I usually like watching vice but now I realize how one sided their perspectives are. Uchinanchu (Okinawan people) have been ravaged by war and have been the pawn for Main Land Japan and the American Military. As Okinawans, we have very little control over what happens here. The Japanese government keeps us in poverty, has cut budgets and has forced public schools to change history books to omit the forced suicides of Okinawan people by the Japanese Military. The American military is also at fault for inflating housing cost by giving an rent allowance of up to $4000 dollars a month, making it difficult for the typical Okinawan individual/family to be able to afford living in the same neighborhoods as American military personnel since renting to an American Military is much more lucrative. The drinking problem is merely a side effect of what is really happening here and if you are too blind to see what is the actual source of our suffering, please don’t make a documentary that makes us looks like lazy idiots that are incapable of being sober. -An Okinawan who doesn’t consume alcohol
I am sorry, I lived in Okinawa and also in the US, there is nothing wrong with the people there, they are poor and drink as a side effect of economics? So what, it does not make them or their lifestyles any less important. I'd rather be drunk with friends than drunk on power with enemies. Anyways kari!!-A so-called African American with Native American ancestry and plenty of Drug Abuse and Alcoholism in the family tree
Documentaries are typically one sided and confirmation biased. You can literally make the same documentary about most (if not all) places in the world by finding someone with addiction, and interviewing a struggling single mother, which exists everywhere.
Familiar with Vice documentaries, but this one seemed very jaded. Your input carries more weight than this person calling herself Japanese. I am halfway through and it is turning into a hatchet job... But why???? 😳
I didn't get the feeling that blame was put on the people. More like questioning WHY there is such differences & the consequenses/suffering that heavy use of alchol brings with it. There is a problem, and if it isn't exposed then sadly no one will care to do anythig.. My feeling after watchinh this is how the gov is thinking here? Those HUGE bottles of sttong alcohol! Like WTF?! I live in finland, we are known for alcoholism. But you cant get alocol stronger than around 40% it's illegal. And there is only 1 place that is allowed to sall any alcohol that's stronger than i think its around 9%. So to buy wine, vodka, whisky or similar you have to go to this certain store (called alko owned by the state - to not have any commercial interest driving alcohol sales & usage up). You can only buy beer, cider & wine that have an alcohol level under 8% in any grocery store. And only from 9 a.m to 9 p.m. No place is allowed to sell any alcohol to people already drunk, alko or a bar, dosen't matter. The size of the bottle is limited, you can't make & sell 5l bottles. The max is 0.75L for wine & stronger. You need permits to make any alochol & aren't allowed to make your own destilled alcohol, not even for personal consumption.. You can only bring a small ammout off alcohol into the country if you travel. But thats me, I don't live in the US. Here we have safety nets & our gov has responsability to care for the people that live here. Maybe all this made me see the reporting in a different light. But something ia clearly needed to be done here! So mutch suffering, now passed down trough generation.. And as always, the problems hit the women & children the worst. I completely understand the women who feel like they have no other choice than to take a "night life job" they have survived domestic abuse. They are survivors & now thrown down in another black hole. IF they ever manage to leave the abuse with their life. No kid likes & feels good when a parent is drunk, it's will trigger anxiety in the child. That complete personlaity change is not good for a kid to see.. To be drunk around children, is to strip them off any sence of safety.. The moms deserve to be there, with & for their kids. Not drunk. And all children deserves to be with non drunk parent/parents & feel safe! Something is clearly wrong here. Not only bcs people choose to drink. We need to look at WHY people do that & not make it so EASY to get REALLY REALLY drunk. If it's a cultural thing, then a good preventive methods is the first thing to do!
Way to go Vice- going back and deleting all the negative comments and criticisms. It’s surprising how there are now little to no comments about how surface level this interview is. And to even interview mainland Japanese nationalists about alcoholism and the spirit of Ryukyu islanders? Okinawa, my home, deserves so much more than this topical interview. Some parts I even found the interviewer to be quite patronizing. They have gone through so much and it hurts my heart to know that Vice of all channels won’t do justice for the whole story of Okinawa. This video covers a FRACTION of what viewers need to understand about this island. Okinawans are so war-torn from having to build themselves back up over and over again, between the Japanese taking over (who I might add literally tried to irradiate Okinawan culture) followed by the island being devastated AGAIN with WW2. Nearly two-thirds of the island’s population was killed. During the war groups of Okinawan families were forced by the Japanese to commit suicide (there is a place now called The Suicide Cliffs) and were fear-mongering telling the locals that Americans would rape and kill women and children. I could go on and on about this- but despite everything they still have so much resiliency and absolute hearts of gold- THAT is because of our saying “nankurunaisa.” I just wish people would understand this before making quick shallow judgements- like this video. Adding some freaking history would go such a long way.
Thank you. This video taught me that all the experts are men, Okinawans are underpaid because they're lazy drunkards, and all the women need their men back. A little under the bar to be called quality reporting I think.
@Tommy Hubbs well, Okinawa is indeed not Japan, not Japanese, and not of Japanese culture. it's just "managed" by Japan. i've also heard of "no Ja panese" signs in some shops, meaning no "ones from mainlaind" as owners of those businesses found tourists from mainlaind (well, main "islands") to be a nuisance. imo, Okinawa is kind of suffering, especially because Japan has put USA military bases there and lets them get away with too many things... tho i'm not Okinawan, nor Japanese, so i don't know for sure if Okinawa is suffering. i do know for sure is that how the "managers" tend to deal with much smaller local populations and their smaller local cultures. many examples of that around the world. another example of that in Japan would be ainu.
@@3338MAN Having issues deep inside sounds more like an personal problem and characteristic (influenced by life expiriences of individual) than a characteristic of a whole nation.
My Grandma Chiyoko was born in Okinawa and moved to Tokyo at the age of 5 with her parents and 13 siblings so they could find better jobs! My Grandma was the most beautiful loving person but she still carried a lot of heartache her whole life she said when her family left Okinawa. They lived in a 2 bedroom apartment in Tokyo with 15 people and she use to always say she missed her home in Okinawa. I used to ask her, "Grandma do you miss your hometown?", and she would reply "YES because life was hard there but we were happy!" When my Grandpa brought her back to California he bought her a house on the outskirts of town as close to the country he could afford so she could garden and sit outside and enjoy her beer in peace Haha. Okinawa is beautiful and I hope to visit someday. ♥️
The documentary does cover some of Okinawa's issues well. I just don't understand why the "local" group chosen to drink with was "Uyouku". That is a very limited population of us locals in Okinawa.
They are a minority anywhere in Japan. Whenever they drive through a town with their loud speakers other people look at them like they are bonkers crazy.
They came across as the biggest Nerds tbh 😂 "BANZAAI" that's all they had to say to the attractive hafu woman .I bet they wanted to "Banzai into her" but couldn't express it more subtle 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I agree it was a strange decision to start the local interviews with the fringe Uyouku group. I want to give the VICE production crew the benefit of the doubt - maybe their connections or resources were limited, or maybe the Uyouku group was just the most willing and available to be interviewed (because they probably don't believe the pandemic is real), but still... starting with Fukumoto-san's story would have worked.
Wow that is a strange decision for vice to make, because to a non Japanese person who doesn't even know what Uyouku is they would assume that they are representative of Okinawa, like they are just regular people
Okinawa is not the only place with issues and rampant poverty, this is how most, if not all holiday island destinations are. The macro economy of Okinawa simply can't grow much based on tourism alone, and lacking technological innovation, like the rest of Japan, will set you back, especially if you don't have much products to export etc.
I wonder how much of the burden is signatory to the tourism industry, or due to the fact that it never works out to have an entire economy propped up on one source of revenue. What’s the poison? The single-industry-driven-economy….or the tourism industry in general.
As someone from a Caribbean island, I strongly relate. That's why I resent tourism a lot. it bounds locals to entertain westerners with mostly racist / exotic stereotypes at our expense. I don't see how we could become stronger and dependent at this rate. With Covid it showed it more
@@TheLily97232 Yea, get rid of the paradise/heaven/ lotr adventure mentality europeans have infected the world with. Then we won't have the industrialized vs paradise dichotomy where one places nature is bulldoozed factories while another is foreced to remain pristine for the enjoyment of the factory owners (and their management staff). Put the means of productions in the hands of the masses of people, corporations will die & humans will have to reintegrate into nature. Depression will go down, purpose will go up, occupation will go up, work-life balence will increase too. Families will stay together as women won't measure men soley on a monetary scale. Men won't drink so much either for the same reason. Aru aru won't be a problem.
I think it’s sad you guys didn’t touch on the effects of US imperialism and the presence of US military members. Or How they had to set curfews for military members because they were committing crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and ra**. Or how often military men fetishized asian women. I am always wishing better for my home and its people.
@@luiscruz679 i grew up there as a child from 2004 and on when all of what i typed occurred while i lived there. And all of this is still happening in Okinawa to present day. You can see examples of this in how US marines have been treating COVID protocol while living in Okinawa. Or how the US military found Agent Orange reminisce in the soccer field i used to play on as a child and just recently notified families. I’m assuming you’ve never experienced genuine dialogue with people who have been negatively effected by the military in Okinawa and can only offer an outside perspective?
It's really to tough to hear my home talked about this way and realize that my mother was part of the statistic, but I've seen everything touched on in the documentary. My mom was also a young mother raising 3 boys and I remember she would work late at night to make ends meet before she met my father. On another note, I think it's tough to cover entirely the issues present in Okinawa to include the US military influence and issues, and the history of trauma on the island from World War 2. I have a lot of love for my home and I wish things were better for Okinawans and not just catering to those visit and never stay.
The last part that you said was full of wisdom that is touching. I’ll pray too for these people that they can break free from the cultural cycle of addiction.
@@TheAnikeenko Just because other places recovered doesn't mean Okinawa isn't still struggling from the war. No one place recovers at the same pace or in the same way.
