In today's world, the political, social, and economic conditions have become highly competitive. As a result, organizations are struggling to maintain their relevance by exposure. Individuals have also turned to tactics that companies once only used to get exposure. To get this focus and relay messages, a variety of mediums are used. They contain visual, audio, and audiovisual elements that may be physical or virtual. Potential followers and members of the public with interest are urged to embrace the path or philosophy being promoted in various ways using these mediums. For a long time, visual ads have been used extensively. For a long time, graphic ads have been used extensively. This industry has developed and this has seen agencies and individuals commit their energy and resources towards ensuring that they maximize their effect on the viewers. This paper will carry out a visual and rhetoric analysis of anti-military posters used by protesters in Okinawa Japan. The paper will seek to explain how the protesters have been able to influence the feelings of other citizens, authorities and other relevant stakeholders by expressing their grievances against the establishment of military bases in Okinawa.
Background on Military Bases in Okinawa
Okinawa are group of Islands in Japan. The two main Islands in this group are Okinawa and Nansei. It became officially recognized as part of Japan in 1879 (Karnell, 2015). Despite this unification, the island has existed as though it is separate from the mainland Japan. For instance, the Allied powers occupied the mainland Japan for only seven years after they were ceded to them following the Second World War. In contrast, the Americans continued occupying the Okinawa Islands for almost three decades after the war. The people of Okinawa have also been considered as having a unique culture that is different from that of the people of Mainland Japan. These differences have fueled rifts in the socioeconomic aspects with the Government of Japan arguably giving more attention to the people in the mainland and ignoring these Islands (Beech, 2016).
The most outstanding difference between the Mainland japan and Okinawa islands is the existence of American military bases on the Island, dating to almost a century now. This existence has been backed by the Japanese government that has entered into multiple pacts that gave Americans permission to set up military bases to guard their interests and threats in Asia. The establishment of the United States Forces Japan (USFJ) in 1957 saw American forces set up multiple bases in Japan. The debate on this presence has been sparked by the fact that over 60% of US military bases on Japanese soil are situated in Okinawa, which only makes up less than one percent of Japan (Beech, 2016). Locals have risen against this status quo asking for a change. They have displayed unbelievable resistance against the military bases using non-violent means for decades. Placards have been used to express their dismay and contempt for the presence of the soldiers and their actions, especially rape and torture on the locals.
Rhetorical analysis of Posters Used by Okinawa Protesters
Figure 1 shows a middle-aged lady holding a placard written “NO RAPE NO BASE” in block letters. This placard expresses the grievances of the Okinawa community regarding sexual abuse by soldiers from the military bases. There have been cases of sexual assault by members of the local community against the soldiers. One of the most memorable was in 1995 when it was reported that a young girl was sexually assaulted by a group of three American soldiers from one of the bases. This saw many people stage sit-in protests, pitching tents outside some of the camps (Kimura, 2016). Therefore, the message on this placard is that for the stakeholders to eliminate rape, they should do away with the military bases. This message is written in block letters to enhance visibility. It is also in multiple colours in block letters to enhance visibility. It is also in multiple colours to attract the attention of viewers at first glance. The placard in figure is still on the issue of sexual harassment. It is printed in black and white “Don’t rape OKINAWA.” The word rape is written in white with a dark background. This is meant to express the wickedness of the action and the fact that it is against the morality of any society. This placard capitalises the word Okinawa. This can be interpreted to mean the importance of the islands to their residents. The white black colour used on the white background in the poster makes it visible and readable to anyone that glances at it.
Figure 3 shows a placard that is artistically designed with images of military planes written “NO OSPREY OKIYAMA YANKEES.” The poster shows an osprey with the word “NO” capitalised, in block letters and red color at the top. Ospreys are aircrafts that combine the characteristics of a transport plane and military chopper. The US was the first country to come up with these planes and are still associated with the US military to date (Karnell, 2015). Below the image of the US military plane (osprey) is an arm of a skeleton clenched into a fist with the word “OSPREY” in block letters. This shows the rage of the people on the presence of the military planes in Okinawa. At the bottom of the poster, the words “OKINAWA YANKEES” are printed in white block letters in a blue background. The designer of this poster combines drawings, and words to communicate their message. The poster is also colourful and can easily catch the attention of an observer. Image 4 shows a posted combining all the three messages discussed above. A protester is holding a poster with the words “NO RAPE! NO OSPREY! NO US BASES!” The words are printed in yellow ink on a red background. Each sentence is followed by an exclamation which expresses the emphasis that the person carrying it and the community places on the issue.
Image 5 shows a crowd of protesters carrying placards written in Japanese. At the frontline are two men wearing masks, one with the face of Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and the other one of American President Barrack Obama. The placard carried by the protester wearing President Obama’s mask reads “Hey! Japanese Go to War! For the United States.” This placard shows that the protester feels that the Japanese are getting involved in a battle that they have little to gain from. It shows that the people of Okinawa feel that there is no benefit for Japan having the US set up bases in their country, especially Okinawa. The poster in this photograph is printed in red on a white background. The first two sentences are written in large bold letters while the last phrase “For the United States” is printed in small regular letters. This may mean that Japan is yet to realise the fact that they are involved in a war that does not belong to them. Kageyama (2012) notes that the US military takes up the much needed space on the Island yet Japan does not need its protection. The presence of the military bases has strained relations between Okinawa and China which were initially strong. The Okinawans have grown tired of the violence, crime, noise and danger that the military bases pose. The five images can sum up the grievances of the people in regard to the American military bases. They also effectively express their views on the existence of these bases and the conduct of the soldiers.
References
Beech, H. (2016). The Tense Relationship Between Japan and the U.S. Military. Time, May 27, 2016. Retrieved from http://time.com/4360940/us-military-navy-japan-okinawa-alcohol-bases/
Kageyama, Y. (2012). Crime, Ospreys add to Okinawan anger over U.S. bases. Japan Today, December 16, 2012. Retrieved from https://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/crime-ospreys-add-to-okinawan-anger-over-u-s-bases
Karnell, M. (2015). The US Marine Corps and Anti-Base Protestors in Okinawa, Japan: A Study of the Takae Movement.
Kimura, M. (2016). The anti-US military base struggle in Okinawa, Japan. Open Democracy, 13 February 2016. Retrieved from https://www.opendemocracy.net/maki-kimura/anti-us-military-base-struggle-in-okinawa-japan.
Appendix
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Image 5
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