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The ongoing structures of Japanese colonialism and US imperialism across the Ryukyu Islands has resulted in what is now called Okinawa Prefecture having the highest concentration of US military bases in all of Asia. US military base presence has caused enormous suffering for local residents for decades, including but not limited to sexual assaults committed by US servicemen, vehicle and training accidents, and noise and water pollution. On Okinawa Island, the expansion of the US military base in Henoko by landfilling Oura Bay—one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the world that is home to over 5,300 different species of animals, 262 endangered species such as the Okinawa Dugong and various sea turtles, and the world’s largest blue coral colony—has been a key focal point of the anti-US military base movement in recent years. Despite longstanding protests, construction of the new offshore facility formally began in December of 2018, with 72% of voters expressing opposition to the expansion project in a referendum just a few months later in February of 2019. In 2024, pile-driving into the soft seafloor of Oura Bay to solidify the seabed for further construction commenced.
At the same time, China’s gray zone warfare tactics across the Taiwan Strait has pushed the Taiwanese government into the direction of increasing national defense spending, Taiwanese NGOs towards expanding civil defense programming to increase civilian resilience in the face of potential invasion, and Taiwanese society as a whole in the direction of war preparation. Claims of “collective self defense”—that Japan would face an “existential threat” if the PRC were to launch an invasion of Taiwan—are often cited as justification for the disproportionately high burden of military base presence and activity across Okinawa Prefecture, which hosts over 70% of all US military bases in Japan despite making up just 0.6% of Japan’s total land area.
How are peace activists in Taiwan and Okinawa navigating their respective positions in the complex system of geopolitical tensions that are increasingly defining the region? What hope is there for peacebuilding across these two contexts that moves beyond the cold calculus of defending Taiwanese sovereignty at the cost of Okinawan suffering? How appropriate are 20th century peace movement tactics and philosophies for the current moment?
We are honored to be joined by Nipponzan-Myōhōji monk and peace activist Kamoshita Yuichi (鴨下祐一), as well as Nipponzan-Myōhōji layperson and peace activist Aihara Sarasa (相原更紗), to explore these questions with us. This conversation will be moderated by Yo-Ling Chen and will explore the history of US military presence in Okinawa, the peace activism of Nipponzan-Myōhōji specifically and the Okinawan peace movement more broadly, how Taiwan is understood in these contexts, and what role people-to-people connections can play in fostering inter-island solidarity. After this event from January 30 to February 5, Kamoshita Yuichi and Aihara Sarasa will be leading a week-long peace walk from Taipei to Keelung.
This moderated conversation will be conducted in English, with Q&A conducted bilingually in English and Chinese.
Time: January 28, 1900-2100
Place: DAYBREAK (Bangka Boulevard, No. 110, 1F, Wanhua District, Taipei / 台北市萬華區艋舺大道110號1樓)
Entry Fee: 100 NT
Speakers: Kamoshita Yuichi (鴨下祐一) and Aihara Sarasa (相原更紗)
Moderator: Yo-Ling Chen
[Speaker Bios]
Kamoshita Yuichi (鴨下祐一) was born and raised in Tokyo. As a backpacker in India, he encountered the Ghandian philosophy of nonviolence at the age of 20 through monks and followers of Ghandi. Kamoshita currently resides in Okinawa, where he organizes the East Asia Peace Walk every June. He has also completed multiple peace walks through Taiwan and Jeju Island and is currently studying Chinese.
Aihara Sarasa (相原更紗) is a peace activist who was born in Chichijima (父島) and moved to Okinawa after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. Since then, she has been involved with both Nipponzan-Myōhōji and the anti-US military base movement in Okinawa. Sarasa aspires to live a non-violent lifestyle. She grows vegetables and makes miso, kimchi, and natto. She is also currently studying Korean.