@@TheAnikeenko I'm not sure how it was after the war but the Japanese hierarchy during the war taught the population that we were monsters coming to do what they did to many Pacific island nations rape and pillage. They were a strong proud people that were also lied to on a complete scale about what they and the rest of the world were doing. I Remember seeing the mass suicides in Saipan by Japanese women and children because they feared us so badly based on lies the military/government told them about us. Who knows what all of this did to the psyche of the entire population once we occupied here for decades after the war. I don't think anyone from the outside can really relate or explain why it is the way it is now. Every where has problems they are no different than us or the rest of the world.
That professor spoke some real words right there...when you try to get ahead in life...those around will either crush you or help you. Sad reality of life everywhere 😪 😢
"those around you will crush you or help you", man your words are so obvious. Ofcourse, theres only 2 choices for almost everything, help or not help, stay at home or go out, to buy or not to buy, bla bla. What youre saying is similiar to this: "this road will split into 2 lanes, right and left. If Im not going right then I will go left..". Youre pointing out something which is so obvious.
Negative or positive people bring you up or down. Watch out for the trolls and rats too!! You can tell who is !! First impressions mean a lot along with demeanor
Being hardworking was deemed as a bad thing in my neighborhood too in Sweden, so we all turned to drug dealing and violent crimes to make money. Don't listen to these so called friends, instead lose them and get educated, nothing is more important than education. Wish I knew that as a kid.
The interviewer is very skilled. Asking probing questions yet not too intrusive, drawing answers out well and attentively listening. Really top notch. This really takes a lot of skill and tact. We don't see this often these days. Most are like steam rollers, very unresponsive, just plowing through their list of questions. This video explores the tragic life when alcohol takes a dominant place in people's lives. It truly is the family demolisher. You'd think they'd take better precautions though against getting pregnant when so young. Very strange how they can be so naive. Basically as a hostess, they're hoping for a whale to sweep them away to a comfortable, pampered life. Good luck with that.
I lived there for four years, even during the COVID outbreak. That island and those people are wonderful. I miss it dearly. But I would refrain from calling Okinawans Japanese. They have a unique culture, language, music, and food that is very distinct from Japan traditional.
@@MrTjuan Originally they were a separate nation from the Japanese until the Japanese annexed the Ryuku Kingdom in 1879 and it became a Japanese prefecture. Which we all know today as Okinawa.
The island and people are incredibly wonderful. They face the same challenges as many around the world. But there attitude towards work is very different from the mainland. But no matter what, they are truly wonderful and loving people. I miss my time there.
@짭조름한후추 He is talking about how modern japanese work culture is killing the youth of the japanese. Low birth rate, karoshi (work by death), stupidly rigid work culture with crazy hiearchy and many stupid things like the hikikomori just screams how fked up the mainland can get. Maybe all they need is that island vibe in mainland huh what do you say my friend ?
I've seen both sides of the discussion: Okinawans are too laid back and mainlanders work themselves to death. There should be a happy medium in there, no?
I'm Okinawan and this video is very racist towards Okinawans!! The poverty issue is due to Japanese colonialism! Japan forces 70% of their bases onto Okinawans against our will, and these bases occupy land which could be used instead for other industries. Okinawans know the bases hurt Okinawans in many ways - a high incidence of accidents, sexual assaults, environmental degradation. And the amount of money going to Okinawans through jobs has been dropping over the years. Saying that the poverty is due to alcoholism is extremely racist and ignores the underlying issue of Japanese colonialism and US occupation. Also, she should not have been talking to Japanese nationalists. They do not represent most Okinawans. This was a very poorly-made and harmful video.
China never say will take over RyuKyu! Japanese and western world will never show the real will and thoughts of people from RyuKyu! They only care about Ukraine, taiwan, and hk. Never care about hawaii, Scotland and RyuKyu! Shameful fake democracy campaign
I lived in Okinawa for 13 yrs, the poverty issue is due to mainland Japan not investing in Okinawa. The Japanese people looks and treats Okinawan's as second class citizens like Australian's treat the Aboriginal's. Sad very sad situation. I can remember the old days back in the early 60's and 70's Okinawa was such a beautiful place the people would all speak their own language Uchina Guchi "Hogen", living in Okinawa for 13 years I was blessed to have learned the true Okinawan "hogan" language and lived, learned their culture and way of life. I can't wait to return one day although Ive seen the changes Okinawa will never be the same.
With Japan's extremely low birthrate and increasingly worrisome aging population, the government should do more to aid these children as they're the future of the country
@アフタヌーンヌアクショット most European countries have higher rates, for european countries with atleast 1 Million people, the only countries having lower birthrates are Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Greece, Moldova, Bosnia, Finland. Fertility rate of JP is at 1.36, that of Europe is at 1.7 on average. but even if a country or a region like europe has lower rates, that doesn't mean there is no problem for JP, it's still a big issue or do you see that differently? I mean the statistics atleast don't lie.
@アフタヌーンヌアクショット that's a generalisation, not every european countries has alot of immigration and not in every european country the birthrate of immigrants is far higher. what's wrong with the word immigrant, i'm not one but my parents. in most european countries the biggest immigrant groups are also often other europeans.
the cultural factor this interviewer doesn’t investigate at all is the cultural and physical destruction that u.s. military presence brings to Okinawa. it’s ignored how the Japanese government has placed ~70% of all u.s. military bases in Japan, in Okinawa, the way that Okinawan tourism has had to pander to american military perversion, as well as the significant cultural effects on Okinawans from Japanese attempts on genocide.
The look on her face when she says "It is what it is" was so crushing to see. To be so young and to feel like your life is already in tatters. What a devastating documentary
My father was stationed in Kadena and I was fortunate to live in Okinawa. Being older and reflecting, it's wild watching this. Just goes to show that the underbelly of civilization is painfully similar no matter where you live.
@@astralblue Grade school. Left in the early 90s. I've been back to mainland Japan a few times as an adult. I will always love that country. I do wish it was easier to get a job over there though.
I never really expected Okinawa to be the poorest prefecture in Japan, when you consider the fact that it has some of the lowest crime rates. So this video was pretty surprising for me...
I believe the song playing in the open is Asadoya Yunta. I loved my trip to Okinawa back in 2003, and living in Japan more generally. There is a large Okinawan diaspora in Osaka, where I lived. The native Ryukyuu Islanders are wonderful people, I just wish the local culture had been better preserved, as it has largely been assimilated into Japanese culture.
I’ve been to Okinawa twice. Stayed for over a week on both times and it’s the most relaxed I’ve been since moving to Japan almost 20 years ago. The vibe is just different there. My sister and her family lived right in front of a white sand beach with a breathtaking view of the sunset. I literally cried on the plane when I went back to the mainland. If there were more job opportunities there we would definitely move to Okinawa. It’s a shame that it’s the poorest prefecture. 😓
If you have a degree of any kind, you could get a teaching job with the Board of Education. There's a Facebook group called Okinawa Private ALT Forum that often advertises teaching jobs.
Might be the least insightful "expert" you could have found... If you let people like him speak, maybe also put it in context, his cause effect thinking goes against pretty much everything we know about society, poverty, addiction, psychology etc. and is basically just victim blaming and colonial supperiority bullshit redressed as expert analysis.
Could you please elaborate? I thought that he highlighted most of the main issues that affect this community and create this kind of cycle: poverty, intergenerational trauma, alcoholism, high rates of teen/early adult pregnancies and single parent families with low incomes, etc. How is he victim blaming? I do agree however that they should have gone deeper into the history of Okinawa and the U.S. military bases there.
Yeah, I definitely got this vibe too. I mean I'm not an expert but what I know about sociology kinda contradicts a lot of what he was saying. I mean perhaps these are realities but I feel like there was more depth they could've explored. The history of American colonization is not insignificant to it's history. I mean, she literally hung out with a bunch of nationalists. I feel like they didn't really explore that at all. I guess it wasn't intended to turn into a deep dive like that but I feel an opportunity was missed.
all thru south east asia the big money is from sex tourism...govs keep their people poor so cashed up foreigners can jse their bodies for joy riding....of course they are gonna be sitting in the streets drinking beer or taking drugs...their own greedy governments have sabotaged them for $$
As with most tourist towns, it's about exploiting the local workforce while painting a pretty picture of perfection for tourists to spend their money. The ultimate winners are the resort owners which is usually a company doing the same thing across the globe.
First, Okinawa is Ryukyu as an independent country till 1879. It was annexed by Japan by force, but never adequately integrated as a part of Japan. That's also why Okinawans were sacrificed during WWII. Japanese never trusted them and it's even true today. Okinawans are treated as second-class citizens. Vice's understanding of this matter is close to that of a child's. The real "Dark Truth of Japan's Paradise Island" is how the Japanese government and people are trying to hide the fact that they were sacrificed during WWII and are still treated as a second class citizens today.
I remembered I visited Japan years ago. My friend took me to different places in the big city. My friend pointed at the homeless people in the street and told me that their problems were getting serious. I watched some documentary online and I believed that it hasn't been improving. But it is same as other countries all over the world.
It's quite sad how this documentary overlooks the MOST important part of the context for the current situation Okinawa is in: post-colonialism and the effects of invasion from "the mainland" (as everyone so calls) and the United States. The indigenous heritage of Okinawa (independent from the main Japanese cultural background) has been widely wiped out due to these same issues. Okinawa has been basically facing THE SAME EXACT outcomes that colonized countries in Latinamerica and Africa, to name a few, have been experiencing for a few centuries now. So no, this isn't about "laziness" or alcohol drinking. These are no more than RESULTS of the abuse suffered by this island, "attached" to Japan forcefully, as have other indigenous communities in the same national territory, like Kyushu. One cannot inform on the issues that are aggravating in this island without mentioning the rooting causes.
@@FreePal3Stinez every single group of people throughout history has been colonized or invaded by some other group and forced to give up their identity.
The lecturer said that low pay is the result of low productivity, and it's because of the culture. You will be looked down upon and lose your friends if you work hard.
