Dec 7 (Mon): “Scene photos without fences get a great response. ／Unloading soil and sand simultaneously from two carriers at K9 Seawall.

For Okinawans, “the fences” were always there. It is shocking for them to see “no fences.” The U.S. military bases have always been a part of Okinawans’ living space from birth, embedded matter-of-factly in their eyesight.

The U.S. bases occupy 14% of the main island of Okinawa.You will find five U.S. military bases continuously fenced along the highway from Naha to Henoko. Okinawans have taken the presence of the fences for granted for more than 70 years now.

What if the fences disappear? The photos made in collaboration with Yoshikazu Nema, a photographer, and Yuken Teruya, an artist, are getting significant attention. The photo exhibition title is “The Day when the military bases disappear from my eyesight.” They used an editing application to erase the fences, and the edited photos give a sense of openness as if a peaceful breeze is wafting across time and space.

Obaa and Ojii (older women and men in Okinawa dialect) lost their homes and land to forcible U.S. military takeover. Seeing the photos, they must imagine that they can freely visit their ancestors’ graves and step into the backyard of their now-extinct homes if there were no fences, like in these photos.

The exhibition prepared 3,000 copies to give away for free, which shows the collaborators’ wishes. I say clearly: Okinawa is so beautiful if there were no fences or military bases.

Naha Civic Gallery holds the photo exhibition through Dec 13.　

(In front of Camp Schwab Gate)

The air has rapidly grown chilly from last week, and many participants in the sit-in rally huddled up. About 30 citizens continued the sit-in protest. Some protesters reminisced the late Kizo Takagaki, who died on Dec 1, and repeatedly sang his song, “Song of Tempting Yambaru.” He used to sing with a rich voice.

１　We deeply feel beautiful Okinawa, uniting our heart to nonviolent islands

My heart is in the land of Yambaru with clear sea, forest, and sky.

２　Our friendship will endure eternally despite the repeated hard oppression.

※Refrain

３　Everyone falls in love once in a lifetime; love more powerful than a storm.

※Refrain

A total of 264 vehicles delivered the materials.

(On the sea at Oura Bay)

One protest boat went to the sea for monitoring. It confirmed at K9 Seawall that a spud barge was pulled alongside and that two barges with a rampway loaded with soil and sand were moored. Dumping work started simultaneously from two carriers, which will accelerate the landfill.

Since the initial plan does not state the use of K9 Seawall as a pier, Okinawa Prefectural government had condemned it as a deviation from the initial plan. The civic groups raise a strong objection: the government did in the past and does now commit the violation, which is not permissible.