Setsubun Protest

January 31st, 2010
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Check out this image from the UK’s Daily Mail. It’s from a pretty big protest rally against the American military base situation in Okinawa, but with a distinctly Japanese twist. I’m not interested in the pre-printed cards that were distributed. I am interested in the hand drawn cardboard one on the right side of the frame. It reads as follows.

福は内〜！平和は内〜！基地は外〜！！
グアムに沖縄に日本に米軍基地は居坐るな！迷惑だ！帰ってくれ！！

***

Fuku wa uchi! Heiwa wa uchi! Kichi wa soto!
Guamu ni Okinawa ni Nihon ni beigun kichi wa isuwaru na! Meiwaku da! Kaette kure!!

***

Luck in! Peace in! Military bases out!
American military bases in Guam, Okinawa, and Japan, do not remain! It is troublesome! Go home!!

This is obviously modeled on the customary Setsubun holiday ritual of 豆撒き or mamemaki – throwing soy beans and chasing ogres out of one’s home by yelling 「鬼は外！福は内！」(Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!) or “Demons out! Luck in!”. People have been pretty heated up over the base situation for a long time now. I’m curious about whether it really implies a few things or not, though: that the American military is a bunch of friendly demon ogres (big step up from foreign barbarians if you ask me), that Okinawa is not part of Japan, and that Guam is upset about the military base there? Perhaps the delineation of Okinawa and Japan was kind of like “Okinawa and mainland Japan”? I dunno. But I found this interesting, and thought you might too!

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Deas Customary Drivel, Politics, Unsolicited Commentary, 日本語

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  • Learn Kanji says: Well, very interesting indeed... but I hope everything turns out ok. Hmm... what's your opinion on the American military bases being in there?
  • I'm not strongly opinionated one way or the other. I think it's a really
    sensitive issue. The problem is that while many people want the Futenma base
    gone, it is strongly linked with the local economy. Many peoples'
    livelihoods depend on the base or the circumstances arising out of having
    the base. So there are pro-base and anti-base Japanese citizens there. But
    there are also pro-base and anti-base US citizens. Many people think it's
    strange to keep so many of our military men and women in friendly countries.
    It seems wasteful and all. But then it's argued that it's part of a careful
    strategy to maintain a presence in the region. Japan's a strong US ally, but
    the JSDF, as technologically advanced and capable as they are, are bound by
    laws which complicate their rules of engagement. Some think having the US
    military there is a show of friendship and solidarity. Some think it's petty
    paternalism over a country that the US effectively disarmed and de-fanged.
    The reality of the situation is enough to see prime ministers unseated.
  • leberk
    I wonder how many of the protesters want the U.S. military to leave now, before they have recovered from this terrible quake and tsunami.
  • Japanese rarely protest. When they do protest it is always against an outside country or government, which is fair enough. I have only seen protests against American and North Korea.

    As for their own country Japanese seem to accept anything. Japan is losing a lot of its cultural heritage and people don't care. The construction industry is laying concrete and building museums just about everywhere at great tax payer expense. I know most Japanese don't support it, yet they never protest.
  • One of the options they are considering now is to relocate the base to a smaller island called Shimoji (part of Miyakojima). This would completely devastate the population there.

    @Jonadab The majority of the people would like the base out of Japan. This is especially true in Okinawa.
  • I don't necessarily think that's true, Japanese Phrases. I think there's a
    lot of turmoil in the discussion because the military presence is both a)
    unpopular, and b) heavily intertwined with the local economy. (By that I
    mean that Okinawa would lose a bunch of jobs should the deal go through.)
    It's not so clear-cut, I think. You've got idealism and pragmatism at odds
    there.

    I visited Okinawa last summer, and while I would never venture to speak for
    them with any authority, the Japanese folks I spoke with said that they'd
    like a renegotiated arrangement of the current set-up; one that is more
    fair, e.g. more beneficial to Okinawa. Anecdotal, yes, but interesting to
    me. I hope they get it all sorted out, in any event. These things are always
    fractious.
  • Interesting. Is it like a lot of protest rallies in the U.S., where 10% of the population is riled up about the matter, 20% actively disagrees, and the other 70% don't give a fig? Or do the Japanese people _as a whole_ object to the military base in Okinawa?
  • freedomwv
    The situation is tight over for sure. Although, it is interesting how they tie in a holiday ritual to the protest.
    Demons be gone! LOL
  • Great post, Deas.

    I just want to touch on a couple of points. The protests are completely legitimate regarding Japanese territories, and I agree with them on their antagonistic stance towards America as a hegemonic powerhouse (or, demonic ogre, in their interpretation). However, I feel that mentioning Guam is outside of their cause. I don't think Japan had a much better history there:

    "During the [Japanese] occupation, the people of Guam suffered terrible atrocities, including torture, beheadings, and rape, and were forced to adopt the Japanese culture." (http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Re... via Wikipedia)

    Soc'd for good measure!
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