Leasing Land, Losing Sovereignty:

Authors

• Kathryn Blau

Keywords

Okinawan resistance, U.S. military bases, landowner defiance

Abstract

Shōichi Chibana, a grocer in a small village alongside Okinawa's central coast, captured international attention alongside thirty-four other landowners in 1995 after refusing to sign leasing contracts for land allocated for U.S. military bases in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture.1 This act of defiance was just the latest chapter in Chibana's ongoing role as a focal point in Okinawan resistance to the U.S. bases. Chibana had gained notoriety in 1987 for publically burning the Japanese hinomaru flag at a national sports tournament held in Okinawa, protesting the Japanese government's role in maintaining U.S. bases on Okinawa's main island.2 This same passion led him, eight years later, to use his position as a private owner of base land to continue his fight against the U.S. military presence on the island. This battle unfolded within a tense political landscape that evolved alongside Japan's postwar relationship with the United States, a relationship shaped by the U.S. military's occupation of Japan.

Recommended Citation

Blau, Kathryn (2025) "Leasing Land, Losing Sovereignty:," BYU Asian Studies Student Journal: Vol. 10, Article 1.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/asj/vol10/iss1/1