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29 August 2009

Nimitz, George Washington, UNWELCOME!

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This week, US Navy's nuclear aircraft carrier, NIMITZ (CVN-68) was anchored in Yokosuka base. The purpose of the visit was to get supply from the base. Since last year USS George Washington (CVN-73) has been home ported there. The ship will come back on 1st of September. Both ships are in fact unwelcome by local citizens. So just as usual they marched on the street including near the U.S. Navy Base. The photo was taken near the base on 23 of August.

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Anti-George Washington campaign has been going on for years. If you want to know why people hate nuclear aircraft carrrier, see this YOU TUBE video.  Interestingly enough, I've got a great chance to interview with a nuclear reactor crew of the ship, this is the detail.
This is 21st century. Cold war was already over!. No need for the U.S. military bases in Japan. They are just here to interfere with our sovereignty. Just go home where you belong! That was a message I raised during the march.
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Not just nuclear aircraft carriers, the U.S. military brings criminals to threaten our peaceful society. Recently, the secret agreement was disclosed that Japanese D.A. would avoid indicte the crimes commited by U.S. military personnels even though the case happens not in the troop's work hour. In fact, cases of non-indictement has been higher than those commited by Japanese nationals. 
 
Soon new goverment will be set up. The new ruling party DPJ stated they would propose the amendment of US-Japan Status of Force Agreement and other related matters. They are planning to reduce the US military presence in Japan. It is what Japanese people has been demanding for a long time. The old ruling party were not so smart as to handle such normal demands.  
 
We don't like America any more. The sales of Hollywood film is declining recently. U.S. beef is known to be most toxic food, so no decent restaurant wants to serve it. The U.S. caused the world depression thanks to Lehman or other financial institutions. We know a lot of Americans are suffering corrupt system. The new ruling party says they will shift focus of diplomacy from the U.S. to neighboring Asian nations. That is good. The U.S. is no longer our role model, not so important like in the old days. Not a good friend any more. Even we get huge profit by trading with the U.S. what we get is depreciating U.S. dollar bills. The new prime minister is considering new common currency among Asian nations.  
 
On the day of demonstration, I visited exhibited old imperial navy's flag ship, Mikasa.
togo.JPGI saluted at the statue of Admiral Togo Heihachiro who led the ship along with the fleet that knocked down Russian fleet on the Sea of Japan in 1905, that resulted in a victory over Russia so that Japan could block Russian invasion in Manchuria and Korean penninsular. Last year when I first visited the ship, I met the ghosts of sailors and the admiral of the ship, I remember they said they wanted to remove foreign base occupying their place where they used to belong.
 
Yes, Yokosuka was in fact the old imperial navy's base. Now only half part of the base is used by Japanese self-defense navy.
It is time we get back our land.
 
I heard the news this week Nimitz crews painted the memorial ship as volunteer and the ship exhibition and preservation association held the reception to commemorate late Admiral Nimitz who helped recover the ship in 1960's after no one took care of the ship since Japan's defeat of the war. CVN-68 was named after Admiral Nimitz who admired the Admiral Togo.
 
Well, we have to appreciate him as for this matter. After the devastation of the war and demilitarization, Japanese totally forgot about the ship and lost respect to their own military, American military remembered the ship. Maybe because that was the ship that knocked down the cold war enemy country's fleet.
 
But it is time Japan controls its own defense not relying on foreign power. In fact, we are ready. Japan's naval force is second largest in the world. Soon Japan will build its own aircraft carrier. Actually it already has one, but only for helicopters. See the photo.
Japan's brand new helicopter carrier, Hyuga lined with Nimitz. Front is Hyuga.  
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Hyuga is half length of Nimitz. We do not need nuclear powered one but we will have to build longer one so that airfighters can be stored and take off or land on.
Only obstacle is pacifist consitituition that restricts scope of military actions. I think it would not take so much time to amend it. More and more people are realizing they should.    
 
The U.S. military will go away by losing trust and sympathy budget fund from generous Japanese government.
It is good thing for the both countries.