Decentring the first island chain : Okinawa requires a recapitulation of security

Abstract

As the "keystone" of the Pacific, Okinawa is set to become a flashpoint between dynamic great power rivalries that are shifting their focus towards the South and East China Seas across the Indo-Pacific region. Amid this, the islands' independent history, antimilitarist culture and wonderous potential are often misunderstood or deliberately misrepresented to serve the interests of would be policymakers in the security sphere. As such, this policy brief problematises how Okinawan issues are framed and responded to by leading theorists and practitioners in the field. In response, it is argued that a recapitulation of what amounts to effective security policy is needed. This should be initiated from a decentred perspective that is informed by a revitalised set of nuanced concepts. While still operating within the constraints of regional geopolitical competition that is dominated by realpolitik, these will constructively address socio-economic and environmental concerns.