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沖繩與台灣：邁向和平的連帶
—— 連結「基地之島」與「有事之島」的對話
經歷過去的殖民統治，以及延續至今的軍事結構，沖繩（琉球群島）至今仍是全亞洲美軍基地最為密集的地區。
長年以來，美軍基地的存在為當地居民帶來了性暴力事件、意外事故、噪音及水質污染等難以估量的痛苦。
特別是近年來，最大的爭議焦點莫過於邊野古（Henoko）的新基地建設。預定填海造陸的大浦灣，擁有儒艮（Dugong）、藍珊瑚等超過 5,300 種生物棲息，是世界屈指可數的豐饒海域。儘管在沖繩縣民公投中，有高達 72% 的民意明確表示「反對」，政府仍於 2018 年開始傾倒土石，2024 年更強行展開針對軟弱海底的打樁工程。
另一方面，隨著台海緊張局勢升溫，台灣社會也面臨國防預算增加、強化民防等議題，整體氛圍正逐漸轉向為「有事」做準備。
「台灣有事就是日本有事」——這套論述經常被用來正當化沖繩的現況：即國土面積僅佔日本 0.6% 的沖繩，卻被迫承擔約 70% 的駐日美軍基地。
沖繩的苦難與台灣的不安。在這個錯綜複雜的局勢中，我們該如何攜手合作？是否存在跨越國界的希望？
本次活動特別邀請到住在冲繩的日本山妙法寺的和尚鴨下祐一先生以及在家者相原更紗女士，兩位資深的和平運動者將與大家進行深度的對談。
🗣 講者：
鴨下祐一 （日本山妙法寺 和尚・和平運動者）
相原更紗 （日本山妙法寺 在家者・和平運動者）
主持人： 有靈
🗓 講座主題：
沖繩美軍基地與抵抗的歷史
台灣與沖繩：市民層級的連帶
當代和平運動的形式與展望
🚶 Peace March（和平行腳）： 活動結束後（1/30〜2/5），兩位講者將進行從台北徒步至基隆的和平行腳。
💬 語言： 對談以英語進行。問答（Q&A）環節提供中英口譯支援。
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沖縄と台湾：平和への連帯 —— 基地の島と有事の島をつなぐ対話
かつての植民地支配、そして現在まで続く軍事的な構造により、沖縄（琉球諸島）は今なお、アジアで最も米軍基地が集中する地域となっています。
米軍基地の存在は長年にわたり、性的暴行事件、事故、騒音、水質汚染など、地域の人々に計り知れない苦痛をもたらしてきました。
特に近年、大きな焦点となっているのが辺野古での新基地建設です。埋め立て予定地である大浦湾は、ジュゴンやアオサンゴ、5,300種以上の生物が息づく世界有数の豊かな海です。県民投票で72%もの人々が「反対」の意思を示したにもかかわらず、2018年には土砂投入が始まり、2024年には軟弱地盤への杭打ち工事が強行されました。
一方、台湾海峡における緊張の高まりは、ここ台湾においても防衛費の増額や民間防衛の強化など、社会全体を「有事」への備えへと向かわせています。
「台湾有事は日本の有事」——この論理はしばしば、日本の国土のわずか0.6%に在日米軍基地の約70%を押し付ける沖縄の現状を正当化するために使われます。
沖縄の苦しみと台湾の不安。この複雑な状況の中で、私たちはどう手を取り合えるのか。国境を越えた希望はあるのか。
沖縄在住の日本山妙法寺の平和活動家、鴨下祐一さんと相原更紗さんを特別にお招きし、じっくりとお話を伺います。
🗣ゲスト:
- 鴨下祐一 さん（日本山妙法寺 僧侶・平和活動家）
- 相原更紗 さん（日本山妙法寺 在家者・和平運動者）
- モデレーター：陳 有靈
🗓 トピック:
- 沖縄における米軍基地と抵抗の歴史
- 台湾と沖縄、市民レベルでの連帯
- 現代における平和運動のあり方
🚶 Peace March:
イベント後の1/30〜2/5、ゲストのお二人は台北から基隆までの平和行進を行います。
💬 言語:
対談は英語。質疑応答は英語・中国語の通訳サポートあり
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台北市萬華區艋舺大道110號1樓, Taipei, Taiwan 108028, Taiwan
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