They obviously drove all over the place interviewing people for more time than the clips they ultimately included. Each interview requires lighting the location and setting up microphones and cameras. In order to know who to interview, they had to research and find them and then contact them and create a schedule under which all those people are available in a limited amount of time. Then, the video has to be edited into a coherent story by reviewing the footage and writing a voiceover script, then recording that audio in a suitable environment. Basically, you're shooting your mouth off about something you're completely ignorant about, insulting the people who worked hard to make this. How about not doing that?
It’s interesting how in Japan it’s still ok for an expert to characterize a population as “lazy” as the reason for being poor. He does probably represent what mainland Japanese think of Okinawans though.
yes, everyone knows a culture that doesn't embrace education, ambition, and personal responsibility, while avoiding crime, is doomed to poverty. Fortunately there are still places, especially in Asia, where they haven't succumbed to the leftist, woke nonsense that is pedalled in Western academia
You got the point. This is like an educated, white person describing the poverty of black people in the states as the result of their ability/personality/characteristics as a shared community.
There's a comment here from an okinawan saying the Japanese colonialism made them poor and its hurtful to say that the people in the mainland Japan accuse them of just being lazy
I lived in Okinawa in the late 60s off base and on base. Went to 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade there, 3 years, 3 different schools. I have fond memories of Okinawa, the people and the places.
He is going to live a very long time. Look at Buddha his ears were super long as well and this guy almost look like Buddha haha. I am Vietnamese and my mom always told me people with long earlobes will live long.
Very misleading representation of what's happening in Okinawa and poor journalism. This segment is completely disregarding the issues with postcolonialism and american bases (which occupy more than 20% of Okinawan territory, creating an economical and social burden to Okinawans). Visiting the peace memorial museum, the Himeyuri monument in Itoman, the Futenma american basis, Kin town, etc... Would have been better places to visit as an outsider trying to understand Okinawa.
Precisely why I don't like vice. They misrepresent so much and are a large pro imperialism propaganda machine even if "unintentionally". They did this with Uyghurs in China too
Was suprised when the journalist said their divorce rates are 45% but hearing her interview with the single mom it's no surprise. if she's the one making the money AND taking care of the child, having him around is just another mouth to feed. On minimum wage nonetheless.
Vice really missed the mark with this. Horrible choice of expert, no diversification of opinions, and no investigation of U.S. military presence, Okinawa-Japan relationships, etc. Just wow.
Very disappointed at you not even mentioning how there are 31 US military bases on Okinawa occupying 15% of the island and the impact that has on the population, which im sure has absolutely nothing to do with increased rates of alcoholism and poverty. Since Okinawa was occupied by the US in 1945, there have been HUNDREDS of cases of rape by US soldiers and marines. Notable cases include in 1995, when 3 US marines kidnapped, beat up and raped a 12 year old okinawan girl, and in 2016, when a US marine kidnapped, beat up, tortured, raped and murdered a 20 year old okinawan woman. These arent isolated cases, just between 2017 and 2019 there were 8 convicted cases of rape of okinawan women by US military personnel. And imagine how many more are going unreported! This without even talking about other impacts caused by the US military occupation, like the insane amount of plane and helicopter crashes that has killed many hundreds since 1945. You didnt even mention the brave peaceful protest and resistance movement by okinawans to get US bases out of their home, bases that are destroying the local environment and the local animals. This peaceful protest movement is brutally repressed by the japanese government and US military forces. You didnt even MENTION any of this. And while the rest of the documentary is nice, not mentioning these things greatly skews the realities of Okinawa. Very disappointing!
You are right, but let us not lose sight that the modern US involvement and alliance with Japan is an outgrowth of horrifically evil mass murder and enslavement campaigns by Imperial Japan. The US has been quite a generous ally, asking nothing in return. Nobody is perfect, certainly not Japan in the 20th century. In the 21st century, Japan and the US remain allied democracies with great respect for each other. Just my 2c. My family was stationed on Okinawa in the past.
@@777jones oh so japanese civilians in 2021 are at fault for what a dictatorial unelected fascist japanese regime did in the 1930s and 1940s. Flawless logic lol Noone asked okinawans, neither the US government nor the japanese government, whether they wanted the bases there or not, they were simply imposed on them. Besides okinawans arent japanese in many regards, both mainland japanese and the government of Japan treat them as second class citizens, which explains the insane rates of poverty and alcoholism there. I dont understand how anyone can defend this, WW2 ended 76 years ago, the US has no business being in Japan, or Asia for that matter, especially if the people there dont want it.
@@777jones also it is false that the US asked nothing in return. Simply the 200 000 japanese, mostly civilians, who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a big thing given to the US, and this doesnt even include all those dead or ill due to radiation sickness, something the US army claimed "didnt exist" in 1945, and they knew it was false. Whats worse, the US still refuses to apologize and still defends these massacres. Furthermore, all the US military bases in Japan, imposed on the japanese without asking, is another thing given to the US. So no, its completely false the US "asked nothing in return", the US has never done anything for anyone for free, much less for nonamericans, which are nothing more than "collateral damage" to the eyes of the US army and government.
@@paiosfranen you were spouting off about Japan being the victim of rapes, and the injustice of it all. I was making sure you were aware of Japanese history and the American role liberating Asia and containing Japanese aggression. To your point, maybe It was a mistake to award Okinawa territory back to Japan. The US has been most generous, saving millions of lives in the region. And it was not a war the US chose at all. Japan declared war on us in an evil campaign to conquer the hemisphere. My heart goes out to innocent people including rape victims in Okinawa, but you seem to have the wrong big picture, no idea why the Us is there 🤷♂️
How to say I hate the USA without saying you hate the USA… I was there for a few years. All those “peaceful” protesters were bussed in and payed for by the CCP and other fringe groups. China wants us out of their backyard and is willing to pay “useful idiots” to come out and parade around outside the bases. Keep regurgitating Chinese propaganda by all means though.
Theft is considered a very morally low crime in japan, so it was undoubtably very difficult for that recovering man to interview and share his experiences
I lived in Tokyo for 4 years when I was a child and remember taking a vacation to Okinawa, my mama still has video tapes of us on the beach, this brings back many memories I forgot I had
The first guy talking is just delusional. I wish I could trick myself into thinking the main reason for low wages and underdevelopment is culture, an essentialist view on people with no fucking material traces other than those we ascribe to them a posteriori. Yeah its culture, not the fact the islands were essentially a military colony of the US until the 70's and purposeful neglect of social and economic conditions by successive Japanese administrations who saw it just as a tourism cash cow. Look man, in the end Okinawans are laid back and that is why the isles are underdeveloped!
The single mother part hits close to home for me. I know my mom worked hard to make sure I got ahead in life. I noticed a lot of single moms when I got to Okinawa and scoped out the dating scene. I had no idea the issue was this serious.
Good doc but….not ONE mention of the US military base still there? Okinawa is no longer technically “occupied” but still have a strong military presence there. The US made an agreement with Japan that US soldiers/military were above and outside of the Japanese law meaning they could not be prosecuted for any illegal actions on the island. So in 2016, 75,000 people were protesting the rape and murder of a 20 yr old Japanese woman by a US soldier. Since US military were outside the law, they couldn’t be tried for their actions. If you don’t believe me look it up for yourself! I learned about it in a class i took about global politics and the history of japan as a world power.
Spanish alcohol is even cheaper and we almost don't have alcoholic people compared to Okinawa. Sounds like it's the island's culture plus a government issue for not investing in the island being tourism the main resource to get money
“Return to Japan” is like celebrating Hawaiis return to America. Both are occupied nations with indigenous people, the Ainu descendants in Okinawa’s (ryukyu) case. To ignore the history of how Okinawa is treated as a second class state that shoulders the burden of US based and pretend that the socioeconomic issues are Cultural is dishonest
I lived there when I was very little in the late 60's. We lived off base and wish I could remember more, but I am very sure that it wasn't a tourist destination back then. I remember the locals treating, the little blue eyed boy really well.
There are some issues in this documentary. First, the documentary production team doesn't seem to understand the uniqueness of Okinawa. At the beginning of the video, the woman describes Okinawan culture as a mix of Japanese and American. You never describe Okinawa like this if you understand the history and culture of Okinawa. Second, the documentary never gives a spot on the history of Okinawa. It is inappropriate that you talk about the poverty in Okinawa without the Ryukyu deposition and subsequent policy of preserving old customs, the 27-year-US occupation after the WW2, the presence of US military bases after the WW2, and the planned resortization by the Japanese government after the reversion of Okinawa. Poverty in Okinawa is a more systemic issue rooted in the dynamics of Okinawan history, not the characteristics of the Okinawan people. The documentation's claim is like the poverty of black people in the states is the result of their ability/personality/characteristics as a shared community. Of course, it’s not like that, and if someone describes it that way, the vast critics by the public and researchers are unavoidable. Third, the selection of the representative people of Okinawans in the video is very arbitrary. I don't understand why they chose the nationalist group. Few people hail the emperor because of Okinawa’s brutal history brought by the emperors (Meiji and Showa). Traditionally, Okinawa is a region that doesn’t belong to the emperor/nation. For example, for the state funeral for Abe (the former president), Okinawa is the only prefecture that did not do a Half-staff to show mourning. The nationalist group is far from the sample of Okinawans. In addition, strangely enough, the woman goes to the Gokoku Shrine, built to ensure the spirits of those who died for the nation, which is far from the representative of Okinawan religions.
a video that whitewashes the struggle of Okinawan/Ryukyuan people, and how they've been subjected to Honshu/Japan colonialism and US imperialism... talk about all the bases, they're pollution, the stress and trauma they cause... and you got drunk with fascists - cool, i guess?
As an underdevelopment country national, it is always curious to hear about poverty in rich countries. Despite these people have their own share of problems, they never look like poor people as we see in my country. All the best for the Okinawans.
