When the Ryukyu Kingdom was dismantled and the islands were annexed to the Modern Japan State in 1879, Okinawa became one of prefectures at the state’s southern border. But, it didn’t mean that people on the islands automatically came to recognize themselves as “Japanese”. When the Battle of Okinawa ended and the American occupation started in 1945, Okinawa was separated from the Japanese administration. But, it didn’t mean that people on the islands stopped thinking themselves “Japanese”. When the administrative rights over Okinawa were returned to Japan from the United States in 1972, Okinawa became again one of the prefectures of Japan State. People called this “return (返還)”, from their historical perspectives as subjectivity, “reversion (復帰)”, but, eventually, a question was raised among people: “Where are you going, Okinawa?”

This question arises repeatedly for decades after “reversion”, being deeply related with war memory, suffering caused by U.S. military bases, and Japanese statism and militarism. In this lecture, I would like to trace how this question has been raised among people in Okinawan society from late 1960s to today, through popular culture in Okinawa, literature, music, photography, and film.

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