Home > Focus on Japan 2008 > Rape in Okinawa

Rape in Okinawa

February 15th, 2008

Inevitably, it’s happened again: another reported rape of a teenager by an American serviceman in Okinawa. By “inevitably” I do not mean to suggest that American servicemen are predisposed to rape teenagers, what I mean is that in any population of a certain size, there will always be all manner of crimes committed.

Naturally, the Japanese press is going nuts with it. Stories on the news are almost as constant as the poisoned Chinese gyoza story. And the politicians are using it as a reason to call for the U.S. forces to leave.

First, let me set some items straight lest you misunderstand. I do not approve of, trivialize, or excuse in any way, shape, or form any act of rape by anyone against anyone else. I do not claim that this specific accusation of rape is true or not true; it is an accusation at this time and not judged in a court of law. And I do not offer judgment here about whether or not U.S. bases should or should not be in Japan.

What I am saying is, it is unreasonable for the Japanese press to stoke up stories like this for jingoistic and xenophobic purposes, and for politicians to use them for unrelated political arguments.

Here’s the fact: rape happens, and it’s not just American servicemen doing it. You can be certain that there is at least as much of that crime being committed in Okinawa and everywhere else in Japan, by Japanese men. But that is rarely if ever reported, and certainly is never used as an issue to push for any Japanese rapist’s affiliated organizations.

Consider the situation in reverse; with so many Japanese living in the U.S., there are bound to be rapes by Japanese men against American teens. If a rapist worked for Sony, for instance, should that be sensationalized in the U.S. press and then used to suggest that Sony should be made to pack up and leave?

I guess the reason I mention this is because I get nervous when these things are blown out of proportion by the Japanese media. (Again, not that rape should be trivialized, but rather that only rapes by Americans against Japanese are sensationalized. If anything, this kind of misplaced emphasis devalues the perceived importance of other rapes; by placing emphasis on who commits the crime rather than on the crime itself, it suggests that rapes committed by others are not as objectionable, or not as important.) It brings back the specter of the 1980’s and the rampant xenophobia and its resultant discrimination brought out. I am reminded of the Yoshi Hattori case, an event also blown way beyond any reasonable proportions, especially relative to similar events happening within Japan.

And even today, Japanese politicians, especially the ultra-nationalists like Tokyo’s Ishihara, have a habit of singling out crimes by foreign populations, exaggerating them, and frightening the domestic population with scare stories about them. Just like American nationalists do on their turf, and it’s just as reprehensible.

If the politicians want American bases out, then fine; but that argument should be made on its merits, and not in a way that creates and encourages disproportionate fear, anger, and discrimination.

Just my two cents on the issue.

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  1. Brian Bland
    February 16th, 2008 at 09:49 | #1

    It’s amazing how isolated incidents can cause bigotry in any culture. I would like to hear you speak to Japanese opinions of Koreans. After speaking to my brother, who lives in Tokyo, it seems to me that they face a similar situation to that of the Mexicans in the U S.

  2. Luis
    February 16th, 2008 at 11:57 | #2

    Brian: the situation of Koreans in Japan has a very specific, long, and detailed history. While I am not fully conversant on it, I am familiar with the basics. Its beginnings go way back. About 1500 years ago, Japan conquered much of Korea, before losing it. There have been military actions back and forth throughout their histories, with Korea sometimes being a path for other invaders attacking Japan. And of course, Japan successfully invaded and occupied Korea for 35 years, between 1910 and 1945. Its integration into the greater Japanese Empire was so thorough that Japan even once considered moving its capital to Seoul, to act as a more central capitol to an Asia controlled by Japan.

    During this occupation, Japan treated Koreans abysmally. Everything from basic discrimination to cultural genocide has been charged by Koreans against Japan during its occupation, and issues like comfort women continue to burn bright between the two countries.

    But one action by the Japanese with serious long-term ramifications were Korean immigration into Japan and forced labor conscripts brought to Japan; there were around a million of the former and perhaps 700,000 of the latter, though some counts have as many as 2.4 million Koreans in Japan by the end of WWII. So many lived in Japan for so long that Japan was essentially their home country, and most of these people continued to live in Japan–perhaps two-thirds of a million Koreans. The number is much higher today. Many of these people today, despite having lived in Japan for generations, refuse to accept Japanese citizenship, and remain aliens in the land of their birth. For a long time, the status and registration of these people have been controversial; only recently have they won the ability to not have to be fingerprinted as part of the alien registration process.

    Socially, I am much less of an authority of their treatment, but I have seen the issue on the fringes. Many Japanese have an unfavorably view of Koreans, seeing them as apt to be gangsters-slash-pachinko-parlor-owners, or otherwise associated with crime. Others see them as wealthy and shrewd businessmen, like Chinese merchants, owning restaurants and other businesses. I have heard claims by Japanese that Koreans have been given special privileges and concessions (sound familiar?), but I have not heard the side of the Japan-resident Koreans on such things. In many ways, there are parallels to the experience of Native Americans or African-Americans. And where Japan is often blind to the inappropriate nature of discriminatory, insensitive, and/or racially charged speech against non-Korean foreigners due to their inexperience with hearing objections to such things, they have somewhat more experience with Koreans. While there may be more discrimination and ill-will against Koreans, it is probably more muted and hidden, and thus stands out less.

