Kozue Akibayashi

“Their political voice does not seem to bear significance to the Japanese government,”

Kozue Akibayashi · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-05

Akibayashi said Okinawa represents 1 percent of Japan's population and less than 1 percent of its territory.

“the US government and the military always say they would address the issue or promise tighter discipline”

Kozue Akibayashi · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-05

Akibayashi said the US government and military always promise tighter discipline but it never works.

“Their lives and even survival have been made insecure and threatened by the US military presence,”

Kozue Akibayashi · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-05

Akibayashi said Okinawans see crimes by US personnel as violations of their basic human rights.

“Many US military bases located on the main islands of Japan were transferred to the islands of Okinawa … because the mainland Japanese people had started to protest the presence of the US military in their neighbourhood,”

Kozue Akibayashi · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-05

Akibayashi said US military bases were transferred from Japan's main islands to Okinawa after mainland protests.

“The US and the Japanese governments have always cited ‘geopolitical’ importance of the location of the archipelago to justify not only the presence itself but also the disproportionately high concentration of the US military there,”

Kozue Akibayashi · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-05

Akibayashi said the US and Japanese governments have cited geopolitical importance to justify the high concentration of US military in Okinawa.

“However, in reality, it was convenient for the Japanese government to keep the larger number of US troops and military facilities in Okinawa that nobody wants.”

Kozue Akibayashi · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-05

Akibayashi argued it was convenient for the Japanese government to keep US troops and facilities in Okinawa.

“The Japanese government has always chosen the US-Japan alliance over the safety and lives, and voices of the people of Okinawa,”

Kozue Akibayashi · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-05

Akibayashi told Al Jazeera the alleged murder reflects a decades-long issue of prioritizing the US-Japan alliance over Okinawan safety.

“Probably more importantly, Okinawa was colonised by Japan in the late 19th century and has always been a subject of discrimination within Japan.”

Kozue Akibayashi · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-05

Akibayashi said Okinawa was colonised by Japan in the late 19th century and has faced discrimination.

“They have expressed countless times their opposition to and anger at the US military presence, and unequal burden of ‘security’ policies imposed on them throughout the decades. Their protests have been ignored and nullified.”

Kozue Akibayashi · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-05

Akibayashi said Okinawans' protests against the US military presence have been ignored and nullified.