Growing up in hawaii, our culture is pretty similar over here. Almost everyone drinks after work and the weekly Friday night "pa'ina" or party is pretty much a given.
@@noneofyourbusiness4616 Yes! My father tied his Volkswagen Bus tou our little house when a Typhoon hit in the 60s... took the roof off. We went back to Kagoshima.
I don't understand why people say that Vice stopped making good content. They've always been at the forefront of important social and political issues, and for all the bias it might have, it's not the mouthpiece of an extremist organization like other chains, such as Al Jazeera, definitely are.
I agree. I don't watch all of Vice's pieces because some of them are a bit pandering. But this is a great example of a topic they chose to cover that I was completely unaware of that pulls at my heartstrings. I had no idea that Okinawa was, in some ways, struggling with issues hidden from view to many of us. I wish Okinawans all the best and that they can overcome these struggles.
I think the issue is that people were initially largely drawn to vice because of very well made obscure wardocu's at the front of things, people also enjoy stuff like this. However there was a giant influx of bullshitty docu's about silly crap with clickbait titles and they have a tendency to really lean badly into the woke side of things which a lot of people are sick off because we already see that everywhere. But I for one have seen a definite improvement in their content lately.
The problems highlighted can be found in all of Japan-and are not uniquely “Okinawan.” Also she never acknowledged how Okinawa is a culture onto itself.
I don't think this document accurately examines the issues in Okinawa, which seems to claim that awamori production and listless men are a "dark truth." Real journalism does not cherry pick statistics to prove a point. This video is not a well researched product of Vice. Okinawa does have issues, but I dont think awamori production is at the top of the list, In fact, it's a cultural product and spending time with islanders you can hear the stories of other remote islands that have an even stronger drinking culture. But when I went to those islands I find mostly sleepy agricultural communities who problems are population decline, aging population, destruction of the natural environment much like Okinawa itself. Its so strange that Hanako picked a group of ultra right imperial nationalists to drink with, since many Okinawans have a poisoned memory of imperial Japan, as so many of Okinawan lives were uselessly lost in the name of the emperor. It is true that Okinawa has more single mothers than other parts of Japan. But they all dont work in bars and clubs. In fact, Okinawa, along with Hokkaido, has become the location of many call and remote service centers, which reach out and employ single mothers, with flexible work schedules, the ability to commute by car, and even child care. Not mentioned by Hanako. Also, Hanako should have mentioned that Okinawa is one of only 7 prefectures in Japan to have a growing population, 2.4% between 2015 and 2020, second only to Tokyo (3.5%), and much superior to the worst, Akita, which lost 6.2%. So Okinawa is doing something right in attracting young Japanese. Just to be complete, it's also worth noting Okinawa's standing for life expectancy. For women its 87.4 years (7th) and for men 80.27 (36th). So women way above average, while men below average and not the disaster Hanako presents. Okinawa's real pressing problems are over dependence on government subsidies and military, loss of productive land to military use, the destruction of the natural environment, decline of local agriculture, depopulation of remote islands, over dependence on tourism, and ignoring the wishes of the Okinawa people to build new military bases like Henoko. BTW, Hanko should have gone to SakenoSmile, near Naha airport to see a really impressive selection of awamori. www.sakenosmile.okinawa
From an anthropology point of view, it's interesting to see how cultural and environmental factors directly impact individual behaviors. It makes sense that a culture that frowns on individual accomplishment will have problems with alcoholism and broken families.
I absolutely can't believe the reporter didn't question that "expert" on his bullshit. Blaming Okinawan people or culture for the result of decades of systemic neglect by the Japanese government is dishonest, cruel, and incredibly shoddy journalism. You can and should do better.
And who else is at fault? The Japanese government is guilty for not helping single mothers and providing safety nets for the unemployed, yes, but ultimately those guys who drink themselves to death can always try to do something productive with their lives. I mean, they complain they don't have money, but they can afford to buy alcohol every day.
Typical imperialist propaganda, blaming high prevalence of poverty and alcoholism on "culture", rather than because of war, imperialism, and racism from the American military and Japanese mainlanders. Interviewing Japanese nationalists without mentioning that the Ryukyu islands were independent until their colonization by Japan in the late 1800s. There's a reason why so many identify as "Okinawan" not "Japanese" in Hawaii.
Okinawa residents are discriminated by government. Okinawa was a small country originally but there was merged at the past times. Japanese government know it. Okinawa is the part of Japan now but in people's mind, Okinawa is still a foreign country. That's why the government doesn't care whether Okinawa get better or not. In this video, residents call out like cheers for Japan looking like an appeal to get help from the government. It's like saying we're the same Japanese, we're not foreigners, please help us.
@@P2Feener305 Americans love to think everyone wants to come to this hell hole if racism, minimum wage, no education, disgusting air (unless you go to hillbilly land) constant political arguments, insane gun laws, minorities struggling, welfare, drug opioid addiction. Nope
I was adopted in 83 as an infant and now that I am in my 40’s I am feeling like I’m missing something in my life! Watching this video makes me want to find my birth mother and possible father, apparently my birth mother was only 15 and no information on my biological father😢. Making it a mission now to go back to my homeland and pursue my biological parents!
Thank you Vice for the Okinawa episode and this series in general. I’m glad you’re bringing attention to the issues that the people on these islands/getaway destinations face. The single mother’s story really touched my heart seeing as my mom was a single mother as well. The way she spoke about how she doesn’t want her daughter to be a secondary figure in her father’s life really shows how much she loves her daughter. I really wish that their conditions get better so that she can spend more time with her daughter 💕
I usually like watching vice but now I realize how one sided their perspectives are. Uchinanchu (Okinawan people) have been ravaged by war and have been the pawn for Main Land Japan and the American Military. As Okinawans, we have very little control over what happens here. The Japanese government keeps us in poverty, has cut budgets and has forced public schools to change history books to omit the forced suicides of Okinawan people by the Japanese Military. The American military is also at fault for inflating housing cost by giving an rent allowance of up to $4000 dollars a month, making it difficult for the typical Okinawan individual/family to be able to afford living in the same neighborhoods as American military personnel since renting to an American Military is much more lucrative.
The drinking problem is merely a side effect of what is really happening here and if you are too blind to see what is the actual source of our suffering, please don’t make a documentary that makes us looks like lazy idiots that are incapable of being sober.
-An Okinawan who doesn’t consume alcohol
I am sorry, I lived in Okinawa and also in the US, there is nothing wrong with the people there, they are poor and drink as a side effect of economics? So what, it does not make them or their lifestyles any less important. I'd rather be drunk with friends than drunk on power with enemies. Anyways kari!!-A so-called African American with Native American ancestry and plenty of Drug Abuse and Alcoholism in the family tree
Documentaries are typically one sided and confirmation biased. You can literally make the same documentary about most (if not all) places in the world by finding someone with addiction, and interviewing a struggling single mother, which exists everywhere.
Yeah I felt like their narrative was a little bit one sided. Thanks for telling how locals feel.
Familiar with Vice documentaries, but this one seemed very jaded. Your input carries more weight than this person calling herself Japanese. I am halfway through and it is turning into a hatchet job... But why???? 😳
I didn't get the feeling that blame was put on the people. More like questioning WHY there is such differences & the consequenses/suffering that heavy use of alchol brings with it.
There is a problem, and if it isn't exposed then sadly no one will care to do anythig..
My feeling after watchinh this is how the gov is thinking here? Those HUGE bottles of sttong alcohol! Like WTF?!
I live in finland, we are known for alcoholism. But you cant get alocol stronger than around 40% it's illegal. And there is only 1 place that is allowed to sall any alcohol that's stronger than i think its around 9%. So to buy wine, vodka, whisky or similar you have to go to this certain store (called alko owned by the state - to not have any commercial interest driving alcohol sales & usage up).
You can only buy beer, cider & wine that have an alcohol level under 8% in any grocery store. And only from 9 a.m to 9 p.m. No place is allowed to sell any alcohol to people already drunk, alko or a bar, dosen't matter.
The size of the bottle is limited, you can't make & sell 5l bottles. The max is 0.75L for wine & stronger. You need permits to make any alochol & aren't allowed to make your own destilled alcohol, not even for personal consumption..
You can only bring a small ammout off alcohol into the country if you travel.
But thats me, I don't live in the US. Here we have safety nets & our gov has responsability to care for the people that live here.
Maybe all this made me see the reporting in a different light.
But something ia clearly needed to be done here! So mutch suffering, now passed down trough generation..
And as always, the problems hit the women & children the worst.
I completely understand the women who feel like they have no other choice than to take a "night life job" they have survived domestic abuse. They are survivors & now thrown down in another black hole. IF they ever manage to leave the abuse with their life.
No kid likes & feels good when a parent is drunk, it's will trigger anxiety in the child. That complete personlaity change is not good for a kid to see..
To be drunk around children, is to strip them off any sence of safety..
The moms deserve to be there, with & for their kids. Not drunk.
And all children deserves to be with non drunk parent/parents & feel safe!
Something is clearly wrong here. Not only bcs people choose to drink. We need to look at WHY people do that & not make it so EASY to get REALLY REALLY drunk. If it's a cultural thing, then a good preventive methods is the first thing to do!
Way to go Vice- going back and deleting all the negative comments and criticisms. It’s surprising how there are now little to no comments about how surface level this interview is. And to even interview mainland Japanese nationalists about alcoholism and the spirit of Ryukyu islanders? Okinawa, my home, deserves so much more than this topical interview. Some parts I even found the interviewer to be quite patronizing. They have gone through so much and it hurts my heart to know that Vice of all channels won’t do justice for the whole story of Okinawa. This video covers a FRACTION of what viewers need to understand about this island. Okinawans are so war-torn from having to build themselves back up over and over again, between the Japanese taking over (who I might add literally tried to irradiate Okinawan culture) followed by the island being devastated AGAIN with WW2. Nearly two-thirds of the island’s population was killed. During the war groups of Okinawan families were forced by the Japanese to commit suicide (there is a place now called The Suicide Cliffs) and were fear-mongering telling the locals that Americans would rape and kill women and children. I could go on and on about this- but despite everything they still have so much resiliency and absolute hearts of gold- THAT is because of our saying “nankurunaisa.” I just wish people would understand this before making quick shallow judgements- like this video. Adding some freaking history would go such a long way.
