Masahide Ōta
Masahide Ōta | |
---|---|
大田 昌秀 | |
Governor of Okinawa Prefecture | |
In office 10 December 1990 – 9 December 1998 | |
Preceded by | Junji Nishime |
Succeeded by | Keiichi Inamine |
Personal details | |
Born | Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands | 12 June 1925
Died | 12 June 2017 Naha, Okinawa, Japan | (aged 92)
Alma mater | Waseda University Syracuse University |
Masahide Ōta (大田 昌秀, Ōta Masahide, 12 June 1925 – 12 June 2017) was a Japanese academic and politician who served as the
Early life and academic career
Ōta was born on 12 June 1925 on
From 1958, he was a professor at the
Political career
In March 1990, Ōta retired from the university and in November of the same year was elected governor of Okinawa prefecture on a non-party platform defeating the 12-year sitting governor Junji Nishime. His campaign was based on removing U.S. bases from the island to bring back peace. He also opposed the then proposed bill to provide Japanese troops for United Nations' peacekeeping missions. He had a distinguished record as a governor, outspokenly arguing for the interests of the Okinawan people against both the United States military establishment in the Ryukyu Islands and the Japanese central government.[4] After being elected as governor. Ōta failed to make headway on his campaign promises. His requests to discuss the issue of U.S. military occupation in the prefecture with the U.S. authorities were dismissed, stating that all such discussions would happen with the Japanese central government.[5] In 1991, he reluctantly signed lease agreements that enabled military bases use of private lands. This resulted in disapproval from anti-war masses that had earlier supported Ōta in elections.[5]
In February 1995, reports from Washington prepared by Harvard professor Joseph Nye indicated their plans of deploying over 100,000 soldiers in Japan and South Korea. On 4 September 1995, a 12-year-old local girl was raped by three U.S. servicemen, and protests were held against the military's establishments in the area. Ōta considered these two events as hindrance to peace in the prefecture.[5] From 1996 to 1998, he actively worked to establish cordial relations with U.S. On 8 September 1996, he organized a plebiscite in his prefecture which brought results that about 60 percent of citizens who supported reduction of military bases. On 10 July 1996, he appealed to the Supreme Court of Japan to relocate various military bases to mainland.[5] As governor, he rejected permissions of U.S. military asking to extend lease for use of private land. This led to conflict between local and central government.[4] The central government amended laws which gave it the power to endorse such documents.[5]
Due to Ōta's efforts, mass campaigns such as the
In 1998,
In 2001, on the ticket of
Later life and death
In 2013, he founded the Okinawa International Peace Research Institute at Naha.[2] In April 2017, Ōta was reported to have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.[4]
Ōta died on his 92nd birthday on 12 June 2017 at a hospital in Naha after suffering from pneumonia and respiratory failure.[4][7] Upon his death, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga called him "an individual who energetically tackled Okinawa's base issues and (economic) development at a turbulent time."[4]
Books
- The Battle of Okinawa: The Typhoon of Steel and Bombs, Kume Publishing Company (1984) ISBN 9784906034116
- Okinawa no minshū ishiki (shinpan), Shinsensha (1995)[8]
- Okinawa no teiō, kōtō benmukan, Asahi Shinbunsha (1996)[9]
References
- ISBN 978-1-59385-045-6. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ Japan Times. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^ ""The World is beginning to know Okinawa": Ota Masahide Reflects on his Life from the Battle of Okinawa to the Struggle for Okinawa".
- ^ a b c d e f g "Former Okinawa Gov. Ota, who tackled US base issues, dies at 92". 12 June 2017. Archived from the original on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017 – via Mainichi Daily News.
- ^ ISBN 9780842051774. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^ "Ex-Okinawa Governor Masahide Ota, who battled U.S. bases, dies at 92". Reuters. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^ "大田昌秀氏が死去 沖縄県知事、参院議員など歴任(琉球新報) - Yahoo!ニュース". Yahoo.co.jp. 12 June 2017. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ISBN 9784787795243.
- ISBN 9784022611383.