Ra Mason’s volume is both a fantastic work of research and a stimulating read, offering wholly new insights into the complex politics of Okinawa from the intersecting perspectives of international relations, domestic politics and political economy. There is nothing else in the field that offers this unique and excellent quality of analysis.
— Chris Hughes, Professor of International Politics and Japanese Studies, University of Warwick

Few authors are better placed than Ra Mason to write this book introducing the complex connections between geopolitics and everyday life on Okinawa. Through examination of the economic, social and geopolitical impact of the US military bases Mason provides an excellent overview of the role of Okinawa in this new 'Indo-Pacific' era. Students will find an accessible and stimulating introduction to the topic, and scholars will find a wealth of original insights drawn from a diverse range of Japanese-language and other sources.
— Paul O‘Shea, Senior Lecturer, Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University, Sweden

Ra Mason is Sasakawa Associate Professor of International Relations and Japanese Foreign Policy at the University of East Anglia. He has held visiting posts at the University of the Ryukyus (Okinawa), Tohku University, Ritsumeikan University and Meio University.

1. Introduction


2. Social identities, pacifism and power politics


3. Tracing the money trail


4. Okinawa as an international flashpoint


5. Okinawa's fight for a secure future