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Okinawa Research Papers

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Even though Okinawa is just four hours away from Central Japan, it does not look like a part of the country. The American dominance on the island cannot be overlooked at any point. Media has given most of the attention to the US military base in Okinawa, and since Japan has been permitted to keep defense forces for the past several years, the presence and need for American troops have become a questionable debate. Sexual harassment cases on the island have resulted in increased skepticism of the US Navy. A recent right wing advocate sent bomb threats to the American embassy in Tokyo with the purpose of removing the naval base. Topics covered will be details on cultural ideology in the country while discussing the military, economic, …show more content…

The governor has a four-year tenure, the city mayor, and council cover 41 cities, towns and villages. On the other hand, the Okinawa prefectural flag has characteristics such as a white ‘O' in the initial prefecture letter, whereas the inner small red describes the progress of the city and the outer cycle shows the sea surrounding Okinawa. It is very difficult to grasp and know the real political climate of the city due to both its uniqueness and complexity. As a majority of the citizens stay quiet on political issues, only a minority of anti-base supporters voice their opinions through local media; which in return causes reactions among the political ties between Tokyo and …show more content…

However, the people of Okinawa do not consider themselves as Japanese and normally refer to themselves as ‘Yamatunchus.' The cultural beliefs of the Okinawan people are more influenced by the Chinese people rather than Japanese. Furthermore, Okinawans' have developed their political systems, local and regional festivals, religious ceremonies, languages, and holidays, although they are similar to the Japanese people regarding behaviors, diet, and social frameworks. Japan's official language must be used at all formal occasions, schools and amongst the younger generation, whereas ‘Uchinaguchi' is the language commonly spoken by the elderly, natives, and during cultural activities, and radio shows. The ideology of marriage in Okinawa is that the bride of the eldest son shifts to her in-laws home and engages her in all social interactions, whereas married couples financially support each other and also inherit family altar. The role of women in Okinawa is well reputed, responsible for religious activities and having good communication skills with

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