Reading Okinawa

JAPANESE TEXT:
 
Matayoshi, Eiki. Okaganitachi no kōshin. [March of the Land Crabs]. Tokyo: Shinchōsha, 2000. Print.

 
1. Introduction
 
Okaganitachi no kōshin [March of the Land Crabs] was first published in Shinchō, a literary magazine, in March 2000 and was republished by Shinchōsha on June 30 of the same year, becoming Matayoshi’s eighth novel. In the story, a land reclamation project is proposed for a small fictional village called Okuhama. The village is divided into supporters and protesters, a struggle suggestive of the protests over the new US military base being constructed in Henoko. The novel focuses on the struggles of Masataka Urasaki, who initially supports the reclamation project but must confront his fahter’s opposition. The novel’s central theme is the conflict between personal interest and politics. In Okinawa, most people oppose building new military bases, but locals who benefit economically from the bases often support them.
 
 
2. Character List

Urasaki Masataka  浦崎 正隆
 
Masataka is the protagonist of the story. Often called “jichikaichō” (which means “Residents’ Association President”), he is a thirty-year-old single man whose father encouraged him to become the association president in order to be praised by people and succeed in life. Masataka initially favors the land reclamation project but changes his mind after remembering that his mother died when she fell off the cliff along the seashore.
 
Urasaki Isao  浦崎 勲
 
Isao is Masataka’s overly protective father and a proud fisherman. He opposes the reclamation project because he wants to protect the sea and assumes the real purpose is to build a new US military base. Since he disagrees with his son, they often argue with each other. Isao is determined to protect the sea, so he establishes an office for the group opposed to the reclamation. Later, he ties himself to a boat to block the prefecture’s survey of the reclamation area.
 
Secretary and Accountant  書記、会計
 
The secretary and the accountant are executives of the Residents’ Association. The secretary is overweight and one year older than Masataka; the accountant is skinny and two years older. They both support the reclamation project like Masataka but secretly have meetings at government offices behind Masataka’s back. Therefore, they seem to have secret information about the project.
 
Urasaki Makiko  浦崎 牧子
 
Makiko is Isao’s wife and Masataka’s mother. She didn’t know about fishing before marrying Isao, but she supported Isao and grew accustomed to the fishing lifestyle. She was outgoing, cautious, and always smiling. However, when Masataka was a high school student, she died in an accident in which she fell off a cliff while trying to catch land crabs.
 
Urasaki Kōsuke  浦崎 興助
 
Urasaki Kōsuke is Masataka’s grandfather. He now lives in a nursing home, but when he was younger, he led the fishermen’s cooperative and became the village chief. He doesn’t go fishing very often, instead spending his time bribing influential people in K Village. Isao doesn’t like that his father had a close relationship with a woman after his wife passed away.
 
Tomi  トミ
 
Tomi is Kōsuke’s wife and Masataka’s grandmother. She was a homely woman, but her father was a wealthy fisherman. She died of an illness five years before Kōsuke became village chief.
 
Chikage  千景
 
Chikage is Kōsuke’s mistress. She is short, beautiful, and works at a bar. Kōsuke supports her financially, so they grow closer. Eventually, they start living together in Nago City, but she leaves Kōsuke after he goes senile.
 
Okuhama Villagers  奥浜集落の村人たち
 
The villagers disagree about whether they should support or oppose the reclamation project. Those in favor think the village needs to develop, and the project will be profitable, but those opposed think nature and culture are more important than development. The groups fight against each by making posters, holding rallies, and participating in protests.

 
3. Plot Summary
 
Section 1-2 (3-25)
 
Masataka is considering a land reclamation project proposed by the K Village government. The project is to reclaim land from the sea and to build a crematory, retirement home, and clinic. Masataka supports the project to encourage development in Okuhama, but Isao opposes the project because he thinks the real purpose is to build a US military base. When Masataka and Isao arrive at the community center, the villagers argue about supporting the reclamation project, and Masataka talks to the villagers.
 
Section 3-4 (25-51)
 
Background information is provided. Masataka’s grandfather, Kōsuke, had a close relationship with Chikage after losing his wife, Tomi. He bribed influential people in K Village and became a leader of the fishermen’s cooperative and then villager chief. Kōsuke started living with Chikage after retiring, but she left him when he went senile and entered a nursing home.
 
