U.S. Apologizes to Japan, Sacks Diplomat Who Made Okinawa Comments
The U.S. government has replaced Kevin Maher, the State Department Japan Desk Head who allegedly made remarks calling Okinawans ““masters of manipulation and extortion” who were “too lazy” to farm fruit:
The U.S. embassy in Tokyo released a statement saying Kevin Maher, former director of the State Department’s Office of Japan Affairs has been replaced by longtime diplomat Rust Deming.
News of Maher’s resignation overshadowed Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell’s two-day visit to Tokyo.
In a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto, Campbell offered yet another apology for Maher’s comments.
“These in no way reflect the attitudes of warmth and gratitude and friendship that the United States has for the people of Okinawa,” he said. “We are deeply apologetic for this controversy.”
In case some were wondering how the story was covered on Japanese TV, here’s a clip from yesterday evening’s NTV “News Every”:
In the report, a voice actor reads Japanese translations of Maher’s most offensive comments, seemingly making an effort to sound as arrogant as possible.
To respond to Maher’s claim that the quotations were not accurate, they interview Tori Miyagi, one of the American University students who was there when Maher made his remarks about Okinawa. Miyagi insists that Maher did say shocking and offensive things about the Japanese people. (According to his Twitter profile, Miyagi identifies himself as Okinawan. )
NTV draws on file footage of Maher’s time as consul general. It includes a gem in which the camera pans from a crowd of anti-base protesters to Maher, who is doing his best to ignore them. Former Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha states that he got the impression that Maher had always ignored the concerns of Okinawans.
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