A beautiful masochistic alliance : confronting a different position between US-Japan Security Alliance and Human Security in Japan

Abstract

In 2007, the Japanese government aimed to establish “a beautiful state” based on the idea of human security. The idea of human security is also set in the Japanese constitution preamble. Nevertheless, this laudable ideal of the constitution was not applicable to people who live in areas where there are US military bases, especially in Okinawa, where about 74% of the US military bases in Japan are presently concentrated. With the re-entry of war criminals into Japan’s post-WWII alliance with the US government, deeply detrimental impacts are recognizable on its sovereignty, the integrity of progressive voices in Japanese society and its polity. Human rights have been narrowly interpreted, influenced by traditional imperatives of the majority or average Japanese, while ignoring the rights of the “atypical” citizens of Japan. Given this context, it is not clear how the Japanese government have achieved its own vision of all Japanese citizens having a secure life. This paper examines the potential of the Japanese government to build “a beautiful state” through a case study of the US military base issue in Okinawa.