I was very pleasantly surprised to read that Okinawa prefecture is publishing the stats. I was surprised that the numbers were as they are, and then surprised again that Okinawa prefecture is posting them in English and Japanese online. An honorable news media would mention these numbers every time they report on a protest against the US presence, but neither the US or Japan has one of those.

Knowing what I do from this post–that Okinawa prefecture has a much better regard for the facts of this issue than the media, it seems likely that the prefectural government may have the numbers you’re talking about. I would, on the other hand, be very surprised if someone in the media (theirs or ours) reported them. I’ll try and remember to dig around for that data at some point and, if I find anything, I’ll post it here.

Another thing I know absolutely nothing about but would be interested to learn is what is the security benefit of having marines on Okinawa? Their number isn’t big enough to make much of a difference in a second Korean war. And there’s no enemy that can reach Okinawa without getting past the US navy first. There’s nobody on earth who can get past the US navy. Why do we need ground troops over there?

By the way-Does anybody really believe that when Okinawa becomes military-free, would their economy recover and stabilize? For me, I think it would plummet like a sinking stone.

Its distance from the main part of the US (like Okinawa in Japan) is a great handicap to its economy, and there is zero chance that cities like New York or Tokyo will ever develop. So you could never experience the excitement, extravagance, chances of financial success that a metropolis has to offer if you remain in Okinawa, but that could be said of other prefectures as well like Iwate or Shimane (= South Dakota or Kansas of Japan, maybe), but poverty is not a general image associated with Hawaii or Okinawa. Having a base is unavoidable since it’s located in a strategically important position for the state it belongs to. (Although I presume that the stress on Okinawa’s society is greater since the US base is a foreign group, and friction is bound to be larger). Tourism is probably the only decent source of outside money. Sugar and pineapples are mostly likely the only cash crops (Hawaii has coffee, too, so maybe they’re better off), but they can’t compete with cheaper products from SE Asia.

Okinawa is just one of those many prefectures in Japan where more young people leave than return. At least, that’s my impression, having lived in Puerto Rico, New York, and several parts of Japan.