Japan and Okinawa: Structure and Subjectivity (Sheffield Centre for Japanese Studies RoutledgeCurzon Series)

Japan and Okinawa provides an up-to-date, coherent and theoretically informed examination of Okinawa from the perspective of political economy and society. It combines a focus on structure and subjectivity as a way to analyze Okinawa, Okinawans and their relationship with global, regional and national structures. The book draws on a range of disciplines to provide new insights into both the contemporary and historical place of Okinawa and the Okinawans. The first half of the book examines Okinawa as part of the global, regional and national structures which impose constraints as well as offer opportunities to Okinawa. Leading specialists examine in detail topics such as Okinawa as a frontier region, Okinawa's Free Trade Zones and response to globalization, and Okinawa as part of the Japanese 'construction state', being particularly concerned with how Okinawa can chart its own course. The second half focuses on questions of identity and subjectivity, examining the multitude of vibrant cultural practices that breathe life into the meaning of being Okinawan and inform their social and political responses to structural constraints. The originality of this book can be found in its elucidation of how the structural constraints of Okinawa's precarious position in the world, the region and as part of Japan impact on subjectivity. For many Okinawans, in the past as now, acceptance and rationalization of their dependency has made them collaborators in their own subordination. At the same time, however, they have demonstrated a capacity to give voice to a separate identity, inscribing cultural practices marking them as different from mainland Japanese Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Notes on contributors......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Note on the text......Page 11 List of abbreviations......Page 12 Introduction: Japan? Structure and subjectivity in Okinawa......Page 14 Structure......Page 32 Considering Okinawa as a frontier......Page 34 Responding to globalization: Okinawa's Free Trade Zone in microregional context......Page 52 It is high time to wake up: Japanese foreign policy in the twenty-first century......Page 68 Migration and the nation-state: structural explanations for emigration from Okinawa......Page 87 Okinawa and the structure of dependence......Page 106 Beyond hondo: devolution and Okinawa......Page 127 Subjectivity......Page 144 Return to Uchina: the politics of identity in contemporary Okinawa......Page 146 'Mob rule' or popular activism? The Koza riot of December 1970 and the Okinawan search for citizenship......Page 161 The dynamic trajectory of the post-reversion 'Okinawa Struggle': constitution, environment and gender......Page 180 Contested memories: struggles over war and peace in contemporary Okinawa......Page 201 Nuchi nu Sji: comedy and everyday life in postwar Okinawa......Page 221 Arakawa Akira: the thought and poetry of an iconoclast......Page 238 Conclusion: both structure and subjectivity......Page 253 Index......Page 263 Considering Okinawa As A Frontier / Furuki Toshiaki -- Responding To Globalization / Glenn D. Hook -- It Is High Time To Wake Up / Gabe Masaaki -- Migration And The Nation-state / Yoko Sellek -- Okinawa And The Structure Of Dependence / Gavan Mccormack -- Beyond Hondo / Ota Masahide -- Return To Uchina / Richard Siddle -- Mob Rule Or Popular Activism? / Christopher Aldous -- The Dynamic Trajectory Of The Post-reversion Okinawa Struggle / Miyume Tanji -- Contested Memories / Julia Yonetani -- Nuchi Nu Suji / Christopher T. Nelson -- Arakawa Akira / Michael Molasky -- Both Structure And Subjectivity / Glenn D. Hook And Richard Siddle. Edited By Glenn D. Hook And Richard Siddle. Series Numbering From Publisher's List In Later Volume. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Okinawa. Its subordinate integration into global, regional and national orders has posed a challenge for the governments and peoples of Okinawa for centuries.