to the world, we are more than manga and anime and weird trends
Lewis

“South Korea is Japans allie”

HA! This is as far as I got.

tbrot

“South Korea is Japans allie”

All you have to do is go to 2ch to see how the Japanese really feel about Koreans and vice versa. It ain’t no lovefest.

helical

Yes, and check out 4chan for how Americans feel about whatever else.

pixel_bomber

I don’t know much about 2chan, but if it’s anything like 4chan then it doesn’t show how anyone really feels about anything other than how “gay” everything is.

Rob A

I am neither Japanese nor Korean, so take my opinion as you will.

I hate Korea. I think they cause unnecessary drama and political tension, and their whole ‘north/south’ bullshit is completely pointless. Even the story of the founding of their country and language are wholly laughable. The whole peninsula should have been sunk into the sea long ago.

If Korea wants Japan to get along with them, they should try sucking less.

At least Japan gave us Nintendo and Atari. They have a huge economy and excellent international trade.

What does Korea provide aside from a nonsensical language and a bunch of drama? Missile tests, naval attacks, and a short douchebag with a God complex? Really?

Tbrot

Samsung and Hyundai aren’t too bad in terms of what they have to offer the consumer. Over time their mindshare will grow I think. For what it’s worth people in Japan and China seem to enjoy Korean TV dramas and soap operas so even on a cross cultural level there is some appeal. So there might be hope for Asian tranquility after all.
righteous

Is it hilarious to watch two little lands contest over a dotty pebble floating on an oceanic bed? Yes. The Occident must be laughing.

http://aki-akiaki.blogspot.com Aki

Before PM Hatoyama promised to relocate the US base out of Okinawa, people in Henoko had been reluctantly accepting the relocation of the base to their neighborhood. The anger of the people there is against PM Hatoyama who trifled with their feelings by first promising to move the base out of Okinawa and then breaking the promise. It does not seem that they have very hard feelings against US marines.

Rob A

I very much hope this is true. As an American and someone who knows a good bit about Japan and their culture, I think it would be good for them to get along, and that most of the residents of these bases would like that as well.

There is no takeover plot. The bases there are no more of a danger to Japan than Ramstein base is to Germany or Moron is to Spain(sorry don’t know how to make the o with accent, not calling anyone a moron). Most foreign powers realize that attacking a base directly would bring about the full force of the military. I don’t think anywhere is going to risk that in Japan or anywhere else we’re established.

The US is not using it as a ‘stepping stone’ for anywhere right now, and I truly believe the US’s presence in Japan is helpful to the local economy and to the country’s security.

righteous

Yes Rob A, but remember; the United States presence is fueling the spreading domino endemic of the victorious American imperialism and its military industrial complex that is dominating Earth for the past sixty Gregorian years. But the stay involves moves of slippery slope as they provoke dire consequences politically; such citizens detest American presence for granted – if wrongs ever make a right. Would you both eat your cake, and have it too?

bb

I’m just going to put this here:

“[The] conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. . . . In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” –Dwight D. Eisenhower

Vonskippy

ó

Easiest way is just to bookmark a web symbols page and copy-n-paste

http://www.web-source.net/symbols.htm

<>

righteous

Or, you can avoid wasting effort by executing charmap.exe.

tenna

No one bitching about Sakhalin or Kuril here

Accordingly to the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration which * Imperial Japan sign under and later confirm by Treaty of San Francisco

(8) The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine.*3

Stil applied today, Russia Federation used it to shoved “in the face” . Japanese government have no saying cuz Imperial Japan sign the treaty.

You can’t use legal measure to force them out like Clark Air Base in Philipinnes, which government have full jurisdiction over. The other option is more whinning until they “voluntarily” leave.

Henoko Sports Day: US Marines and Okinawans Have Some Fun

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