Okinawans War Sacrifice Led to Enduring Pacifism

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Adam Ashton, War Forged an Enduring Pacifism Among Those Who Sacrificed for Japan. Tacoma, WashingtonThe News Tribune, Nov 21, 2015.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/ne ... rticle45833085.html

Quote:

“the battle for the southern island of Okinawa became a protracted fight that Japan used to delay an American invasion of its mainland. About 200,000 civilians died, many of whom took their own lives.

"His [Takiechi Kakinohana, 85; 15 when conscripted] doubts about Japan’s new policies center on his own government, which he calls 'untrustworthy.'  During the war, he saw Japanese troops turn on local civilians, including his own family. * * * For Kakinohana, the depravity of the siege struck home when Japanese soldiers butchered his uncle and aunt when they fell under suspicion of helping the Americans.  'The Japanese soldiers I so admired were doing terrible things,' he said. 'If anyone moved, they would shoot.'

Note:
(a) With population (2015 est.) 863, Zamami son 座間味村 includes Zamami-jima 座間味島 and Aka-jima 阿嘉島, among others small islands. The village is part of Kerama islands 慶良間 諸島, 40 km west of City of Naha 那覇市.
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E ... 3%E8%AB%B8%E5%B3%B6
(section 2 島嶼; section 2.2 座間味村)
(b) Japanese surnames:
* Kaki-no-hana  垣花 (垣 = hedge)

(c) Miki Y ISHIKIDA 石木田 美貴, Living Together; Minority people and disadvantaged groups in Japan. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse Inc, 2005, at page 20
https://books.google.com/books?i ... %201944&f=false
(“In December 1944, 590,000 people were living in Okinawa prefecture, including 490,000 living on the main island, in addition to almost 100,000 Japanese soldiers”)

(d) "Ooshiro Yashitami, 77, who was too young to participate in the war but recalled a hardscrabble life on Okinawa after the fighting. Now he’s a Nago city council member"
(i) Nago  名護(市)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nago
(ii) The given name is misspelled.  OOSHIRO Yoshitami (or, in another Romanization system: ŌSHIRO Yoshitami; both "oo" or "ō" signify a long vowel) 大城 敬人
www.yoshitami.net/
(iii) Japanese English dictionary:
* tami 民 【たみ】 (n): "nation; people"  (This is Japanese pronunciation. 民's Chinese pronunciation is "min.")

(e) "Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke KISHI 岸 信介, served in the pro-military government led by Prime Minister TŌJŌ Hideki 東条 英機 [1941-1944] that led Japan into World War II. * * *He went on to serve as prime minster [sic; 1957-1960] after the war and led his own campaign to build up Japan’s military during the 1950s and 1960s."

Kishi resigned in 1960 because his push that year to amend Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan 安保条約 (first signed in 1952), though eventually successful, met with strenuous demonstrations, especially from college students.
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