Myth, Protest and Struggle in Okinawa
Myth, Protest and Struggle in Okinawa
Myth, Protest and Struggle in Okinawa
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The third wave <strong>and</strong> beyond 173<br />
the referendum campaign. One member, who also jo<strong>in</strong>ed the referendum campaign<br />
as an ‘ord<strong>in</strong>ary, <strong>in</strong>experienced activist’ <strong>and</strong> a mother, says, ‘These days, when I<br />
hear the word “mother” <strong>in</strong> relation to the base issue, I feel <strong>in</strong>stantly exhausted; I<br />
feel my ‘motherhood’ is be<strong>in</strong>g used’ (Interview, February 2002). The <strong>in</strong>ternal<br />
gendered power relations <strong>and</strong> the role of women <strong>in</strong> subord<strong>in</strong>ate positions with<strong>in</strong><br />
anti-base organisations had not become a major, public issue.<br />
Nevertheless, dur<strong>in</strong>g the anti-heliport struggle, the anti-base women stepped <strong>in</strong>to<br />
a new realm of collective action, which is to change, or be aware of, the gender<br />
dynamics with<strong>in</strong> the community of protest, often expressed <strong>in</strong> humorous, casual<br />
comments such as: ‘We cannot leave this to the men any more’. Form<strong>in</strong>g femaleonly<br />
groups separately was an act of ‘say<strong>in</strong>g sayonara’ to a male <strong>and</strong> senioritydom<strong>in</strong>ated<br />
anti-base organization, without explicitly engag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> confrontation with<br />
specific <strong>in</strong>dividuals, namely, experienced male activists <strong>in</strong> their forties <strong>and</strong> fifties<br />
who were sometimes perceived to be limit<strong>in</strong>g the expansion <strong>and</strong> improvement of<br />
the protest movement. Organiz<strong>in</strong>g female-only collective action separately from<br />
male counterparts was itself a political statement. It questioned the subject of<br />
‘citizens’ movements’, <strong>and</strong> the lack of recognition <strong>and</strong> tolerance towards diversity<br />
<strong>in</strong> the community of protest <strong>in</strong> Ok<strong>in</strong>awa.<br />
Immediately before the referendum, women’s groups from all over Ok<strong>in</strong>awa<br />
engaged <strong>in</strong> a jo<strong>in</strong>t activity. As the pro-base group’s campaign was becom<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly aggressive, the Kamadu, Jannukai, <strong>and</strong> the Jukkuno Kai members<br />
planned a rejuvenat<strong>in</strong>g demonstration called michi-junay, which looked like a<br />
traditional Ok<strong>in</strong>awan eisah performance on the street. They were first worried<br />
how many people would turn up. However, to their deep encouragement, women’s<br />
groups <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Yarukies, OWAAMV <strong>and</strong> groups from elsewhere, such as Onna<br />
village, came to jo<strong>in</strong> this michi-junay <strong>in</strong> Nago. This occasion was very special. This<br />
is when the ‘Reach to the Heart Women’s Voice (Kokoro ni Todoke Onna-tachi<br />
no Koe) Network’, an Ok<strong>in</strong>awa-wide women’s network, was formed. Takaesu<br />
Ayano, a female coffee shop manager from southern Ok<strong>in</strong>awa, says, ‘I could not<br />
just watch these women. They really sounded like they were personally address<strong>in</strong>g<br />
me, “Let’s do this together”‘ (Interview, May 1999). She contacted her female<br />
friends <strong>in</strong> Ok<strong>in</strong>awa <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>l<strong>and</strong> Japan, <strong>and</strong> raised funds for a newspaper<br />
advertisement of women’s opposition to the heliport construction. The Network<br />
further engaged <strong>in</strong> humorous <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>spir<strong>in</strong>g collective action <strong>in</strong> Naha <strong>and</strong> Tokyo. 41<br />
The unai method of these women showed that it was all right to have no experience<br />
<strong>in</strong> political activism or not to belong to an established organization. As <strong>in</strong>dividuals<br />
with passion <strong>and</strong> ideas, it was also possible to bond <strong>and</strong> work together with people<br />
<strong>in</strong> different places, backgrounds, <strong>and</strong> op<strong>in</strong>ions. It was the unai method that helped<br />
b<strong>in</strong>d women from different locations with<strong>in</strong> Ok<strong>in</strong>awa.<br />
The referendum was held on 21 December 1997. The majority – 53.8 per cent<br />
– of Nago residents voted aga<strong>in</strong>st the heliport construction. 42 Nevertheless, Nago<br />
Mayor Higa officially approved the heliport construction <strong>in</strong> Henoko on the condition<br />
that the state provide special assistance for the local economy, <strong>and</strong> then resigned<br />
on 24 December. The referendum result, earned by hard work <strong>and</strong> democratic<br />
procedures, was squashed by the state power. This event was traumatic, to put it