Anti US Protest in Japan

Just picked this up in Xinhua:

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Thousands protest U.S. warship deployment in Japan

TOKYO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Over 10,000 local residents rallied on Saturday in protesting against the deployment of a nuclear-powered U.S. warship at the U.S. navy base near Tokyo.

The protesters called for the Japanese government to stop the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington in Yokosuka, 45 km southwest of Tokyo.

The aircraft carrier was originally scheduled to be deployed to Yokosuka in August, but following a fire on the ship in May, its arrival may be delayed. It would be the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be stationed in Japan.

Local people are very concerned about the safety of the USS George Washington after the fire.

At present some 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan under the U.S.-Japan security alliance.

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On its own maybe nothing beyond local concern, but taken in conjuction with ongoing riots and protests in S Korea (primarily about US beef but also about US Troop deployments) and ongoing regular protests in Okinawa, there is definitly a growing and widening sense of anti US feelings in East Asia.

Not surprising. No one would want foreign military presence on their backyard. It just make them look less compitent in self-defense and rely on foreign troops to do it. War is also getting less likely now since China is warming up to japan, south korea and taiwan. the only troublemaker left is north korea. Even then, I don't think russia or China is going to let north korea start a war in the vacinity.

I'm actually in Japan right now...I've seen some servicemen from the US. Other than that I can't really use my personal experience to inform this topic very much except to say that I haven't seen this protest in the news or newspapers and that everyone has been impeccably friendly.

Personally I think that we should reduce our troop presence in South Korea and Japan. It's just not necessary anymore and causes needless political tension. Air bases and the basing of an aircraft carrier in Japan I think are necessary. But a lot of bases can be closed. And many Marine and Army units can be sent home. Of course there is a political element; having ground troops based in a country sort of ties it to the US orbit.

These protest have been on going for many many years. No big deal. I was stationed in Yokosuka Japan on board the USS Midway from October '73 until August '74.

The very first day we arrived in Japan , 11 October 1973, There was a protest so massive that the gates to the base at Yokosuka were secured until 2130 that evening.

There were protest against the US presense then and have continued to this very day. Nothing new. Trust me.

Guess, they just want whats theirs to be controlled by them. The territory has been under US control since WWII?? Long time.

10,000 is rather big. While anti-US sentiment is not new in Asia, especially in both Korea and Japan, it seems widening just as nationalism in both countries are also asserting themselves. Bush and Iraq actually added more fuel to the situation and the general feeling in Japan is that the US is an economically bankrupt nation that insists in dictating terms to an economic and technologically superior Japan. Its reflected in newspaper articles and opinions, in internet blogs even to anime and manga. In one show, a popular series called Ghost in the Shell, the US is called "Imperial America" whose economy is bankrupt. It seemed to be a perception in other places too---I saw a British SF show that showed a similar description.

US is downsizing its presence in Japan. The biggest step is moving 8,000 Marines and their families from Okinawa to the economically depressed Guam. However, it would take until 2012 to finish all that, and Japan has to foot 60% of the relocation cost and they're very unhappy about that in the Japanese Diet given that the costs seem to amount to like 600,000 dollars per person.

crobato said:

10,000 is rather big. While anti-US sentiment is not new in Asia, especially in both Korea and Japan, it seems widening just as nationalism in both countries are also asserting themselves. Bush and Iraq actually added more fuel to the situation and the general feeling in Japan is that the US is an economically bankrupt nation that insists in dictating terms to an economic and technologically superior Japan.

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Japan is hardly economically superior to the US. While the US dollar is weakening and the US economy slips into recession, the Japanese economy has never recovered since the crash in the late 80s early 90s. Presently the Nikkei is one third the size it was in the 1980s and has never really recovered. While their economy is probably second only to the US, they have had little economic growth compared to the US.

crobato said:

Its reflected in newspaper articles and opinions, in internet blogs even to anime and manga. In one show, a popular series called Ghost in the Shell, the US is called "Imperial America" whose economy is bankrupt. It seemed to be a perception in other places too---I saw a British SF show that showed a similar description.

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I wouldn't use GitS as evidence. I like the show too. I just wouldn't use anime as a reflection of the popular attitude of the average Japanese.

I think what most Japanese think is that the US economy, while growing is still unheathy due to its massive deficit, huge borrowings and spending on military. Rescent economic downturn will reinforce the idea even further. Japan's economy, while not growing still have surplus and huge foreign reserve, thus more stable in the long run. Again this is only perceptions of my Japanese friends, not an economic professor.

I would take cue in anime because it reflects the popular culture and feelings of the Japanese people. Anime is very mainstream there, adults watch it too. This is very different from the west where cartoon is not as mainstream and ussually targets younger viewers.

Sargon said:

Japan is hardly economically superior to the US. While the US dollar is weakening and the US economy slips into recession, the Japanese economy has never recovered since the crash in the late 80s early 90s. Presently the Nikkei is one third the size it was in the 1980s and has never really recovered. While their economy is probably second only to the US, they have had little economic growth compared to the US.

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Facts are a separate matter from opinion. The latter can be formed without accounting for the former. Its all a matter of perception.

I wouldn't use GitS as evidence. I like the show too. I just wouldn't use anime as a reflection of the popular attitude of the average Japanese.

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True, but its not the first and only anime I've watched in Adult Swim that seems to reflect a negative view on the US, at least on the US government and military. Like in Blood+, US bases in Okinawa are being used to conduct inhuman genetic experiments which ended up making a meal of the local population. It all seems to be a trend going around.

Anime being used to indicate Japanese views of the US :roll: Maybe because what anime portrays suit what you guys think? Or has anime become reality for some here? Let me introduce this board to something called 'opinion polls'.