Contesting the Military Bases: Chatan, Okinawa and Approaching Political Redress in Municipal Governance
Location
PANEL: International Case Studies: Land Use, Politics, & Literature
Mudd 113
Moderator: Karen Reynolds
Document Type
Presentation - Open Access
Start Date
5-1-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
5-1-2026 11:00 AM
Abstract
Chatan, Okinawa is a town uniquely situated in central Okinawa as both a popular tourist destination and the site of three American military bases. Despite considerable scholarly discourse surrounding island-wide political sentiments and issues regarding the U.S. military, examining civic engagement in municipal politics is critical in understanding how distinct localities experience, adapt to, and contest the military base burden. This research explores Chatan’s municipal avenues of political redress by examining land survey issues stemming from bilateral agreements between Japan and the U.S. Analyzing resolutions by Chatan’s government and above agreements illuminates how mechanisms of local change are hindered by the terms of the U.S.-Japan policies that legitimize military operations.
Keywords:
Okinawa, Japan; U.S.-Japan Alliance; Local governance; Land survey
Recommended Citation
Hernandez, Adriana, "Contesting the Military Bases: Chatan, Okinawa and Approaching Political Redress in Municipal Governance" (2026). Research Symposium. 18.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2026/presentations/18
Major
East Asian Studies; Politics
Award
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
Project Mentor(s)
Emer O’Dwyer, History and East Asian Studies
2026
Contesting the Military Bases: Chatan, Okinawa and Approaching Political Redress in Municipal Governance
PANEL: International Case Studies: Land Use, Politics, & Literature
Mudd 113
Moderator: Karen Reynolds
Chatan, Okinawa is a town uniquely situated in central Okinawa as both a popular tourist destination and the site of three American military bases. Despite considerable scholarly discourse surrounding island-wide political sentiments and issues regarding the U.S. military, examining civic engagement in municipal politics is critical in understanding how distinct localities experience, adapt to, and contest the military base burden. This research explores Chatan’s municipal avenues of political redress by examining land survey issues stemming from bilateral agreements between Japan and the U.S. Analyzing resolutions by Chatan’s government and above agreements illuminates how mechanisms of local change are hindered by the terms of the U.S.-Japan policies that legitimize military operations.
