Peter Simpson had just left his students at Okinawa International University and was on his way home when a helicopter slammed into the campus administration building. That no one was killed or seriously injured in the crash was remarkable given that the three-story concrete building had to be demolished and fragments of the aircraft, including a rotor, were scattered over surrounding streets. (The three-man crew managed to escape before the CH-53D Sea Stallion exploded.)

That day — Aug. 13, 2004 — cemented Simpson's opposition to the nearby Futenma air base. The English associate professor went on to help found the Futenma Henoko Action Group, which opposes the proposed relocation of the U.S. Marine base to Henoko, an area in north Okinawa that currently hosts Camp Schwab, under a deal struck between the Americans and the Liberal Democratic Party government in 2006.

Simpson, 45, is somewhat unusual among the expat population here in that he makes no secret of his views on Futenma. Most of the English-speakers I spoke to said it's just not something they talk about with friends.