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Souvenirs of Solidarity: Toward an Okinawa-centered politics of demilitarization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

Sayaka Sakuma
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Abstract

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This paper examines a protest tour in Okinawa in which participants travelled from different prefectures in Japan to protest against construction of a new military base at Henoko. Drawing on participant observation, surveys, and interviews with group members and a peace-tour guide, it examines how participants experienced Okinawa as a destination of political activismm, and assesses their experience. The tour contributed to developing a sense of solidarity among the participants in support of demilitarization in Okinawa. Protest tourism provided a space for education about militarism on the ground. However, drawing from the fields of critical tourism studies and indigenous studies, the paper also draws attention to the challenges of framing a protest tour as a strategy for demilitarization. I develop the notion of “souvenirs of solidarity” to reflect on broader issues concerning US bases in Okinawa, Japan and the Pacific and the possibilities for anti-base activism.

Keywords

ActivismbasesJapanmilitarismOkinawaprotest tourismsolidarity
Type
Research Article
Information
Asia-Pacific Journal , Volume 19 , Issue 8 , April 2021 , e2
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2021

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