Isao persuaded Masataka to become president of the residents’ association to improve the family’s reputation, which Kōsuke had tarnished. As president, Masataka suggested various events to develop the community, but most of his ideas were rejected. One of his successful ideas was to turn a gama (cave) into a sightseeing spot, but the project didn’t help the local economy and was eventually discontinued. Two months later, land reclamation was proposed, returning us to the present.
 
Section 5-6 (52-81)
 
The story returns to the present. Masataka and Isao go house to house to see how people feel about the land reclamation project. Isao distributes leaflets opposing the project. Those supporting the project include a woman who wants to keep her business and a man hoping to get a construction job. Those opposed include some children and older people concerned about the souls of the dead. TV crews come to Okuhama, and the news spreads throughout the prefecture. After that, newspaper and radio crews appear, too. A TV debate between supporters and opponents wanders off-topic.
 
Section 7-10 (81-117)
 
Isao decides to reopen their guesthouse as a new office for the protests. A few days later, Masataka visits the office and sees everyone making leaflets and posters while having a BBQ in the backyard. Masataka drinks for a while but gets annoyed and leaves. Masataka joins an assembly for the supporters. Although two hundred villagers are eligible voters, only thirty people are at the assembly. Speeches are given, and participants give their opinions. Both supporters and protesters continue to have regular parties. Masataka sees news about G City and the removal of a US military base. The news makes him suspect that the land reclamation project might be a secret plan to build a new US military base. The date for villagers to vote about the land reclamation is decided.  
 
Section 11-13 (118-52)
 
The secretary asks Masataka to make a speech promoting the project. Although Masataka is still uncertain about his position, he reads his script in a monotone, and some audience members start arguing. Isao appears at Masataka’s office with a drawing of a fish he caught in the sea where land will be reclaimed. Isao argues that the sea is invaluable, but Masataka wonders if the fish print is authentic. After Isao leaves, Masataka falls asleep and dreams about catching fish and military tanks closing in. Back at home, Masataka remembers how his mother fell off a cliff while trying to catch land crabs when he was a high school student. Though Masataka previously thought Isao’s fish print was fake, he begins to feel proud when he talks about his mother with Isao.
 
Section 14-16 (152-97)
 
Isao is arrested after tying himself to his boat to block the prefecture’s ocean survey for the project. Masataka gets a phone call from Isao and learns the details about the arrest. On impulse, Masataka goes fishing, and while out on the ocean, he thinks about his mother and imagines what will happen if a US military base comes to Okuhama. He gets a bite, but the fish gets away. The following day, Masataka discovers that the secretary had a private party with people from the prefecture government and K Village. A woman from the village office is angry with the secretary because he made advances at the party. A person in military uniform was there, too, so Masataka more strongly suspects they are planning to build a military base.

When Masataka gets home, Isao is sitting out on the verandah. After they talk for a while, they go fishing. They expect more than nine out of ten villagers will agree with the reclamation project. Isao and Masataka wonder whether their actions are meaningful, but they praise themselves. Unable to catch any fish, they go home. Finally, Masataka decides to hand in his resignation the next day.  
 
Commentary:
 
The lack of conflict in Okaganitachi no kōshin makes for a somewhat dull plot. The villagers are divided into supporters and protests from the beginning until the end. However, even at the end, the story doesn’t clarify whether the land reclamation project will be carried out or what will happen after Masataka quits his job. The focus is on how Masataka wavers over supporting or opposing the land reclamation project. This inner conflict is resolved when Masataka recalls his youth, the sea, and his mother’s death. These memories lead him to oppose the land reclamation project.
 

4. Setting
 
Okaganitachi no kōshin is set in the fictional town of Okuhama, which is part of K Village in northern Okinawa. Okuhama is surrounded by mountains with subtropical trees and has a vast coral reef in the ocean to the east. More than three hundred people live in the village, most making a living by fishing. The population has been decreasing because young people have been moving to cities to find work, so Okuhama needs to be revitalized. The story takes place in the present, from June to August 1997. The narration clearly states the date in each section, but sometimes background information about the characters’ lives is provided.

Oku area of Kunigami VIllage. Photo by Yū Ōshiro.

