NEW YORK — Just about the time Yukio Hatoyama resigned as Japan's prime minister, apologizing to the Okinawa people in tears, I was writing about the last day of Yukio Mishima's life — Nov. 25, 1970.
I noticed there was one thing in common between the two Yukio's: concern about Okinawa's fate.
"What is Okinawa reversion?" Mishima asked on the day of what Donald Richie has called the coup de theater. "What is the responsibility for defending our homeland? It is self-evident that the United States will not be happy with Japan's truly autonomous military defending its homeland. Unless our Self-Defense Forces regain their autonomy within the next two years, they will end up as America's mercenaries forever, as the leftists say."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.