“Il mio cuore è nella terra di Yanbaru”. Antimilitarismo, simboli e memorie a Okinawa

Abstract

The issue of the US military presence in Okinawa has marked the political life of the Japanese prefecture since the post-war period. Over time, a composite “community of protest” has taken shape - developing through different organisational models and symbolic references. It is a movement that brings together heterogeneous groups in terms of thematic interests, but which converge on a common goal, namely the removal of US military facilities from Okinawan soil, as well as on an elastic and polysemic repertoire of symbols and memories, which is conveyed through texts, images and songs. This article focuses on the Henoko protest scenario and, through the analysis and interpretation of texts collected through fieldwork, investigates the protest imaginary, questioning its composition and the possible emotional and organisational functions it performs.