On May 15, 2002 Okinawa will be celebrating its 30th anniversary since Reversion to Japan in 1972. Representatives from many of the Okinawan Associations from around the world are anticipated in Okinawa to remember the heady days leading up to Reversion and the very moment when the desires of the Okinawan people were realized.
April 6, 1945 was a significant day for the Nansei Shoto, as it was on this Day, with the Nimitz Proclamation that sovereignty of these islands shifted from the Imperial Japanese Government to US Military Administration. Since then till 1972, Okinawa was run and organized as a separate entity from mainland Japan. Douglas Macarthur, commanding General of US Forces in the Far East understood the distinct cultural differences between Okinawa and the mainland Japanese and stated the specific objective of US Military administration as the 'liquidation of political, social, and economic ties with Mainland Japan'. This resulted in Okinawa developing along very different lines from mainland Japan. James Dodge the man who formulated the initial strategy to rebuild Japan from the ashes of war was also played a hand in the development of Okinawa's economy, and introduced the 'b' yen in 1948 as opposed to the standard Japanese yen. The difference was in the value of the currency, the Japanese yen was 360 yen to the dollar, whereas the 'b' yen as 140 yen to the dollar. On mainland Japan this created an export orientated economy, however on Okinawa, with a high 'b' yen, it created an import based economy and thus an economy largely dependant on the US military bases for its survival.
Initially many Okinawans were grateful to the US marines who had encouraged the promotion of Okinawan culture and language, something that had been suppressed by the Japanese, however, the honeymoon period would soon end as US Military objectives took precedence over the needs of the 'indigenous population'.
Many issues involving crimes committed by Marines, through to military accidents that were not properly addressed, prosecuted or compensated meant many Okinawan civilians were second-class citizens in their own country. With the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1951, US Military sovereignty was officially recognized, and in order to ensure cooperation from the civilian population a Civil Administration was appointed. This Civil Administration evicted people from their homes on Ie Island in the 1950`s to make way for a planned airfield and remained the main buffer between the anger of the local population and that of the US Military. Amami Oshima was returned to Japan in 1953, and US control focused on the main Island of Okinawa and the islands to the south. After becoming Prime Minister of Japan in 1964, Eisaku Sato made the Reversion of Okinawa to Japan the main priority of his cabinet, and dialogue about Reversion opened with President Linden Johnson in 1965.
In March of 1966, people protested over the appointment the Chief Executive of the Legislature, demanding a public election system, this was followed by protest in July and December all around Okinawa against the weakness of the Government of the Ryukyu Islands (GRI) and its jurisdiction, which was seen as nothing more than a puppet of the US Military Administration. In 1966 the 'Twin' Education Bills was introduced by the Government, prohibiting teachers from participating in political activities or in strikes. The Bill was eventually overturned, by the exertions of the Okinawa Teacher's Association who rallied 20,000 protesters and surrounded the Legislature in February of 1967. In the same year, US Military forces appropriated eight hectares of land from private landowners in Gushikawa City to expand their facilities at Tengan, and this was met with mass protest.
Okinawans managed to elect their Chief Executive in 1968, in the figure of Chobyo Yara, who pushed for Reversion and pushed to get rid of the military bases.
It was the Vietnam War that was to bring the tension between Okinawans and their American overlords into open conflict. Military accidents increased and damage to people and property though viewed as unfortunate, were never clearly compensated or resolved, and many Okinawans began to feel ' that the bases are not in Okinawa, but Okinawa in the midst of bases'.
Richard Nixon's 'Vietnamising the War' policies lead to a reduction of troop numbers in South East Asia as well as a reduction in military budgets, resulting in the retrenchment of 2,400 Okinawan workers on the bases in 1969. Even though The Okinawan Military Employees Union (Zengunro) organized a series of protests and strikes, during which members were assaulted by bayonet wielding soldiers, retrenchments continued, with some 7,000 people loosing their jobs on the bases before 1972. This mood of protest would further kindle and add momentum to the Reversion movement.
A high school girl was stabbed and seriously injured by a US soldier in Gushikawa City in May of 1970. In the same year a housewife was run over and killed by a car driven by a US soldier, and the soldier was tried and acquitted in a military court, leading to a mass protest rally in Itoman city. Four days later, a pedestrian was run over in Koza City (Okinawa City) by a car driven by a US soldier. Conflict erupted between witnesses and MP's over how the matter was handled, and the incident turned to riot, resulting in the destruction of 75 vehicles (all with Military number plates) with people entering and burning parts of Kadena airbase. Areas around the bases were constantly affected by Zengunro strikes and it was commonplace for the military to issue 'condition green' warnings, which prohibited military personnel from leaving the bases.
It was against such a backdrop that the Sato-Nixon summit met in November of 1969 and set 1972 as the date for Reversion. Yet despite the public's cry for 'No nukes and no bases', the contents of the Reversion agreement guaranteed the continuation of military bases in Okinawa, much to the displeasure of many Okinawans. Furthermore, the decision to float the dollar causing a currency crisis in 1971 contributed to be people's apprehensions about Reversion, even though the Japanese Government guaranteed a currency exchange of 305 yen to the dollar. A general strike was called in order to oppose the ramification of the Reversion bill as it stood and schools, ports and government offices were closed in Naha, Nago and Yaeyama in November of 1971. Clashes between protesters and police resulted in the death of policeman, killed by a Molotov cocktail. However, Reversion went ahead, and the official date was May 15, 1972.
Reversion meant a number of different challenges for Okinawa, especially for Okinawan businesses who were not shielded from the competition of mainland Japanese companies who very quickly came in to set up shop.

Reversion means many different things to many different people. If one was expecting a reduction in the US military bases in Okinawa post Reversion, then nothing has really changed. If one was looking at improved infrastructure, improved health and wealth facilities, then there has been considerable change since Reversion. Still Okinawa remains the poorest Japanese Prefecture after 30 years back in the fold, and lacks any solid manufacturing base partially because of the way money and funding moves in and out of the Prefecture and partly because of the historical lack of commercial investment under US Administration.
Paul Saeki