Okuhama doesn’t exist in reality, but the location described in the story is similar to Oku in Kunigami Village. Oku is located on the northern tip of the Okinawa mainland and is surrounded by mountains with the ocean stretching out to the east. Even though more than a thousand villagers lived in Oku before the Battle of Okinawa, only two hundred people live there now, primarily due to aging and depopulation. In the story, Masataka sees news that people in G City are demonstrating against a US military base. This obviously refers to Ginowan City and the removal of the Futenma base. In Ginowan City, many accidents related to US soldiers have occurred. For example, in 2004, a large helicopter from the Futenma base crashed into Okinawa International University. Even though nobody died, those who opposed the base strongly criticized the US military. According to the Nago City Government home page, the new Henoko base relocation project was proposed in 1997, and more than half of the citizens opposed the project. However, the mayor approved the plan and then resigned. The project was opposed by Ōta Masahide, the prefectural governor, the following year.
 
 
5. Point of View
 
The story is narrated in third person from Masataka’s point of view. The narration conveys what Masataka is thinking and also describes his background. Since the story is limited to Masataka’s point of view, readers are less likely to sympathize with other perspectives about the project. For example, Masataka hears that the secretary had a private party with people from the prefecture government and assumes they are secretly planning a base construction project. The secretary is mentioned as unreliable, but it’s unclear whether the secretary and the prefecture government are carrying out the project. Similarly, the novel does not mention the US or the Japanese government’s perspective on the US bases. On the other hand, the limited perspective helps readers to identify with Masataka and to relate to his struggles.  
 
 
6. Symbolism and Imagery
 
The Land Crabs



The land crabs don’t often appear in the story, but as the title suggests, they play an essential role. The crabs seem to symbolize Makiko because she usually is mentioned in the scenes in which they appear. Makiko died when she fell off a cliff while trying to catch some crabs (148). Thus, the crabs also seem to represent the importance of the sea in providing food for the villagers and the dangers of nature. Masataka recalls eating a crab that Makiko caught and remembers her saying, “It tastes like high-quality shrimp. I like it very much” (149). Later, when Isao is arrested, he has a dream in which Isao chases a bird with a crab in his mouth, reaches the cliff where Makiko fell, and thinks she is waiting for him (185). This dream suggests that Masataka sees a strong link between his mother, Isao, and the gifts of the sea. Significantly, his memories of Makiko and the crabs lead him to reconcile with his father.    
 
The Large Fish

In section 14, Masataka goes fishing at night and gets a bite. He tries to pull the rod while talking to the fish, but the fish doesn’t move at all. Even though the immense fish struggles, the sea’s surface remains calm, and the fish eventually escapes. Masataka sees the fish go toward the offing while hanging onto the hook, so he imagines the fish has barely escaped. This situation seems to be a metaphor for the secret project being planned behind Masataka’s back. Just as he struggles to catch the fish, Masataka struggles to discover what is happening. For example, he asks the secretary about the US base, but Masataka cannot find convincing proof. Ultimately, Masataka cannot “catch” the big secret and gives up. An alternative interpretation would be that the large fish represents nature, which is in danger of being destroyed by the construction of the new base. In this interpretation, the fish’s escape would represent nature’s survival.


7. Historical Background
 
The New Henoko Base Project

 
Protest against the Henoko base

The relocation of the Futenma base to a new base in Henoko has been a controversial issue in Okinawa for a long time, and many Okinawans are tired of dealing with the issue. According to the Nago City Government, on September 4, 1995, American soldiers raped an Okinawan girl, and citizens held numerous rallies to protest the incident. On April 12, 1996, the Japanese and US governments agreed to return the land used for the Futenma base. Eighty-nine percent of Okinawans agreed with the reduction of US military bases. After that, the relocation of the Futenma base to Henoko in Nago City was proposed, even though more than half of Nago citizens disagreed with the project. However, Higa Tetsuya, the Nago mayor, announced that the city would accept the project while ignoring the local opposition. In the end, he ended up quitting his job. Ōta Masahide, the Okinawa governor at the time, opposed the project. However, Inamine Keiichi, the new governor, accepted the plan the following year—even though he claimed to oppose the new base before the election. Since then, the Japanese government has proceeded with the Henoko base relocation project despite the strong opposition.
 
Protests to Stop Construction of a Military Base in Aha
 
The Aha area is located on the south side of Oku in Kunigami. The Okinawa Times reported in January 1987 that the US army had suddenly started constructing a military base in the Aha area, which led Aha villagers to protest. On January 16, approximately one hundred and fifty villagers broke through military police gathered in front of the gate and entered the construction site. Some protesters got injured when scuffling with US soldiers, but they finally succeeded in stopping the base construction. The Aha base construction project was proposed again in 1989, but the villagers protested throughout the prefecture, and the project was eventually rejected.
 
