ok.. this is gonna cause some ruckus probably but..

19 comments

1. Real.

2. A majority of service members in Okinawa are Air Force. This branch is known to be less violent and more educated. I understand there are always gonna be bad people. As an American dependent, I grew up in Okinawa not liking Marines. There are plans to relocate Marines to Guam, and reducing military footprint.

3. It’s your island, the Americans are guests and kind of obnoxious ones at that. I was one. I tried my best not to be an asshole, but I was there as a teenager and then as an Air Force Security Policeman. Young men are, as a rule, terrible ambassadors. I get the impulse to dislike an occupying army.

4. Im stationed here now and the people here are very nice, unlike you it seems

5. I was in the Marines and stationed here and I too have a negative perception of the Marines stationed here.

   That perception was earned though… and its because I hold Marines to a higher standard than I would, say an American tourist.

   I saw firsthand the drunken behavior of Marines at the clubs and bars. I heard the firsthand stories in the barracks of guys exploiting local women and being fuckboys. I see the hundreds of negative posts/comments about Okinawa or Okinawa people in the various rant groups on Facebook (and also heard in the barracks about how much people hate this place all the time).

   I watch the local news and hear of everytime a Marine fucks up… like the guy a few days ago being found trespassing onto private property.

   Marines act a fucking fool in Okinawa and treat Okinawa like a place where they can wreak havock untethered of any responsibility.

   My 2 cents

6. Haisai! I just want to say, thanks for letting me experience and learn about Okinawa and Okinawan culture. I know you don’t like the American influence on Okinawa, but the Okinawan influence on me has literally changed my life. I only hope I can go back again soon.

7. I was station at Yokota in Tokyo about 10 years ago. Once I went to Okinawa for vacation and one of my first thoughts was “damn, there are a lot of bases on this small island.” I totally get the protest ESPECIALLY with repeated dumbasses driving drunk and sexually assaulting people. That’s unacceptable.

   I liked living in the suburbs of Tokyo because I could “blend in.” No one thought I was Japanese, of course, but they also didn’t assume I was American military.

8. Honestly I get it. I’m airforce stationed here. We don’t agree obviously with the things that the marines have done. Im sure AF members have done that too. But also, we’re told we have to be here. We don’t have a choice. Some people don’t even want to be here, others do.

   I love Okinawa, the people, the food, and I always try to be as respectful as I can be when out in public, knowing it’s a thin line us US members tread on.

   I hope the recent report of 2 marines saving a locals life helps build the trust we all need to succeed. It makes me very happy to see things like that.

   Again, I want Okinawans and the local to understand it’s not up to us at the lower level to be here. It’s all the high ups. But that doesn’t excuse the atrocities that happen.

   There will be growth, and prosperity.

   I love Japan!

9. They might not choose where they’re stationed, but they do get to choose to join in the first place.

10. I dislike the marines in kin and I’m a fucking marine who works in kin.

11. Yes and I’m in the military (different branch) lol. I’ve met some nice marines, but I’m still wary of them because I’ve heard too many stories.

12. It sounds a bit hypocritical if you’ve never lived here or only lived here as a child with no real memory of it and moved away, with only hand-me-down stories from family that has.

    Of course you’re entitled to your opinion, everyone is. And family sharing with you any issues or BS they had to deal with can definitely skew your perception. But a general attitude of ‘military bad because base near my families home town’ doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense.

    Okinawa’s recent history is largely shaped by the war and the rebuilding afterwords which the US played a huge role in. Okinawa was administered by the U.S. until 1972, and there are still plenty of people alive who were here when it switched back. So much of the influence and culture that formed during that time are still persisting today due to the large U.S. presence still here.

    I think it’s also important to note that 100% of Okinawa is not shaped by U.S. influence. Most American influence you’ll see is in Chatan, Okinawa City, Sunabe, southern Yomitan, Kin, Ginowan, etc. And that’s just surface stuff like English menus and some western style bars/restaurants and whatnot. Other areas like Naha, Nago, Nanjo, Ie island (minus the small airstrip), and so much more have no daily dealings with military personnel or anything American.

    I can see the ‘military influence’ that a lot of people talk about, but it is still Japan, and not the U.S., and it’s very plain to see on the daily. I’ve never been anywhere on this island and felt like I was back in the U.S.

    The bad behavior and mistakes that the military make are an entire conversation that’s been going on for the better part of a century at this point, and is a whole other topic. I can empathize with Okinawans seeing story after story of U.S. personnel committing crimes, every single year, for decades, and that gradually building up to leave a bad impression and generally distaste.

    Something that I feel isn’t mentioned enough is that SOFA people only make up 5% of Okinawa’s population, yet only commit 1.5% of all legal offenses, according to the Okinawa police data. That means Okinawans, Japanese, and tourists account for 98.5% of all crimes committed on the island, yet somehow the US military always get pegged as the worst offenders.

    I encourage you to come back, and ask people how they feel. Go explore other parts of the island besides the touristy areas. Watch the myriad of videos online where Okinawans are interviewed and asked about their opinion on the U.S. presence.

    I came here originally when I was stationed here, fell in love, left the military, and have lived here since. It’s an amazing island with amazing people that I’m lucky to call my home.

    Next time you hear someone say they were stationed in Okinawa, ask them about it. Ask them how they enjoyed it, how they spent their time, the food they liked, the places they visited. I think once you hear their admiration and fondness for it you might not be so quick to make a snarky face.

13. For the OP, what about the American military influence that bother you? Were you ever taught about the potential benefit of American military presences in Okinawa? If you could have the power to change, what would you replace the American military presence with?

14. I am.the hafu bastard of a marine and was forced to grow up around camp lejeune so. Not super fond of the military as a whole.

    I do believe that individual people run the gambit on great people and the worst you’ve ever met, though.

    I now live in Japan but not in Okinawa anymore in no small part because of the bases and how they make the island feel just a little less accessible if you do not have base access.

15. Not uncommon. Lotta crimes by service members and even the Japanese army if they go back to the war.

16. It’s valid. Tbh im a Marine that works in Kin and I just keep to myself. Me and family go hang out but that’s about it. Don’t hate the island but I did not ask to come here nor was I actually wanting to. But even with that I’m not one to go out and just make a scene because I’m a Marine. I’m just an adult doing the right thing I guess

17. When I lived in Japan as a kid back in 95 to 04 I heard alot of stories about crimes committed by marines there, it always made me sad. 

18. I was a military kid living there from 1988-1993, and it’s still the absolute best place I’ve ever lived. I do understand the hate, and I’m sorry for the horrible things some US military members did, but there definitely are good ones that appreciate Okinawa for the jewel it is.

19. I don’t like the military bases in my home state either and I’m also not a fan of the hundreds of thousands of service members that occupy them. Nothing against them as people either, but many don’t leave and they end up moving there permanently when they get out of the service. They massively change the culture of any place where they exist

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