Kevin Maher, director of the Japanese Affairs Office at the U.S. State Department and former consul general in Okinawa, has described Okinawan people as masters of “manipulation” and “extortion” in their dealings with the Tokyo government and in relation to the Futenma issue.
He delivered his critical observations during a lecture to the students of American University in Washington D.C. late last year. He explained “They use the “wa” or harmony element of Japanese culture as means of extortion.”
As an official involved in working-level consultations between Washington and Tokyo, Maher has been deeply involved in the negotiations on the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma relocation plan.
He is an advocate of relocation of the air station to Cape Henoko in Nago City in the northern area of Okinawa Island, the site of the existing Camp Schwab.
Once disclosed, his remarks drew immediate criticism for their discriminatory implications and because of his lack of awareness of the Okinawan and Japanese situation and of local feeling.
According to reports of what he had said, based on summary notes written by students, who had attended the State Department lecture, Maher explained that Japanese culture is one of “wa”, which is based on consensus. Okinawans use that consensus culture as a means of “extortion,” and they try to get as much money as possible through a pretense of seeking consensus.
In their relations with Tokyo, Mayer saw Okinawans as masters of “manipulation” and “extortion.”
As an illustrative aside, he remarked that “Okinawans are too lazy to grow their own goya (the bitter cucumber vegetable and a local specialty)”.
As head of the Japan desk, he said with absolute certainty that Tokyo officials “only need to tell Hirokazu Nakaima, the governor of Okinawa Prefecture, ‘If you want money, sign here!’ ” in order to give the green light to the Futenma Air Base relocation plan.
Maher made the emphatic point that Futenma posed no uniquely specific dangers since the civilian airports at Fukuoka and Osaka were similarly situated, that is also surrounded by residential areas.
The students who attended the lecture have confirmed the contents of his lecture. They were all shocked at how such remarks betrayed inappropriate prejudice and racism coming, as they did, from someone of his high-ranking official position.
Maher delivered his lecture on December 3 at the invitation of American University in D.C., to 14 students who had been undertaking two-week study tours of Tokyo and Okinawa.
Maher had an understanding with the university that his lecture would be “off the record.”
9MARCH2011 ryukyushimpo
http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-174367-storytopic-231.html
He delivered his critical observations during a lecture to the students of American University in Washington D.C. late last year. He explained “They use the “wa” or harmony element of Japanese culture as means of extortion.”
As an official involved in working-level consultations between Washington and Tokyo, Maher has been deeply involved in the negotiations on the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma relocation plan.
He is an advocate of relocation of the air station to Cape Henoko in Nago City in the northern area of Okinawa Island, the site of the existing Camp Schwab.
Once disclosed, his remarks drew immediate criticism for their discriminatory implications and because of his lack of awareness of the Okinawan and Japanese situation and of local feeling.
According to reports of what he had said, based on summary notes written by students, who had attended the State Department lecture, Maher explained that Japanese culture is one of “wa”, which is based on consensus. Okinawans use that consensus culture as a means of “extortion,” and they try to get as much money as possible through a pretense of seeking consensus.
In their relations with Tokyo, Mayer saw Okinawans as masters of “manipulation” and “extortion.”
As an illustrative aside, he remarked that “Okinawans are too lazy to grow their own goya (the bitter cucumber vegetable and a local specialty)”.
As head of the Japan desk, he said with absolute certainty that Tokyo officials “only need to tell Hirokazu Nakaima, the governor of Okinawa Prefecture, ‘If you want money, sign here!’ ” in order to give the green light to the Futenma Air Base relocation plan.
Maher made the emphatic point that Futenma posed no uniquely specific dangers since the civilian airports at Fukuoka and Osaka were similarly situated, that is also surrounded by residential areas.
The students who attended the lecture have confirmed the contents of his lecture. They were all shocked at how such remarks betrayed inappropriate prejudice and racism coming, as they did, from someone of his high-ranking official position.
Maher delivered his lecture on December 3 at the invitation of American University in D.C., to 14 students who had been undertaking two-week study tours of Tokyo and Okinawa.
Maher had an understanding with the university that his lecture would be “off the record.”
9MARCH2011 ryukyushimpo
http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-174367-storytopic-231.html