 
8. Criticism
 
Okamatsu, Kazuo, Mayumi Inaba, and Isao Takahashi. “Sōsakugappyō (292)” [Creative Joint Review]. Gunzō 55(4). Kōdansha. 2000.
 
In this paper, Okamatsu Kazuo argues that Okaganitachi no kōshin centers on the relationship between a parent and a child to show that the Okinawan people cannot unify their position toward the Futenma military base issue. Okamatsu points out that Okinawans are still divided on whether to support or oppose the US military bases, even after numerous votes. Masataka and Isao disagree about the reclamation project and often argue with each other as representatives of this divide. However, they still understand each other fundamentally, such as living together, having a meal together, or refusing outsiders’ calls about the reclamation project. At the end of the novel, they go fishing together. Okamatsu claims that Matayoshi is trying to show how ridiculous to conflict without delight and calm Okinawans’ nerves.
 
Inaba Mayumi states that such land environment problems happen in Okinawa and throughout Japan. A similar situation occurs in Japan, such as holding a ballot about waste treatment or a town mayor who was stabbed by a protester in Gifu prefecture. Inaba argues that Matayoshi is conscious of how the land environment issue is becoming a severe problem. Moreover, she mentions that Isao is interesting because he is overly focused on gaining power, such as encouraging Masataka to build his statue or fussing over his family line. However, Inaba argues that Isao’s attitudes toward the military base, a statue, the family line, land, and his casket are not satisfyingly described. She sees the lack of characterization as a flaw in the novel.
 
Takahashi Isao argues that the novel is one of Matayoshi’s less-satisfying works. He agrees that the novel addresses fundamental problems, such as the US military base issue and the destruction of nature, but claims that the plot development is unexciting. In other words, the novel introduces the issues like a textbook but fails as serious literature. Takahashi emphasizes that Masataka is vague about his feelings or thoughts on the issue, and he is often persuaded by surrounding people and cannot decide by himself. Okaganitachi no kōshin seems to be a parody of serious discussion, as seen at a symposium on TV or in a school textbook. He adds that the plot of the novel is poorly organized. Therefore, Takahashi assumes that Matayoshi started writing the novel without first deciding his stance and that this indecisiveness is reflected in Masataka’s personality.
 
 
9. Themes
 
Controversy about the US Base Relocation
 
            After the Battle of Okinawa, Okinawa was dominated by the US military, which built thirty-three military bases. According to the Okinawa Prefecture Official Web Site, US military bases in Okinawa account for seventy percent of US military bases in Japan. Since then, removing the bases has been a major problem in Okinawa. The Okinawan people are divided into supporters, who often work on base or benefit from their presence, and protesters, who often want to protect the ocean or are angry about the military presence. When Matayoshi’s Okaganitachi no kōshin was published, the Henoko base project was controversial, and local villagers were divided into supporters and protesters.
 
In the novel, most reasons for supporting the project are related to development and the economy. For example, the narration mentions, “In addition to a crematory, the Okinawa government will build a recreation center, a lodging house, and a restaurant so youths will return to Okuhama” (8). Moreover, a woman says, “I’m managing a store. It’s a matter of time before people stop coming, and the store goes out of business” (63). Clearly, she hopes that the project will bring her more customers.
 
On the other hand, most of the reasons for opposing the project are related to spirituality, nature, and opposition to militarism. For example, Isao talks about yuta, who can contact the spirit world, and who say that the spirits of the dead in the sea will be left to wander in confusion if the land is reclaimed (71). In addition, Masataka finds a panel that reads, “Dear fishermen, if the land is reclaimed, these fishing spots will disappear” (94). Furthermore, Isao assumes that the project's real purpose is to build a new US military base (11). Even in 2020, Okinawans are still arguing about the Henoko base relocation for some of the same reasons Matayoshi presented in this novel written twenty years ago.  

Mixed or Complicated Feelings about the Bases
 
Sometimes people can’t express their honest opinions at work. As mentioned above, Okinawans have often struggled against US bases in Okinawa, but not all Okinawans are in a position where they can voice their opposition. Some Okinawans who oppose the bases must hide their feelings because they make a living by working on a base. In Okaganitachi no kōshin, Matayoshi shows how Masataka and other villagers have conflicts between their positions at work and their true feelings.
 