Thank you! This video felt super slimy.
Thank you. This video taught me that all the experts are men, Okinawans are underpaid because they're lazy drunkards, and all the women need their men back. A little under the bar to be called quality reporting I think.
They were basically blaming a complex issue on bad work ethics and alcoholism, that makes me question vice.
@Tommy Hubbs well, Okinawa is indeed not Japan, not Japanese, and not of Japanese culture. it's just "managed" by Japan.
i've also heard of "no Ja panese" signs in some shops, meaning no "ones from mainlaind" as owners of those businesses found tourists from mainlaind (well, main "islands") to be a nuisance.
imo, Okinawa is kind of suffering, especially because Japan has put USA military bases there and lets them get away with too many things... tho i'm not Okinawan, nor Japanese, so i don't know for sure if Okinawa is suffering. i do know for sure is that how the "managers" tend to deal with much smaller local populations and their smaller local cultures. many examples of that around the world. another example of that in Japan would be ainu.
@@3338MAN Having issues deep inside sounds more like an personal problem and characteristic (influenced by life expiriences of individual) than a characteristic of a whole nation.
My Grandma Chiyoko was born in Okinawa and moved to Tokyo at the age of 5 with her parents and 13 siblings so they could find better jobs!
My Grandma was the most beautiful loving person but she still carried a lot of heartache her whole life she said when her family left Okinawa. They lived in a 2 bedroom apartment in Tokyo with 15 people and she use to always say she missed her home in Okinawa.
I used to ask her, "Grandma do you miss your hometown?", and she would reply "YES because life was hard there but we were happy!"
When my Grandpa brought her back to California he bought her a house on the outskirts of town as close to the country he could afford so she could garden and sit outside and enjoy her beer in peace Haha.
Okinawa is beautiful and I hope to visit someday. ♥️
He is! And thank you. ♥️
The documentary does cover some of Okinawa's issues well. I just don't understand why the "local" group chosen to drink with
was "Uyouku". That is a very limited population of us locals in Okinawa.
Who is Uyouku and what other groups are there?
They are a minority anywhere in Japan. Whenever they drive through a town with their loud speakers other people look at them like they are bonkers crazy.
They came across as the biggest
Nerds tbh 😂 "BANZAAI" that's all they had to say to the attractive hafu woman .I bet they wanted to "Banzai into her" but couldn't express it more subtle 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I agree it was a strange decision to start the local interviews with the fringe Uyouku group. I want to give the VICE production crew the benefit of the doubt - maybe their connections or resources were limited, or maybe the Uyouku group was just the most willing and available to be interviewed (because they probably don't believe the pandemic is real), but still... starting with Fukumoto-san's story would have worked.
Wow that is a strange decision for vice to make, because to a non Japanese person who doesn't even know what Uyouku is they would assume that they are representative of Okinawa, like they are just regular people
Okinawa is not the only place with issues and rampant poverty, this is how most, if not all holiday island destinations are.
The macro economy of Okinawa simply can't grow much based on tourism alone, and lacking technological innovation, like the rest of Japan, will set you back, especially if you don't have much products to export etc.
Florida is like this always
I wonder how much of the burden is signatory to the tourism industry, or due to the fact that it never works out to have an entire economy propped up on one source of revenue.
What’s the poison?
The single-industry-driven-economy….or the tourism industry in general.
As someone from a Caribbean island, I strongly relate. That's why I resent tourism a lot. it bounds locals to entertain westerners with mostly racist / exotic stereotypes at our expense. I don't see how we could become stronger and dependent at this rate. With Covid it showed it more
@@TheLily97232 Yea, get rid of the paradise/heaven/ lotr adventure mentality europeans have infected the world with. Then we won't have the industrialized vs paradise dichotomy where one places nature is bulldoozed factories while another is foreced to remain pristine for the enjoyment of the factory owners (and their management staff). Put the means of productions in the hands of the masses of people, corporations will die & humans will have to reintegrate into nature. Depression will go down, purpose will go up, occupation will go up, work-life balence will increase too. Families will stay together as women won't measure men soley on a monetary scale. Men won't drink so much either for the same reason. Aru aru won't be a problem.
No country prospers because of tourism
I think it’s sad you guys didn’t touch on the effects of US imperialism and the presence of US military members. Or How they had to set curfews for military members because they were committing crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and ra**. Or how often military men fetishized asian women. I am always wishing better for my home and its people.
That happened years ago 80+ so stop
@@luiscruz679 i grew up there as a child from 2004 and on when all of what i typed occurred while i lived there. And all of this is still happening in Okinawa to present day. You can see examples of this in how US marines have been treating COVID protocol while living in Okinawa. Or how the US military found Agent Orange reminisce in the soccer field i used to play on as a child and just recently notified families. I’m assuming you’ve never experienced genuine dialogue with people who have been negatively effected by the military in Okinawa and can only offer an outside perspective?
@@goyaguy Okinawa's problems go far deeper than that. It dates back to the Ryuku Kingdom
😊
The Ryukyu kingdom once had such a rich culture. It’s sad to see what America and Japan have done to it
It's really to tough to hear my home talked about this way and realize that my mother was part of the statistic, but I've seen everything touched on in the documentary. My mom was also a young mother raising 3 boys and I remember she would work late at night to make ends meet before she met my father. On another note, I think it's tough to cover entirely the issues present in Okinawa to include the US military influence and issues, and the history of trauma on the island from World War 2. I have a lot of love for my home and I wish things were better for Okinawans and not just catering to those visit and never stay.
Can you elaborate on how Hideki Tōjō or Hirohito are involved in Okinawa alcoholism/taxes/income today? Curious 🧐
The last part that you said was full of wisdom that is touching. I’ll pray too for these people that they can break free from the cultural cycle of addiction.
I don't think it has to do with war, Western European places that got much more devastated than Okinawa don't have that problem
@@TheAnikeenko Just because other places recovered doesn't mean Okinawa isn't still struggling from the war. No one place recovers at the same pace or in the same way.
@@TheAnikeenko I'm not sure how it was after the war but the Japanese hierarchy during the war taught the population that we were monsters coming to do what they did to many Pacific island nations rape and pillage. They were a strong proud people that were also lied to on a complete scale about what they and the rest of the world were doing. I Remember seeing the mass suicides in Saipan by Japanese women and children because they feared us so badly based on lies the military/government told them about us. Who knows what all of this did to the psyche of the entire population once we occupied here for decades after the war. I don't think anyone from the outside can really relate or explain why it is the way it is now. Every where has problems they are no different than us or the rest of the world.
That professor spoke some real words right there...when you try to get ahead in life...those around will either crush you or help you. Sad reality of life everywhere 😪 😢
"those around you will crush you or help you", man your words are so obvious. Ofcourse, theres only 2 choices for almost everything, help or not help, stay at home or go out, to buy or not to buy, bla bla.
What youre saying is similiar to this: "this road will split into 2 lanes, right and left. If Im not going right then I will go left..".
Youre pointing out something which is so obvious.
@@WooKeung take no sides and stay in the middle
Well it's not much of a realization, seems pretty obvious that people can be either nice or not nice to you, whatever you do.
It's projection if they can't improve they'll drag you down also.
Negative or positive people bring you up or down. Watch out for the trolls and rats too!! You can tell who is !! First impressions mean a lot along with demeanor
From 13th Century, the nations of Okinawa suffered under the colonizers. I heard so many wonderful things about the locals. I pray for you.
Please call it RyuKyu, and not Okinawa! Japanese discriminate the RyuKyu people too.
Being hardworking was deemed as a bad thing in my neighborhood too in Sweden, so we all turned to drug dealing and violent crimes to make money. Don't listen to these so called friends, instead lose them and get educated, nothing is more important than education. Wish I knew that as a kid.
Swedistan?
Indeed, I got lucky and lost them right after high school, such liberation!
Love how she just downs a handful of "stuff that prevents a hangover". Talk about trusting.
It's usually just some blend of turmeric/ginger and other herbs that stimulate the liver
I thought I was the only one like wtf lol
The interviewer is very skilled. Asking probing questions yet not too intrusive, drawing answers out well and attentively listening. Really top notch. This really takes a lot of skill and tact. We don't see this often these days. Most are like steam rollers, very unresponsive, just plowing through their list of questions. This video explores the tragic life when alcohol takes a dominant place in people's lives. It truly is the family demolisher. You'd think they'd take better precautions though against getting pregnant when so young. Very strange how they can be so naive. Basically as a hostess, they're hoping for a whale to sweep them away to a comfortable, pampered life. Good luck with that.
was kinda hit or miss tbh, the beginning was really weird "let me go into a liquor store and ask them if a higher abv means higher price" like wat
I thought so too
@@phenitagomes1292 it is vice after all
How dare you have your own opinion on the internet! What an outrageous statement
She's too washed up to be a hostess in Tokyo, the reason she stays in Okinawa, she's not pretty at all.
I lived there for four years, even during the COVID outbreak. That island and those people are wonderful. I miss it dearly. But I would refrain from calling Okinawans Japanese. They have a unique culture, language, music, and food that is very distinct from Japan traditional.
Same, I love Okinawa. Living there was one of the best times of my life. And yes, don't call them Japanese. They are Okinawans.
Just asking. Is Okinawa part of Japan?
@@MrTjuan Yes, but they're very different from mainland Japan. Even in WW2 Japan didn't refer to them as Japanese just Okinawans
@@MrTjuan Originally they were a separate nation from the Japanese until the Japanese annexed the Ryuku Kingdom in 1879 and it became a Japanese prefecture. Which we all know today as Okinawa.
