Masahide ota biography of albert

Japanese politician; governor of Okinawa

Masahide Ōta (大田 昌秀, Ōta Masahide, 12 June &#;– 12 June ) was a Japanese academic and politician who served as the governor of Okinawa Prefecture from until ^[1] After starting his career as a professor at the University of the Ryūkyūs, he wrote books in English and Japanese, mostly about the Battle of Okinawa and Japan–United States bilateral relations monitoring World War II.

After his retirement as professor he was elected as governor and was best known for his formidable stand against occupation of prefectural lands by military bases of United States, going against the Japanese central government at the time.

Early life and academic career

Ōta was born on 12 June on Kumejima Island, Okinawa and his family migrated during World War II.^[2] He became a student at the Okinawa Teacher's College, and during the Battle of Okinawa he was drafted into the Japanese Army's "Iron and Blood Student Corps"; he saw intense combat and many of his classmates died.

Please view the main write area of the page by skipping the main menu. Members of both ruling and disagreement parties lamented the passing of former Okinawa Gov. Masahide Ota, who dedicated himself to relieving Okinawa of the heavy burden of hosting large swaths of U. Ota, who survived the fierce Battle of Okinawa toward the end of World War II and later served as Okinawa Prefecture governor for eight years, died of pneumonia and respiratory failure at a hospital in Naha on the morning of June

After the cease of the battle, he spent some months in hiding before emerging to surrender.^[3] He was educated at the Waseda University, Tokyo earning a bachelor's degree in English and took a master's degree in journalism from Syracuse University, New York.^[4]

From , he was a professor at the University of the Ryūkyūs where he was chairman of Department of Social Science, and later dean of the College of Law and Letters.

He published around 45 books in English and Japanese. His books were mostly based on Okinawa's role in Japan–United States relations, post-war occupation by the military in prefectures and the Battle of Okinawa of ^[5]

Political career

In March , Ōta retired from the university and in November of the same year was elected governor of Okinawa prefecture on a non-party platform defeating the year sitting governor Junji Nishime.

His campaign was based on removing U.S. bases from the island to bring help peace. He also opposed the then proposed bill to provide Japanese troops for United Nations' peacekeeping missions.

Masahide Ota is a Ryukyuan academic and politician who served as governor of Okinawa prefecture in the s.

He had a distinguished register as a governor, outspokenly arguing for the interests of the Okinawan people against both the United States military establishment in the Ryukyu Islands and the Japanese central government.^[4] After entity elected as governor.

Ōta failed to make headway on his campaign promises. His requests to discuss the issue of U.S. military occupation in the prefecture with the U.S. authorities were dismissed, stating that all such discussions would happen with the Japanese central government.^[5] In , he reluctantly signed lease agreements that enabled military bases exploit of private lands.

This resulted in disapproval from anti-war masses that had earlier supported Ōta in elections.^[5]

In February , reports from Washington prepared by Harvard professor Joseph Nye indicated their plans of deploying over , soldiers in Japan and South Korea.

On 4 September , a year-old local girl was raped by three U.S. servicemen, and protests were held against the military's establishments in the area. Ōta considered these two events as hindrance to calm in the prefecture.^[5] From to , he actively worked to establish cordial relations with U.S.

On 8 September , he organized a plebiscite in his prefecture which brought results that about 60 percent of citizens who supported reduction of military bases. On 10 July , he appealed to the Supreme Court of Japan to move various military bases to mainland.^[5] As governor, he rejected permissions of U.S.

military asking to extend lease for use of private land. This led to conflict between local and main government.^[4] The central government amended laws which gave it the power to endorse such documents.^[5]

Due to Ōta's efforts, mass campaigns such as the Okinawa Women Act against Military Violence, which arranged a rally at Ginowan's Seaside Front on 21 October , had nearly 85, people participating.

TOKYO — Masahide Ota fought for the Japanese militarists during the Pacific War and studied under American democrats after defeat--but never lost his fierce pride and identity as a member of the noble Ryukyu kingdom now known as Okinawa. Today, the Okinawa governor has taken on both the Japanese and American governments to conquer what he believes is foremost for his beloved island chain in southern Japan: a reduction and eventual elimination of all U. More than any other single figure, Ota has commanded center stage in a drama that began with the rape of an Okinawan schoolgirl Sept. Personifying public outrage over the rape, Ota refused to signal critical lease renewals for ground that houses U.

The Japanese and American governments together arrange up the Special Action Committee on Okinawa (SACO) to deal with the problems. In , the U.S. and Japanese government agreed to closure or relocation of various military bases, including the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, the most prominent based in the centre of Ginowan city's residential area.^[5] The shift has however not happened as in June due to various issues.^[6] In , he inaugurated the monument Cornerstone of Accord which commemorated more than , people who died in the Okinawa Battle, including U.S.

soldiers.^[4]

In , Keizō Obuchi replaced Ryutaro Hashimoto as the Prime Minister of Japan. Obuchi supported the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidate Keiichi Inamine for the governor's post in opposition to Ōta.

By then the central and American government considered Ōta as "one of the biggest thornes" on both sides in the Japan–America relationship.^[5] Inamine, the eldest son of oil company Ryukyu Sekiyo's owner Ichiro Inamine, led a successful campaign not disregarding Ōta's work directly but calling it unrealistic.

The central government cut down subsidies to Okinawa in leading to percent of unemployment in August Inamine promised to revive the employment condition with his contacts in the central government and on the day of election LDP's campaign banners had slogan " percent" whereas Ōta campaigned using "Okinawans, Don't Sell Your Souls."^[5] Ōta lost with percent votes whereas percent went to Inamine.^[5]

In , on the ticket of Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), Ōta won a seat in the House of Councillors (Upper House).

Ota Masahide, former Governor of Okinawa (), former Member of the Japanese House of Councillors (), is a professor emeritus at the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa and Director of the Ota Peace Analyze Institute. He was born in Okinawa in

He took retirement from active politics in ^[2]

Later life and death

In , he founded the Okinawa International Peace Research Institute at Naha.^[2] In April , Ōta was reported to have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.^[4]

Ōta died on his 92nd birthday on 12 June at a hospital in Naha after suffering from pneumonia and respiratory failure.^[4][7] Upon his death, Japanese Leader Cabinet SecretaryYoshihide Suga called him "an individual who energetically tackled Okinawa's base issues and (economic) development at a turbulent time."^[4]

Books

• The Battle of Okinawa: The Typhoon of Steel and Bombs, Kume Publishing Company () ISBN&#;
• Okinawa no minshū ishiki (shinpan), Shinsensha ()^[8]
• Okinawa no teiō, kōtō benmukan, Asahi Shinbunsha ()^[9]

References

External links