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![nuked:
A Japanese man with the unusual background of having served in the U.S. Marine Corps is using his experience to vigorously campaign against the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.
Kimitoshi Takanashi, 38, joined the marines in his 20s and once served in Okinawa during his four-year career in the U.S. military.
The sharp-eyed man, sporting a Mohawk hairdo, has a muscular build that hardly looks like the body of a man nearing 40. On his right arm are tattooed the words, “KILL ‘EM ALL.”
After he began publicly speaking on the issue of U.S. forces in Okinawa, the fearless ex-marine gained a following among activists and members of university faculties in the prefecture. At their request, he is giving talks about what he perceives to be the injustices of keeping U.S. military installations in Okinawa.
He delivered his first speech as a former marine at Okinawa University in Naha on May 23, the very day then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama paid a visit to the prefecture.
[…]
Takanashi grew up in the city of Hiroshima, where his great-grandparents died from the atomic bombing on Aug. 6, 1945. As a child, he often saw off-duty U.S. soldiers come to his city from U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
He grew resentful of the Americans who visited the city to have fun, even though it was a site of intense suffering during the final days of the war. He also felt that Caucasians looked down on Asians.
After serving in the Ground Self-Defense Force for two years, he obtained his U.S. green card and joined the Marine Corps at age 23, partly to prove he could do as well at work as any white American.
[…]
He was posted to Camp Schwab in June 1995. Three months later three U.S. servicemen gang-raped a 12-year-old local girl and Okinawa exploded in fury.
The gravity of the matter prompted Tokyo and Washington to agree the following year on the return of the Futenma base to Japan on condition that Tokyo provides a replacement facility elsewhere.
Amid the vigorous protests by the enraged Okinawans, the U.S. service members in general, according to Takanashi, were apathetic. Marines around him were annoyed by the incident because they were afraid they might get banned from going out when they were off duty, he said.
Okinawans began calling for a full revision of the Status of Forces Agreement between Japan and the United States, which pertains to the handling of U.S. service members who commit crimes in Japan. Of particular concern for both countries was defining the specific circumstances under which U.S. military suspects should be handed over to Japanese law enforcement authorities.
No major progress has been made on the overhaul of the accord while the planned relocation of the Futenma base went nowhere.
“U.S. soldiers tend to think they won’t face criminal charges whatever they do here and also know that it is unfair,” Takanashi said. “They don’t talk about this because the inequities (inherent in the SOFA) are advantageous for them.”
Takanashi argues that their attitude reflects their disregard for human rights and racism. “Japan is like a colony of the United States and the most important issue facing Okinawa is neither military nor political but ethnic,” he added.
He is also critical of the way Japan pays money for the U.S. armed forces as host-nation support is squandered.
“Facilities where no one works are air-conditioned to excess and almost nobody goes to movie theaters the Japanese government has built,” he said. “Japan should stop playing the role of a sugar daddy.”
U.S. BASES OUT NOW!!](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4cfl3RS4s1qzx5z2o1_400.jpg)
A Japanese man with the unusual background of having served in the U.S. Marine Corps is using his experience to vigorously campaign against the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. Kimitoshi Takanashi, 38, joined the marines in his 20s and once served in Okinawa during his four-year career in the U.S. military. The sharp-eyed man, sporting a Mohawk hairdo, has a muscular build that hardly looks like the body of a man nearing 40. On his right arm are tattooed the words, “KILL ‘EM ALL.” After he began publicly speaking on the issue of U.S. forces in Okinawa, the fearless ex-marine gained a following among activists and members of university faculties in the prefecture. At their request, he is giving talks about what he perceives to be the injustices of keeping U.S. military installations in Okinawa. He delivered his first speech as a former marine at Okinawa University in Naha on May 23, the very day then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama paid a visit to the prefecture. […] Takanashi grew up in the city of Hiroshima, where his great-grandparents died from the atomic bombing on Aug. 6, 1945. As a child, he often saw off-duty U.S. soldiers come to his city from U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture. He grew resentful of the Americans who visited the city to have fun, even though it was a site of intense suffering during the final days of the war. He also felt that Caucasians looked down on Asians. After serving in the Ground Self-Defense Force for two years, he obtained his U.S. green card and joined the Marine Corps at age 23, partly to prove he could do as well at work as any white American. […] He was posted to Camp Schwab in June 1995. Three months later three U.S. servicemen gang-raped a 12-year-old local girl and Okinawa exploded in fury. The gravity of the matter prompted Tokyo and Washington to agree the following year on the return of the Futenma base to Japan on condition that Tokyo provides a replacement facility elsewhere. Amid the vigorous protests by the enraged Okinawans, the U.S. service members in general, according to Takanashi, were apathetic. Marines around him were annoyed by the incident because they were afraid they might get banned from going out when they were off duty, he said. Okinawans began calling for a full revision of the Status of Forces Agreement between Japan and the United States, which pertains to the handling of U.S. service members who commit crimes in Japan. Of particular concern for both countries was defining the specific circumstances under which U.S. military suspects should be handed over to Japanese law enforcement authorities. No major progress has been made on the overhaul of the accord while the planned relocation of the Futenma base went nowhere. “U.S. soldiers tend to think they won’t face criminal charges whatever they do here and also know that it is unfair,” Takanashi said. “They don’t talk about this because the inequities (inherent in the SOFA) are advantageous for them.” Takanashi argues that their attitude reflects their disregard for human rights and racism. “Japan is like a colony of the United States and the most important issue facing Okinawa is neither military nor political but ethnic,” he added. He is also critical of the way Japan pays money for the U.S. armed forces as host-nation support is squandered. “Facilities where no one works are air-conditioned to excess and almost nobody goes to movie theaters the Japanese government has built,” he said. “Japan should stop playing the role of a sugar daddy.”
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June 24th, 2010, Toronto.
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In front of the Israel Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, June 10th, 2010. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
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In front of the Israel embassy in Seoul on June 5, 2010. (Photo REUTERS/Truth Leem)
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In front of the Israel Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, June 5, 2010. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
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In front of the U.S. embassy in Jakarta on June 2, 2010 to protest against deadly Israeli attack on aid ship bound for Gaza. (Photo REUTERS/Supri)
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Kolkata, India, June 4th 2010, Activists of various parties walk together in a protest against the killing by Israel of at least nine activists on an aid boat headed for Gaza. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
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Demonstrators march to the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur on June 4, 2010, to protest against Israel’s attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. (Photo REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad)
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Near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, India, Thursday, June 3, 2010. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
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Demonstrators march to the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur June 4, 2010, to protest against Israel’s deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. (Photo REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad)
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In front of the Israeli embassy in Seoul on June 4, 2010. ‘Denounce Israeli attack on humanitarian relief ship bound for Gaza.’ (Photo REUTERS/Truth Leem)
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Friday, June 4, 2010. (AP Photo)
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In front of the Israel embassy in Manila’s Makati financial district June 2, 2010. (Photo REUTERS/Erik de Castro)
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Outside the Israeli Embassy at Manila’s financial district of Makati city, Philippines, Wednesday, June 2, 2010 to condemn the deadly raid by Israeli commandos on a Gaza-bound flotilla of activists. Israel has come under censure worldwide ever since its naval commandos stormed the aid flotilla and killed at least 9 activists in international waters on Monday. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