Like how Hawaiians are American but have their own ethnic identity
The island and people are incredibly wonderful. They face the same challenges as many around the world. But there attitude towards work is very different from the mainland. But no matter what, they are truly wonderful and loving people. I miss my time there.
Island life will do that to you. Makes you wonder what is so good about the rat race a mainland is running.
@짭조름한후추 He is talking about how modern japanese work culture is killing the youth of the japanese. Low birth rate, karoshi (work by death), stupidly rigid work culture with crazy hiearchy and many stupid things like the hikikomori just screams how fked up the mainland can get. Maybe all they need is that island vibe in mainland huh what do you say my friend ?
As a Japanese , Japan must smash black company .
I've seen both sides of the discussion: Okinawans are too laid back and mainlanders work themselves to death. There should be a happy medium in there, no?
Doesn’t mean they should get paid less. Even if you work extremely hard here the salary is the same
I'm Okinawan and this video is very racist towards Okinawans!! The poverty issue is due to Japanese colonialism! Japan forces 70% of their bases onto Okinawans against our will, and these bases occupy land which could be used instead for other industries. Okinawans know the bases hurt Okinawans in many ways - a high incidence of accidents, sexual assaults, environmental degradation. And the amount of money going to Okinawans through jobs has been dropping over the years. Saying that the poverty is due to alcoholism is extremely racist and ignores the underlying issue of Japanese colonialism and US occupation.
Also, she should not have been talking to Japanese nationalists. They do not represent most Okinawans. This was a very poorly-made and harmful video.
Then do you want China to take over Okinawa? Why?
China never say will take over RyuKyu! Japanese and western world will never show the real will and thoughts of people from RyuKyu! They only care about Ukraine, taiwan, and hk. Never care about hawaii, Scotland and RyuKyu! Shameful fake democracy campaign
Life is not fair...!
Watch this instead :
Okinawans call for independence at the United Nations
Where's Nancy Pelosi?
I lived in Okinawa for 13 yrs, the poverty issue is due to mainland Japan not investing in Okinawa. The Japanese people looks and treats Okinawan's as second class citizens like Australian's treat the Aboriginal's. Sad very sad situation. I can remember the old days back in the early 60's and 70's Okinawa was such a beautiful place the people would all speak their own language Uchina Guchi "Hogen", living in Okinawa for 13 years I was blessed to have learned the true Okinawan "hogan" language and lived, learned their culture and way of life. I can't wait to return one day although Ive seen the changes Okinawa will never be the same.
With Japan's extremely low birthrate and increasingly worrisome aging population, the government should do more to aid these children as they're the future of the country
Oh, they are, across the world but, it's not other people's children they're helping in intentional mass human extinction
@アフタヌーンヌアクショット most European countries have higher rates, for european countries with atleast 1 Million people, the only countries having lower birthrates are Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Greece, Moldova, Bosnia, Finland. Fertility rate of JP is at 1.36, that of Europe is at 1.7 on average.
but even if a country or a region like europe has lower rates, that doesn't mean there is no problem for JP, it's still a big issue or do you see that differently?
I mean the statistics atleast don't lie.
@アフタヌーンヌアクショット that's a generalisation, not every european countries has alot of immigration and not in every european country the birthrate of immigrants is far higher.
what's wrong with the word immigrant, i'm not one but my parents.
in most european countries the biggest immigrant groups are also often other europeans.
@アフタヌーンヌアクショット Europe accept young immigrants to include in their societies. Japan in practice doesn't
There is no paradise without poverty.😪
Sounds like Miami :/
Sounds like New Zealand
Sounds like everywhere in America
HELL
@@juniorhuachoguisado6640 Don't forget England. That's a dirty hole mommy
You never said if the pills worked for the hangover.
the cultural factor this interviewer doesn’t investigate at all is the cultural and physical destruction that u.s. military presence brings to Okinawa. it’s ignored how the Japanese government has placed ~70% of all u.s. military bases in Japan, in Okinawa, the way that Okinawan tourism has had to pander to american military perversion, as well as the significant cultural effects on Okinawans from Japanese attempts on genocide.
Yes, it is! ua-cam.com/video/tmU9AGTw9ck/v-deo.html This video dives deep into the real problems that Okinawa is facing.
The look on her face when she says "It is what it is" was so crushing to see. To be so young and to feel like your life is already in tatters. What a devastating documentary
My father was stationed in Kadena and I was fortunate to live in Okinawa. Being older and reflecting, it's wild watching this. Just goes to show that the underbelly of civilization is painfully similar no matter where you live.
@@astralblue Grade school. Left in the early 90s. I've been back to mainland Japan a few times as an adult. I will always love that country. I do wish it was easier to get a job over there though.
That last interview was very eye opening, also great job to the host she kept the balance between asking questions and listening extremely well. 🙌
also she has a nice bottom. only saying this cause they CLEARLY like to show it off.
I never really expected Okinawa to be the poorest prefecture in Japan, when you consider the fact that it has some of the lowest crime rates. So this video was pretty surprising for me...
I believe the song playing in the open is Asadoya Yunta. I loved my trip to Okinawa back in 2003, and living in Japan more generally. There is a large Okinawan diaspora in Osaka, where I lived. The native Ryukyuu Islanders are wonderful people, I just wish the local culture had been better preserved, as it has largely been assimilated into Japanese culture.
I’m wonder what song is playing she is getting ready for work at the hostess club
I’ve been to Okinawa twice. Stayed for over a week on both times and it’s the most relaxed I’ve been since moving to Japan almost 20 years ago. The vibe is just different there. My sister and her family lived right in front of a white sand beach with a breathtaking view of the sunset. I literally cried on the plane when I went back to the mainland. If there were more job opportunities there we would definitely move to Okinawa. It’s a shame that it’s the poorest prefecture. 😓
If you have a degree of any kind, you could get a teaching job with the Board of Education. There's a Facebook group called Okinawa Private ALT Forum that often advertises teaching jobs.
@@okinawapaul4369 LOL! And make what? $10/hr? Hard pass on that nonsense.
Might be the least insightful "expert" you could have found... If you let people like him speak, maybe also put it in context, his cause effect thinking goes against pretty much everything we know about society, poverty, addiction, psychology etc. and is basically just victim blaming and colonial supperiority bullshit redressed as expert analysis.
Could you please elaborate? I thought that he highlighted most of the main issues that affect this community and create this kind of cycle: poverty, intergenerational trauma, alcoholism, high rates of teen/early adult pregnancies and single parent families with low incomes, etc. How is he victim blaming? I do agree however that they should have gone deeper into the history of Okinawa and the U.S. military bases there.
Agreed. Okinawa has been exploited for many centuries.
Yeah, I definitely got this vibe too. I mean I'm not an expert but what I know about sociology kinda contradicts a lot of what he was saying. I mean perhaps these are realities but I feel like there was more depth they could've explored. The history of American colonization is not insignificant to it's history. I mean, she literally hung out with a bunch of nationalists. I feel like they didn't really explore that at all. I guess it wasn't intended to turn into a deep dive like that but I feel an opportunity was missed.
Perfectly said !! 🥲
Okinawa reminds me of Bali. The locals are super nice and open, but both economy depend heavily on tourism. Was devastated during pandemic.
all thru south east asia the big money is from sex tourism...govs keep their people poor so cashed up foreigners can jse their bodies for joy riding....of course they are gonna be sitting in the streets drinking beer or taking drugs...their own greedy governments have sabotaged them for $$
As with most tourist towns, it's about exploiting the local workforce while painting a pretty picture of perfection for tourists to spend their money. The ultimate winners are the resort owners which is usually a company doing the same thing across the globe.
YES, and in all of those places it is fueled by US
First, Okinawa is Ryukyu as an independent country till 1879. It was annexed by Japan by force, but never adequately integrated as a part of Japan. That's also why Okinawans were sacrificed during WWII.
Japanese never trusted them and it's even true today. Okinawans are treated as second-class citizens.
Vice's understanding of this matter is close to that of a child's.
The real "Dark Truth of Japan's Paradise Island" is how the Japanese government and people are trying to hide the fact that they were sacrificed during WWII and are still treated as a second class citizens today.
Presenter was very engaging throughout, asking very thoughtful and unjudgmental questions in a sincere way.....but dat intro tho!
Went to Okinawa during my time in air force 2013-2015, had a great time but didnt know how poor it was
I remembered I visited Japan years ago. My friend took me to different places in the big city. My friend pointed at the homeless people in the street and told me that their problems were getting serious. I watched some documentary online and I believed that it hasn't been improving. But it is same as other countries all over the world.
Japan: No graffiti
Japan with American culture: Graffiti and poverty
Okinawa is not like mainland Japan and never has been
I was stationed in Okinawa from 2017-2020(july). Best time of my life
It's quite sad how this documentary overlooks the MOST important part of the context for the current situation Okinawa is in: post-colonialism and the effects of invasion from "the mainland" (as everyone so calls) and the United States.
The indigenous heritage of Okinawa (independent from the main Japanese cultural background) has been widely wiped out due to these same issues.
Okinawa has been basically facing THE SAME EXACT outcomes that colonized countries in Latinamerica and Africa, to name a few, have been experiencing for a few centuries now. So no, this isn't about "laziness" or alcohol drinking. These are no more than RESULTS of the abuse suffered by this island, "attached" to Japan forcefully, as have other indigenous communities in the same national territory, like Kyushu.
One cannot inform on the issues that are aggravating in this island without mentioning the rooting causes.
literally everyone and every culture has been "colonized"
@@10010x0x0x01101XX0X1 Okinawans are different from the Japanese they are forced to give up their identity. Stop with BS.
@@FreePal3Stinez every single group of people throughout history has been colonized or invaded by some other group and forced to give up their identity.
im curious what invasion or effects youre referring to when you mention the united states?
The lecturer said that low pay is the result of low productivity, and it's because of the culture. You will be looked down upon and lose your friends if you work hard.
