Directed by Chie Mikami, a newscaster for Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting

Okinawa hosts 74% of all U.S. military bases in Japan. On September 26, 2012, residents protesting the deployment of the new Osprey transport aircraft lay down in front of the gates of the U.S. Futenma base, forming a blockade with their cars. They maintained this complete shutdown for 22 hours, braving a typhoon. Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting, a local TV station, meticulously documented this unprecedented event, which was largely ignored by national news.—.



The director is Chie Mikami, a prominent newscaster at Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting. Together with producer Hisashi Shajika, a journalist, this duo has consistently produced hard-hitting documentaries set in Okinawa. This film, based on a program originally made for television, has been expanded into a theatrical version for release.

Takae Residents Sued by the Government


The Takae district is surrounded by U.S. military jungle training grounds, with helicopters frequently flying overhead and circling at low altitudes. To add to the burden, the construction of a landing zone (heliport) for the new Osprey transport aircraft, which has been involved in numerous fatal accidents, was decided.



Residents, who feel they are "targets" of the U.S. military, protested the construction with sit-ins. However, they were sued by the very government that should protect their lives and rights, accused of "obstruction of passage." Among those sued was a 7-year-old girl who had not participated in the sit-ins.

There is a history in the village dating back to the Vietnam War in the 1960s, when Takae residents were repeatedly made to play the role of South Vietnamese soldiers during guerrilla warfare training exercises simulating combat in Vietnam. Thus, the feeling of being a "target" was a natural one for them.

Forty years after the reversion to Japan, Okinawa's wounds continue to be reopened. Who are the Okinawan people fighting against? Who is enjoying "peace and security" in exchange for their land, sea, and sky? The voices of Okinawa, silenced on the mainland, now pose these questions.