Woman’s Struggle for Peace: Okinawan Resistance to U.S. Militarism and the Fight for Justice

The ongoing presence of U.S. military bases in Okinawa has sparked enduring struggles, yet it is also a story of unyielding resistance. While the history of American occupation has been marred by violence and disregard for local communities, Okinawan women have consistently led the charge in advocating for peace, justice, and security for all. Despite numerous challenges, these women have built powerful networks of solidarity that continue to inspire global efforts toward a demilitarized future.

Nichidatsu Fujii: A Buddhist Pacifist?

Nichidatsu Fujii (1885-1985) was a Japanese Buddhist monk and peace activist who founded the Buddhist order Nipponzan Myōhōji in 1918. Nipponzan Myōhōji is a small lay and monastic order of about 1500 people that continues to be active to the present day, and scholars consider it to be one among Japan’s many new religious movements, albeit much smaller in terms of its size and scale than other groups in this category.

An Overview of Article 9 and Anti-War Protests in Contemporary Japan

Japan’s devastating defeat in World War II led many ordinary Japanese people to develop a general antipathy and aversion to war and militarism. Pacifism was enshrined in the famous Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which states that Japan “forever renounce(s) war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.”

Toyohiko Kagawa: Gandhi of Japan?

Toyohiko Kagawa (1888-1960) was a Japanese social reformer, labor activist and Christian evangelist known as “Japan’s Gandhi.” As a social activist, pacifist and public figure, Kagawa was well-known during his lifetime – both in his home country of Japan as well as in the United States. He was nominated for the Nobel Prizes in literature and peace on numerous occasions.