Wish all the best to the people in Okinawa.
i find it interesting how the professor discuss the topic, no negativity and toxic positivity. just a pure explanation of d issue.
I'm so proud....journalists disguising a vacation as hard hitting journalism.
They obviously drove all over the place interviewing people for more time than the clips they ultimately included. Each interview requires lighting the location and setting up microphones and cameras. In order to know who to interview, they had to research and find them and then contact them and create a schedule under which all those people are available in a limited amount of time. Then, the video has to be edited into a coherent story by reviewing the footage and writing a voiceover script, then recording that audio in a suitable environment. Basically, you're shooting your mouth off about something you're completely ignorant about, insulting the people who worked hard to make this. How about not doing that?
Tbh it makes some of my favorite journalism. It's a bit of a hunter s thompson vibe
It’s interesting how in Japan it’s still ok for an expert to characterize a population as “lazy” as the reason for being poor. He does probably represent what mainland Japanese think of Okinawans though.
yes, everyone knows a culture that doesn't embrace education, ambition, and personal responsibility, while avoiding crime, is doomed to poverty. Fortunately there are still places, especially in Asia, where they haven't succumbed to the leftist, woke nonsense that is pedalled in Western academia
Lol just regular capitalist rhetoric that you can find everywhere else with that “neoliberal spirits”
You got the point. This is like an educated, white person describing the poverty of black people in the states as the result of their ability/personality/characteristics as a shared community.
There's a comment here from an okinawan saying the Japanese colonialism made them poor and its hurtful to say that the people in the mainland Japan accuse them of just being lazy
I miss Okinawa, the people are so friendly and it is a very beautiful Island like my island (Virgin Islands-St.Thomas)..
As an American other Americans thinking America is the best.Tells me how many have never gone anywhere
I lived in Okinawa in the late 60s off base and on base. Went to 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade there, 3 years, 3 different schools. I have fond memories of Okinawa, the people and the places.
Best place on earth..
I lived here for two years. It’s beautiful. There are a TON of American military members there.
9:20...are we just ignore this guy's ears?!
Product of incest
He is going to live a very long time. Look at Buddha his ears were super long as well and this guy almost look like Buddha haha. I am Vietnamese and my mom always told me people with long earlobes will live long.
Though it's not uncommon around the world, this is still really sad.
Very misleading representation of what's happening in Okinawa and poor journalism. This segment is completely disregarding the issues with postcolonialism and american bases (which occupy more than 20% of Okinawan territory, creating an economical and social burden to Okinawans). Visiting the peace memorial museum, the Himeyuri monument in Itoman, the Futenma american basis, Kin town, etc... Would have been better places to visit as an outsider trying to understand Okinawa.
Precisely why I don't like vice. They misrepresent so much and are a large pro imperialism propaganda machine even if "unintentionally". They did this with Uyghurs in China too
Too bad you surrendered
What do you think about this video, I think this is a great video about Okinawa. ua-cam.com/video/tmU9AGTw9ck/v-deo.html
Vice is back finally.
Love when you upload ❤️ Be safe everyone
whats that reporters name ? she skillfully asked questions without coming too strong
Was suprised when the journalist said their divorce rates are 45% but hearing her interview with the single mom it's no surprise. if she's the one making the money AND taking care of the child, having him around is just another mouth to feed. On minimum wage nonetheless.
Karin's mother really broke my heart. I hope everything will be better for both of them in the future.
Vice really missed the mark with this. Horrible choice of expert, no diversification of opinions, and no investigation of U.S. military presence, Okinawa-Japan relationships, etc. Just wow.
Great interviews from a beautiful and dedicated reporter. Thank you Hanako!
Very disappointed at you not even mentioning how there are 31 US military bases on Okinawa occupying 15% of the island and the impact that has on the population, which im sure has absolutely nothing to do with increased rates of alcoholism and poverty. Since Okinawa was occupied by the US in 1945, there have been HUNDREDS of cases of rape by US soldiers and marines. Notable cases include in 1995, when 3 US marines kidnapped, beat up and raped a 12 year old okinawan girl, and in 2016, when a US marine kidnapped, beat up, tortured, raped and murdered a 20 year old okinawan woman. These arent isolated cases, just between 2017 and 2019 there were 8 convicted cases of rape of okinawan women by US military personnel. And imagine how many more are going unreported!
This without even talking about other impacts caused by the US military occupation, like the insane amount of plane and helicopter crashes that has killed many hundreds since 1945. You didnt even mention the brave peaceful protest and resistance movement by okinawans to get US bases out of their home, bases that are destroying the local environment and the local animals. This peaceful protest movement is brutally repressed by the japanese government and US military forces. You didnt even MENTION any of this. And while the rest of the documentary is nice, not mentioning these things greatly skews the realities of Okinawa. Very disappointing!
You are right, but let us not lose sight that the modern US involvement and alliance with Japan is an outgrowth of horrifically evil mass murder and enslavement campaigns by Imperial Japan. The US has been quite a generous ally, asking nothing in return. Nobody is perfect, certainly not Japan in the 20th century. In the 21st century, Japan and the US remain allied democracies with great respect for each other. Just my 2c. My family was stationed on Okinawa in the past.
@@777jones oh so japanese civilians in 2021 are at fault for what a dictatorial unelected fascist japanese regime did in the 1930s and 1940s. Flawless logic lol Noone asked okinawans, neither the US government nor the japanese government, whether they wanted the bases there or not, they were simply imposed on them. Besides okinawans arent japanese in many regards, both mainland japanese and the government of Japan treat them as second class citizens, which explains the insane rates of poverty and alcoholism there. I dont understand how anyone can defend this, WW2 ended 76 years ago, the US has no business being in Japan, or Asia for that matter, especially if the people there dont want it.
@@777jones also it is false that the US asked nothing in return. Simply the 200 000 japanese, mostly civilians, who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a big thing given to the US, and this doesnt even include all those dead or ill due to radiation sickness, something the US army claimed "didnt exist" in 1945, and they knew it was false. Whats worse, the US still refuses to apologize and still defends these massacres. Furthermore, all the US military bases in Japan, imposed on the japanese without asking, is another thing given to the US. So no, its completely false the US "asked nothing in return", the US has never done anything for anyone for free, much less for nonamericans, which are nothing more than "collateral damage" to the eyes of the US army and government.
@@paiosfranen you were spouting off about Japan being the victim of rapes, and the injustice of it all. I was making sure you were aware of Japanese history and the American role liberating Asia and containing Japanese aggression. To your point, maybe It was a mistake to award Okinawa territory back to Japan. The US has been most generous, saving millions of lives in the region. And it was not a war the US chose at all. Japan declared war on us in an evil campaign to conquer the hemisphere. My heart goes out to innocent people including rape victims in Okinawa, but you seem to have the wrong big picture, no idea why the Us is there 🤷♂️
How to say I hate the USA without saying you hate the USA… I was there for a few years. All those “peaceful” protesters were bussed in and payed for by the CCP and other fringe groups. China wants us out of their backyard and is willing to pay “useful idiots” to come out and parade around outside the bases.
Keep regurgitating Chinese propaganda by all means though.
Theft is considered a very morally low crime in japan, so it was undoubtably very difficult for that recovering man to interview and share his experiences
Fat ears tho lmao
This was a good documentary, good job!
Are you joking?
@@baretta2197 don't be gay.
yo Hanako Montgomery is a babe.. super babes. love me intelligent woman
People usually came to Japan to visit Tokyo, for beach people prefer Bali, Hawaii, Boracay, Maldives
I’ve lived in Okinawa for 7 years. Both as US Military and as a Japanese resident. I can confirm that all these troubles are very real.
So you must know most of these problems are the consequences of your country's actions.
Where does it stop ? The USA military wouldn’t be there if the Japanese had not attacked Pearl Harbor
8:40 No wonder Mr Miyagi used to get drunk and scream Bonzai!! ❤️
I lived in Tokyo for 4 years when I was a child and remember taking a vacation to Okinawa, my mama still has video tapes of us on the beach, this brings back many memories I forgot I had
The first guy talking is just delusional. I wish I could trick myself into thinking the main reason for low wages and underdevelopment is culture, an essentialist view on people with no fucking material traces other than those we ascribe to them a posteriori. Yeah its culture, not the fact the islands were essentially a military colony of the US until the 70's and purposeful neglect of social and economic conditions by successive Japanese administrations who saw it just as a tourism cash cow. Look man, in the end Okinawans are laid back and that is why the isles are underdeveloped!
The single mother part hits close to home for me. I know my mom worked hard to make sure I got ahead in life.
I noticed a lot of single moms when I got to Okinawa and scoped out the dating scene. I had no idea the issue was this serious.
Good doc but….not ONE mention of the US military base still there? Okinawa is no longer technically “occupied” but still have a strong military presence there. The US made an agreement with Japan that US soldiers/military were above and outside of the Japanese law meaning they could not be prosecuted for any illegal actions on the island. So in 2016, 75,000 people were protesting the rape and murder of a 20 yr old Japanese woman by a US soldier. Since US military were outside the law, they couldn’t be tried for their actions. If you don’t believe me look it up for yourself! I learned about it in a class i took about global politics and the history of japan as a world power.
Spanish alcohol is even cheaper and we almost don't have alcoholic people compared to Okinawa. Sounds like it's the island's culture plus a government issue for not investing in the island being tourism the main resource to get money
People are much happier in Spain... That's a fact.
this teacher has a great way of explaining things. salute.
“Return to Japan” is like celebrating Hawaiis return to America. Both are occupied nations with indigenous people, the Ainu descendants in Okinawa’s (ryukyu) case. To ignore the history of how Okinawa is treated as a second class state that shoulders the burden of US based and pretend that the socioeconomic issues are Cultural is dishonest
Yes ^ finally someone with some sense commenting
Okinawa isn't Ainu, you're thinking of Hokkaido
Best interviewer on this channel hands down
I lived there when I was very little in the late 60's. We lived off base and wish I could remember more, but I am very sure that it wasn't a tourist destination back then. I remember the locals treating, the little blue eyed boy really well.
