The Emperor's Speech at Okinawa Ceremony Touching on Okinawa's "Challenges" for the First Time
Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress
attended the ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the reversion of
Okinawa to Japan online from the Imperial Palace on March 15. In his speech,
the Emperor recognized that "various challenges still remain in
Okinawa.”
His Majesty said, "I have heard that
in Okinawa, where many precious lives were lost in the war, people deepened
their belief in 'Nuchidotakara' (life is treasure), and I am deeply moved to
attend this ceremony while thinking about the history of the Okinawan people
who have continued to suffer after the war," referring to the severe
situation Okinawa was in after the war ended.
“Nuchidotakara" was also introduced as
a phrase used by His Majesty during his first visit to Okinawa in 1987, when he
was 27 years old, as a "poignant cry" for peace from the people of
the prefecture. The phrase was introduced as an expression of the people of
Okinawa's "poignant cry" for peace. His Majesty has visited Okinawa a
total of five times, each time hearing from the bereaved families of the war
dead about the tragedy of war and the importance of life. His Majesty's words
this time were elaborated based on his own experiences.
He then pointed out that there are
"challenges" in the current situation in Okinawa, although he did not
give specific details. He expressed his hope that the nationwide people,
including the younger generation, will deepen their understanding of Okinawa,
and he also expressed his sincere hope that the thoughts and efforts of the
people of Okinawa will be carried on and that a prosperous future will be built
for the island.
This will be the third time that the
Emperor of Japan will deliver a speech at a ceremony related to the reversion
of Okinawa to Japan, following Emperor Showa at the reversion ceremony (1972)
and the current Emperor Emeritus at the 20th anniversary ceremony (1992), but
the first time that they mentioned the current challenges in Okinawa.
Masayasu Hosaka, a nonfiction writer well
versed in modern and contemporary history, believes that the "challenges"
pointed out by His Majesty "refer to the U.S. military base problem and
other issues.” However, he added, "If he were to be more specific, it
could be taken as a political statement, so he probably had no choice but to
refer to the issues as 'challenges.’”
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