anthony: right, near the base it makes a difference. vivian: near the base it makes, right. anthony: i mean look, you know right away, i mean, it s tattoo parlors, strip clubs, vape shops, i mean, you know. vivian: and also it s very loud. that s a big issue. anthony: tourism is probably the future of okinawa, yes? i mean, beautiful weather, beaches. if the bases leave, it s gonna be big hotels and resorts and golf courses. which is worse? chinese tourists or american marines? vivian: i ll stick with the marines. anthony: semper fi. not everybody here agrees with vivian, by a long shot. okinawans may be easy going and laid back, but the island is also a relative hot bed of political activism. largely inspired or provoked by what okinawans see as high handed treatment from a central
kin town, just outside of naha, right by camp hansen, one of the larger bases. archival newscaster: the yanks have fought inch by inch to conquer this island. anthony: kin is a small slice of americana, both the mainstream america and its dark underbelly. the okinawans have made the kind of adjustments that people do when saddled with neighbors like thousands of marines, and sometime in the 80s adjusted food as we knew it to this. a mutant classic. taco rice. waitress: taco and rice, that s taco rice. anthony: wow. vivian: wow, it s big. anthony: is this chili sauce or is it ketchup? vivian: um, it s original taco. anthony: oh, it s taco sauce. vivian: taco rice sauce, but it s, um, a bit spicy but not,
not super spicy. anthony: oh good. vivian ttakushi has lived in both the u.s. and okinawa. and her aunt sumiko, an entertainer who began singing in american bases after the war. wow, that s good. there are dueling claims as to how taco rice might have morphed into existence. but sayuri shimabukuro is certain. in the 1980 s, american servicemen introduced the standard taco to okinawans. and her grandfather matsuzio gibo decided to tweak them. dumping the fillings straight on to rice for the late night crowd of marines coming back from the bars. this unholy, greasy, starchy, probably really unhealthy delight. a booze mop turned classic, caught on big time for both americans missing home and locals. so i consider myself a pretty pro-military guy. but why are the marines here? like, i like marines but, you
know, i m not robert mcnamara. but it seems to be if you go to war with china, sending in the marines is probably not what you re gonna be doing. people of your generation, what do you think the attitude is towards the military bases? vivian: as long as we re not living near the base anthony: right. vivian: it doesn t affect us that much. anthony: right, near the base it makes a difference. vivian: near the base it makes, right. anthony: i mean look, you know right away, i mean, it s tattoo parlors, strip clubs, vape shops, i mean, you know. vivian: and also it s very loud. that s a big issue. anthony: tourism is probably the future of okinawa, yes? i mean, beautiful weather, beaches. if the bases leave, it s gonna be big hotels and resorts and golf courses. which is worse? chinese tourists or american marines? vivian: i ll stick with the marines. anthony: semper fi.
not everybody here agrees with vivian, by a long shot. okinawans may be easy going and laid back, but the island is also a relative hot bed of political activism. largely inspired or provoked by what okinawans see as high handed treatment from a central government with different cultural and historical traditions. who don t consider their needs or priorities. and their hugely disproportionate shouldering of the u.s. military presence for the entire country. currently there are close to thirty military installations on okinawa. and even though it s one of the smallest japanese prefectures in terms of livable area, they accommodate more than half of the foreign military presence. even more problematic, much of okinawa s arable land suitable