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Paper short abstract

Through interrogation of how Okinawan local politics' deep entanglement with US settler militarism has led to diverse economic adaptations across commercial and government sectors, the paper identifies how narratives of deterrence and alliance have become key aspects of Okinawa’s multiplex identity.

Paper long abstract

In attempting to explicate the complexities of Okinawa, the specific and complex extent to which the US military’s post-World War II occupation of the Island and its off islands has utterly reshaped their politics, economics and society is often misunderstood or misrepresented. Yet, the legacy of US “settler militarism” remains starkly evident on Okinawa to this day. In response, this paper addresses deep and seemingly contradictory discrepancies in the impact upon different aspects and sectors of contemporary Okinawa. To that end, it adopts a historically informed, decentered approach that examines the role of Okinawan agency in asking the following key research questions: to what extent has Okinawa’s postwar experience shaped Okinawan political forces and voices? How have key commercial and government actors optimized, utilized or otherwise circumvented the so-called “base economy”? To what extent has settler militarism shaped narratives of geopolitical security and social development on the islands? The paper therein (re)examines conventional academic literature, policy documents, Diet minutes and a range of other historical materials in order to identify how: i) local Okinawan politics remain deeply influenced by, entangled with, and framed in relation to base politics; ii) US settler militarism has led to diverse economic adaptations and innovations across commercial and local government sectors; iii) neither geopolitical security or a free and prosperous society are reliant upon the US military presence in its own right, but narratives of deterrence and alliance have become central aspects of Okinawa’s multifaceted identity.