They still do
The right-wing nationalists were celebrating Ryukyu being passed from one colonial power back to another. Gross.
There are some issues in this documentary. First, the documentary production team doesn't seem to understand the uniqueness of Okinawa. At the beginning of the video, the woman describes Okinawan culture as a mix of Japanese and American. You never describe Okinawa like this if you understand the history and culture of Okinawa. Second, the documentary never gives a spot on the history of Okinawa. It is inappropriate that you talk about the poverty in Okinawa without the Ryukyu deposition and subsequent policy of preserving old customs, the 27-year-US occupation after the WW2, the presence of US military bases after the WW2, and the planned resortization by the Japanese government after the reversion of Okinawa. Poverty in Okinawa is a more systemic issue rooted in the dynamics of Okinawan history, not the characteristics of the Okinawan people. The documentation's claim is like the poverty of black people in the states is the result of their ability/personality/characteristics as a shared community. Of course, it’s not like that, and if someone describes it that way, the vast critics by the public and researchers are unavoidable. Third, the selection of the representative people of Okinawans in the video is very arbitrary. I don't understand why they chose the nationalist group. Few people hail the emperor because of Okinawa’s brutal history brought by the emperors (Meiji and Showa). Traditionally, Okinawa is a region that doesn’t belong to the emperor/nation. For example, for the state funeral for Abe (the former president), Okinawa is the only prefecture that did not do a Half-staff to show mourning. The nationalist group is far from the sample of Okinawans. In addition, strangely enough, the woman goes to the Gokoku Shrine, built to ensure the spirits of those who died for the nation, which is far from the representative of Okinawan religions.
a video that whitewashes the struggle of Okinawan/Ryukyuan people, and how they've been subjected to Honshu/Japan colonialism and US imperialism... talk about all the bases, they're pollution, the stress and trauma they cause... and you got drunk with fascists - cool, i guess?
Waaah waaaaaah LMFAO
I still want to go to Japan.
Then go, it's beautiful
Japan is a beautiful country.
shoot I can't wait
As an underdevelopment country national, it is always curious to hear about poverty in rich countries. Despite these people have their own share of problems, they never look like poor people as we see in my country. All the best for the Okinawans.
Growing up in hawaii, our culture is pretty similar over here. Almost everyone drinks after work and the weekly Friday night "pa'ina" or party is pretty much a given.
I think u meant
"pau hana"
Haha, no… the only thing similar about Hawai’i and Okinawa, is the Ocean😂
@@MrBLAA and the drinking and partying.
I'd love to go there, but I think if I went, I'd never want to leave.
See if you feel that way in typhoon season.
@@noneofyourbusiness4616 Yes! My father tied his Volkswagen Bus tou our little house when a Typhoon hit in the 60s... took the roof off. We went back to Kagoshima.
I don't understand why people say that Vice stopped making good content. They've always been at the forefront of important social and political issues, and for all the bias it might have, it's not the mouthpiece of an extremist organization like other chains, such as Al Jazeera, definitely are.
I agree.
I don't watch all of Vice's pieces because some of them are a bit pandering. But this is a great example of a topic they chose to cover that I was completely unaware of that pulls at my heartstrings. I had no idea that Okinawa was, in some ways, struggling with issues hidden from view to many of us. I wish Okinawans all the best and that they can overcome these struggles.
A couple videos doesn't save you.So I can be a racist all days except for Sunday for an hour and now I'm not a racist.No
I think the issue is that people were initially largely drawn to vice because of very well made obscure wardocu's at the front of things, people also enjoy stuff like this.
However there was a giant influx of bullshitty docu's about silly crap with clickbait titles and they have a tendency to really lean badly into the woke side of things which a lot of people are sick off because we already see that everywhere.
But I for one have seen a definite improvement in their content lately.
Because Sinclair media told them it was bad. Identify politics are destroying this country.
A lot of people don’t like VICE anymore because they think it’s too left leaning and liberal.
The coral reefs in that area are the best kept secret for divers and marine life enthusiasts
The problems highlighted can be found in all of Japan-and are not uniquely “Okinawan.” Also she never acknowledged how Okinawa is a culture onto itself.
Of course she does, the video leads with that
Okinawans are some of the nicest people I have ever met around the world
I don't think this document accurately examines the issues in Okinawa, which seems to claim that awamori production and listless men are a "dark truth." Real journalism does not cherry pick statistics to prove a point. This video is not a well researched product of Vice. Okinawa does have issues, but I dont think awamori production is at the top of the list, In fact, it's a cultural product and spending time with islanders you can hear the stories of other remote islands that have an even stronger drinking culture. But when I went to those islands I find mostly sleepy agricultural communities who problems are population decline, aging population, destruction of the natural environment much like Okinawa itself. Its so strange that Hanako picked a group of ultra right imperial nationalists to drink with, since many Okinawans have a poisoned memory of imperial Japan, as so many of Okinawan lives were uselessly lost in the name of the emperor. It is true that Okinawa has more single mothers than other parts of Japan. But they all dont work in bars and clubs. In fact, Okinawa, along with Hokkaido, has become the location of many call and remote service centers, which reach out and employ single mothers, with flexible work schedules, the ability to commute by car, and even child care. Not mentioned by Hanako. Also, Hanako should have mentioned that Okinawa is one of only 7 prefectures in Japan to have a growing population, 2.4% between 2015 and 2020, second only to Tokyo (3.5%), and much superior to the worst, Akita, which lost 6.2%. So Okinawa is doing something right in attracting young Japanese. Just to be complete, it's also worth noting Okinawa's standing for life expectancy. For women its 87.4 years (7th) and for men 80.27 (36th). So women way above average, while men below average and not the disaster Hanako presents. Okinawa's real pressing problems are over dependence on government subsidies and military, loss of productive land to military use, the destruction of the natural environment, decline of local agriculture, depopulation of remote islands, over dependence on tourism, and ignoring the wishes of the Okinawa people to build new military bases like Henoko. BTW, Hanko should have gone to SakenoSmile, near Naha airport to see a really impressive selection of awamori. www.sakenosmile.okinawa
It's nice when a vice journalist/interviewer actually speaks the language. ..instead of just smiling and nodding the whole time.
From an anthropology point of view, it's interesting to see how cultural and environmental factors directly impact individual behaviors. It makes sense that a culture that frowns on individual accomplishment will have problems with alcoholism and broken families.
I’m Mexican and we celebrate each other accomplishments and have a very similar alcohol problem so I don’t think that’s exactly the case.
In Holland we kind of overdo it
@@cerberus3426 environmental factors are what you are missing here
One of the worst takes I've ever seen on here, congratulations.
@@solongyouth you're welcome!
Thanks Vice for this video
The problem with Okinawa are the vast amount of US soldiers and military present there, they are destroying the culture and people there.
Okinawa may be the poorest prefecture but its the richest in spirit. Okinawan people fucking rock.
Hands down the most polite alcoholics in the world.
Yessssssss love these videos
I absolutely can't believe the reporter didn't question that "expert" on his bullshit. Blaming Okinawan people or culture for the result of decades of systemic neglect by the Japanese government is dishonest, cruel, and incredibly shoddy journalism. You can and should do better.
And who else is at fault? The Japanese government is guilty for not helping single mothers and providing safety nets for the unemployed, yes, but ultimately those guys who drink themselves to death can always try to do something productive with their lives. I mean, they complain they don't have money, but they can afford to buy alcohol every day.
Finally a Vice reporter doesn't look like a hippie that just woke up with a weed hangover.
Typical imperialist propaganda, blaming high prevalence of poverty and alcoholism on "culture", rather than because of war, imperialism, and racism from the American military and Japanese mainlanders. Interviewing Japanese nationalists without mentioning that the Ryukyu islands were independent until their colonization by Japan in the late 1800s. There's a reason why so many identify as "Okinawan" not "Japanese" in Hawaii.
Okinawa residents are discriminated by government. Okinawa was a small country originally but there was merged at the past times. Japanese government know it. Okinawa is the part of Japan now but in people's mind, Okinawa is still a foreign country. That's why the government doesn't care whether Okinawa get better or not. In this video, residents call out like cheers for Japan looking like an appeal to get help from the government. It's like saying we're the same Japanese, we're not foreigners, please help us.
I live in Okinawa, I wish I would of seen you guys filming so I could’ve asked to work for you guys.
You want to come to America?
@@P2Feener305 no I just want to work for Vice
@@P2Feener305 no ew, America is trash.
@@P2Feener305 Americans love to think everyone wants to come to this hell hole if racism, minimum wage, no education, disgusting air (unless you go to hillbilly land) constant political arguments, insane gun laws, minorities struggling, welfare, drug opioid addiction. Nope
Especially since their headquarters is in America…..soooooo
I was adopted in 83 as an infant and now that I am in my 40’s I am feeling like I’m missing something in my life! Watching this video makes me want to find my birth mother and possible father, apparently my birth mother was only 15 and no information on my biological father😢. Making it a mission now to go back to my homeland and pursue my biological parents!
Japan is an amazing country. Your tenacity as a people is next level.
I lived here as a kid it’s mad beautiful
Thank you Vice for the Okinawa episode and this series in general. I’m glad you’re bringing attention to the issues that the people on these islands/getaway destinations face.
The single mother’s story really touched my heart seeing as my mom was a single mother as well. The way she spoke about how she doesn’t want her daughter to be a secondary figure in her father’s life really shows how much she loves her daughter. I really wish that their conditions get better so that she can spend more time with her daughter 💕
That's what paradise is supposed to be. Nothing but splendor.
okinawa is managed by japan, but okinawans are not japanese, and okinawan culture is not japanese.
I like this girl. She did a good job. Don't remember seeing her in other vids but hopefully we see more of her