Masataka initially favors the land reclamation project because of his position as the residents’ association president. He suggested various events for the Okuhama community but failed. When the land reclamation project was proposed, Masataka hoped this would lead to development in Okuhama. At the same time, he is sympathetic to his father’s feeling about wanting to preserve nature. Another villager expresses mixed feelings by saying, “I have to support the project because of my position dealing with traffic control at the construction site, but I’m distressed about it. However, I’ll tell my wife and parents to oppose the project” (72).
 
On the other hand, Masataka doesn’t want to lose Okuhama’s sea, and as the story progresses, he must deal with his conflict. As he argues with his father, Masataka recalls his mother and thinks that he needs to change his view: “If the sea is reclaimed and the image of my mother disappears, I might feel relieved. However, I don’t have any videos or pictures of my mother at sea, so these memories will never come to my mind. My mother will be reclaimed, too” (149). Matayoshi’s novel shows that Okinawans often cannot express their honest views because of political pressure or mixed feelings.


10. Discussion Questions
 
1. Why does Matayoshi create a fictional village called Okuhama instead of mentioning the actual place?
 
2. Why aren’t the secretary and the accountant mentioned by name? What is their role in the story?
 
3. Why does Isao invite Masataka, who is opposed to the reclamation project, to go house-to-house with him?
 
4. Why does Isao persuade Masataka to be the residents’ association president instead of becoming the president himself?
 
5. Masataka initially thinks Isao’s fish print is a fake, but after his dream, he becomes proud of it. Why does he change his mind?
 
6. At the end of the story, Masataka and Isao praise themselves for their activities. In what ways have their activities been successful? In what ways have they failed?
 
7. Why does Masataka decide to quit his job at the end of the story?
 
8. Villagers who support the reclamation project for the economy and those who oppose the reclamation for nature seem to have reached an impasse. How can the conflict be resolved?
 
9. What is the meaning of the story’s title? How does “march” relate to the story?
 
10. How will Okuhama Village and its villagers change if the reclamation project is accepted?
 
 
11. Works Cited
 
Kitaudeda, Tsuyoshi. “Kunigami-son Aha, hariā kichi kensetsusoshitōsō.” [Aha, Kunigami Village, a Struggle for Stopping Base Construction]. Choisan no Okinawa nikki. 16 July 2011. <https://blog.goo.ne.jp/chuy/e/7ac6a6d08871aee71165ee44312902aa>.
 
Matayoshi, Eiki. “Kānibaru tōgyū taikai.” [Carnival Bullfight Tournament]. Volume 8, Okinawa Bungaku Zenshū. Tokyo: Kokushokankōkai, 1990.
 
---. Naminoue no Maria [Maria in Naminoue]. Tokyo: Shinchōsha, 1998. Print.
 
---. Okaganitachi no kōshin. [March of the Land Crabs]. Tokyo: Shinchōsha, 2000. Print.
 
Nago City Government. “Isetsu mondai no dōkō” [History of Base Relocation Problems]. Nago City Official Web Site. 2018. .
 
Nippon.com. “Futenma kichi isetsu wo meguru keii” [Details about Relocation of Futenma Base]. Nippon.com. 25 February 2019. .
 
Okamatsu, Kazuo, Mayumi Inaba, and Isao Takahashi. “Sōsakugappyō (292)” [Creative Joint Review]. Gunzō 55 (4). Kōdansha. 2000.
 
Okinawa Prefecture. “Ⅰ. Kichi no gaiyō.” [Overview of Bases]. Okinawa Prefecture Official Web Site. 2020. PDF file. 1. .
 
Ōsaka, Masayoshi. “Okinawahontō Hokubu Kunigami-son Saihokutan saihate no Oku-shūraku Oku-shōgakkō.” [Oku Elementary School in Oku, the Northernmost Community on the main Okinawa Island, Kunigami Village in the Northernmost tip of Okinawa]. Shin-nihon deep annai. 28 September 2011. <https://deepannai.info/kunigami-oku-village/>.
 
Ryūkyū history.com. “Okinawa kokusai daigaku ni beigun herikoputā ga tsuiraku suru” [US Military Helicopter Crashes into Okinawa International University]. Ryūkyū ōkoku, Okinawa no rekishi wo manabō. 13 April 2019. <https://www.ryukyu-history.com/ryukyu-history/post-273>.



Original report by Yū Ōshiro. Edited and revised by Kasumi Sminkey.