Public Demonstration Saturday Sept 29th

[Muku]

For those that are interested this coming Saturday September 29th there will be a "kenmin taikai" or a Prefectural Citizens Rally to protest the government's intentions to rewrite the textbooks regarding the issue of the forced suicides during WWII.

The demonstration will be held at the public grounds at the Ginowan Convention Center on Saturday afternoon.

For those that are interested in showing their support of the Okinawan people against the Japanese government in this issue please show your support by attending this rally.

I will be there.:thumbup:

[DougP]

Got a map on how to get to the Ginowan Convention Center? What time does it start? Hell I got nothing to do and I've really been very much into this issue. I would like to show my support. :)

[dk]

I wonder if this would be a valid reason for skipping work!!

I got work all day Saturday...

[DougP]

Sounds like a good story to cover. Maybe JU could use another hand at covering it :)

DK reporting to you live.... :D

[dk]

Sometimes I think, "I hope I never have to be a reporter again."

I don't really like doing anything as a reporter. I wouldn't mind writing books eventually, but I don't have it in me to write articles anymore...

[Muku]

Got a map on how to get to the Ginowan Convention Center? What time does it start? Hell I got nothing to do and I've really been very much into this issue. I would like to show my support. :)

I must apologize first off it is the Okinawa Convention Center located in Ginowan. Take HWY 58 south towards Jimmy's in Ginowan, take the first right after Jimmy's and go straight for about 250 or 300 meters the convention center grounds will be right in front of you at the lights at the end of the road.

Damn every time I enter the link for the google map it takes it off center:cursing::cursing:

The red A at the top of the attachment is the Convention Center, I will check tomorrow for the exact time. Thanks for showing your support!:thumbup: :first:

[Muku]

I wonder if this would be a valid reason for skipping work!!

I got work all day Saturday...

Tell Kari you have my permission:D :-|


Hell if he "believes" you this time and he should...you could use me as an excuse all the time you know.

I am not cheap, but I am worth it:D :ohmy:

[dk]

I have 2 jobs.

I don't actually have days of the week I work for JU. I just have things that need to be done every week for JU. I was talking about the other company. :o

[Muku]

Talk about good timing here....I just took a break to watch NHK news and there was a spot talking about the Kenmin Taikai.......the mayor of Naha was out on Kokusai Street passing out leaflets to people and I saw the time listed on a huge banner that was in front of Palette Kumoji.

It is scheduled to start at 1500 or 3:00 PM to "us" civilian types.:D


Thanks to any and all that will come out and show their support for the Okinawan people.:thumbup:

[DougP]

Well I will do all that I can to make it to this kenmin taikai!!!
thanx for the info :)

[Muku]

http://www.mainichi-msn.co.jp/today/news/images/20070930k0000m040013000p_size6.jpg
Over 110,000 people gathered peacefully to protest the proposed textbook changes. Wow, when you think about that for a moment, here on the main island of Okinawa the population is roughly 1 million people, so 1 in 10 attended this event.

[DoctorP]

Good to see that they had a big showing...usually you can't get that many Okinawans in one place unless there is food and beer!

I think that the text book changes are ridiculous! What they hell are they thinking?

[Bones]

Hey Muku,

Would you be the other person out there, when I went to visit dk?

If you are, nice meeting you.

As far as going out to the demonstration goes, it was one of our plans. I fully support what the Okinawans are protesting against, and I seriously hope that their efforts pay off.

Then the wife pointed out that we just came back, and as a gaijin, some cameras might be pointed our way, and that probably wouldn't be in our best interests right now, seeing as I'm only here on a probationary period at the moment.

Since I'm planning to stay over here forever, it's not a good idea to tempt faith at this point.

NBTP

[P_chan]

I would have loved to go, it would be in walking distance for me. Too bad i had okinawan dance class, and wedding planning the rest of the day. Same thing happened today!

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

I think that the text book changes are ridiculous! What they hell are they thinking?
This is not the first time the Tokyo government has tried to change the textbooks where the Battle of Okinawa is mentioned.

“There was also a protest rally in 1982 when descriptions of Japanese army massacres of Okinawan civilians were to be deleted from textbooks,” Mr. Arasaki recalled. “The difference this time is that a resolution of Okinawa’s forty-one city, town, and village councils led the way.”* If people don’t raise their voices, the government will try, under the cover of darkness, to erase Okinawa’s history, a history on which war weighs heavily. Even now, Okinawa remains a war zone. Following the protest, I was interviewed by some reporters I know. “Many past demonstrations have gotten support from the mainland,” I told them. “But this time the current generated here will shock the mainland. I’ve never seen so many families and children at a protest before. It shows how widespread the movement is in Okinawa. The government can no longer ignore opposition to the textbook revisions.” (Ryukyu Shimpo, September 30, 2007)


http://japanfocus.org/products/details/2625