The literature on Okinawan history related to World War II and the resulting social, economic and geopolitical tensions, contradictions and implications is certainly extensive. Yet we believe it is important that we travel to Okinawa for a number of reasons:

 

1)  Academic literature on history and recorded history in general are almost always second hand records. While we acknowledge of course the crucial importance of the knowledge of the academic perspective, we also feel that meeting with actual firsthand witnesses and inspecting historical evidence on site can contribute greatly to a successful inquiry of the research questions this LC pursues. There are less and less civilians from the generation that had lived through World War II, making now a crucial time to meet with them and speak to them about their experiences first hand.

 

2)  In order to gauge the political, social and economical tensions, contradictions and implications of US military bases in Okinawa it is crucial that we meet with politicians, political activists, NGO’s and other civil society organizations on site, for these organizations and individuals represent the very people the presence of the military bases affects and influences most.

 

3)    Meeting and conversing with the officials (and ex-officials) of Okinawan Politics, including representatives of both office holders and opposition and representatives of the US military complex in Okinawa,tapping into their historical memories and firsthand experiences, will provide a more fine-grained and nuanced picture of the real issues and problems related to the military bases than any amount of mere book knowledge.

 

4)   The latter requires a comparative perspective, the ability to compare and contrast what has been said and written about the US military bases in Okinawa in the press and in scholarly publications, pro and con, with the realities on the ground and with how different members, interest groups and organizations of Okinawan society interpret those realities.

 

5)  Furthermore, we want to meet with both professors and students of universities of Okinawa such as Okinawa International University, Okinawa University and University of the Ryukyus in order to broaden our understanding of the presence of US military in Okinawa. Engaging in educational and academic dialogue will allow us to add another layer to a multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary approach to the research questions this LC focuses on.

 

                                

6) We must be on location for this LC as it requires empathy towards the military base members and the local Okinawans. Because we are not Okinawan and are not living in Okinawa nor were we alive during the time of World War II, we will not be able to fully understand or empathize with either side if we were to only learn out of textbooks inside of a classroom at SUA.