    There is also a recent popularity with things Koreans in Japan by younger Japanese women, who like Korean idols and singers. I have seen more Korean media, such as TV shows on cable or movies from Korea.

    Beyond that, I really have little knowledge of the relationship, and would be interested in learning more myself. I should probably quiz some of my coworkers, who teach classes to Japanese and Korean students (we have a good number of Korean students, both Japanese-born and foreign students from Korea) and have heard discussion and read essays on such issues.

  3. Uchinanchu
    February 21st, 2008 at 19:04 | #3

    Hello Luis. I just want to say about this “rape in Okinawa”. The reason why Okinawan are so angry and want to U.S military to leave the Island is not only beacuse of the rape of teennager by Marine. There are so many crimes have happened in the pass in Okinawa over the years by U.S military that American do not even know about it.Even though Japanese do not know about it… Okinawans are more upset toward Japanese Goverment than U.S. There is so much political boo Sh**T going on..Economy reason Japanese Goverment want U.S military to stay in Okinawa. Even though crimes happen all the time. Its not only Okinawa, anywhere in the world when you go to close to US miliatary base, you always see rape, assault and defferent crimes….But you never hear about them until like the little child get raped…But Its happing all the time… Goverment does not want american to know what is really going on overseas.I am not trying to point the finger to US military personal…I have a lots of frineds in military.There is a lots of great solders who are serving their country.But It’s just a fact the some of the military personal does not respect other country and do wild things… Okinawans would not have any problem to US military if those bad ones stop raping and commiting other crimes….It does not matter that who rape who. Rape is a crime…This “rape in Okinwa” is not just one crime.Okinawans are getting tired of seeing so many of them over and over..Some of the victim does not even get justice….Its really sad things that those man who can not control themself ….And they disgrace country and out bad good ones….

    I hate to hear these crimes happens whereevr it takes a place…. Its really a sick world today….I hope and pray that it get better…But most of all my heart go out to a little girl who has to deal with this as an emotional scar rest of her life…

  4. Luis
    February 21st, 2008 at 22:04 | #4

    Uchinanchu: I agree fully on the fact that this poor girl has been put through hell; absolutely, rape is a terrible crime and my heart goes out for the young girl.

    But what you have suggested here raises flags for me: you claim that there is a great deal of crime by Americans in Okinawa. That might be, but it might not. For example, most Japanese would probably say that foreigners in Japan in general are more likely to commit crimes; would it surprise you if I told you the opposite is true? For all of the bad news you see, for all of the press conferences people like Shintaro Ishihara hold and warn of terrible crimes by foreigners–the fact is, there is *less crime* among foreigners in Japan than there is by Japanese. The reports that say the opposite count immigration offenses as part of the total, and that is not a fair comparison: Japanese are not able to commit immigration crimes in Japan. But if you compare the crimes committed by Japanese with the same crimes committed by foreigners, you’ll find that the foreigners have a lower crime rate.

    So, when someone comes up and says that American soldiers in Okinawa have committed so many crimes, my natural reaction is to ask: what evidence do you have? Have you seen statistics which compare American vs. Japanese crime rates in Okinawa, or have you just heard the news stories and got the impression that American soldiers commit so many crimes?

    Imagine if every crime done by Japanese got into the newspapers, but few by Americans ever did; wouldn’t you have the reverse impression? And so many crimes by servicemen very much do get in the news. I remember reading a news report about an American soldier who was arrested for firing plastic pellets from a toy gun at a pizza delivery man. When Japanese people commit such crimes, is it reported in the national news?

    My point is this: without statistics, we have no way of knowing what the truth is. Maybe U.S. servicemen do have a higher crime rate. Or maybe they have a lower crime rate, and you only think it’s larger because you read so many stories and hear so many people protesting.

  5. Peter Thomson
    March 11th, 2008 at 20:30 | #5

    You had me until this paragraph:
    “Consider the situation in reverse; with so many Japanese living in the U.S., there are bound to be rapes by Japanese men against American teens. If a rapist worked for Sony, for instance, should that be sensationalized in the U.S. press and then used to suggest that Sony should be made to pack up and leave?”

    Just goes to show what white American male privilege (I’m making an assumption here, so apologies if you’re not white, American, or “privileged” ;D) does to a person’s sense of reality.

    You make a valid criticism of the Japanese government using incidents like this to further xenophobic sentiments. On the other hand, you’re completely oblivious to the fact–either that, or just unwilling to admit it, but probably most likely, a combination of the two–that the U.S. does this as well–and has been doing it since it took its rightful position as ruler of the world. In fact, they’re the leaders of jingoistic and xenophobic rhetoric. Why? It’s the power stupid.

    To assume that the example of a Sony businessman raping an American (I’m assuming you’re suggesting a white American girl–implications of a girl of color would be different, after all) is on par with a U.S. serviceman stationed in Asia doing this just shows how unwilling you are to address the main issue of this debate: power. American hegemony (militarily, economically, and ESPECIALLY culturally) in Asia is hardly the same as “Yellow Peril” in the West. To suggest anything otherwise is inaccurate.

    When was the last time you heard a Japanese soldier raping–let alone kissing–an American woman (unless we’re talking about sometime during one of the many wars IN ASIA during the 20th century). Asian men are too busy fighting the war against being either demonized for their “hypersexuality” or “asexuality” in the West to have any time for such extracurricular pursuits.

    Something to consider.

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