Award-winning Writer Restricted Near US Camp Schwab, Okinawa

Here's a rare piece of episode from Japan about an Akutagawa Award-winning writer restricted by the US Army while rallying in protest against the relocation of the Futemma Military Base to Henoko. He was alleged to have trespassed into a restricted area of the US base in Henoko. Why a writer, how come an award-winning writer forcing his way on the US military base? Here's why and how.

The writer, 55, Shu Medoruma by name, hails from Najijinson, northern Okinawa, had written stories on Okinawa's climate and history and in 1997 won the prestigious Akutagawa Award with a story "Droplets" on the Battle of Okinawa.

Medoruma has written and spoken on various occasions on Okinawa and US military bases and he happened to be party that day to a protest rally near Henoko, Nago City.

The Maritime Safety Agency's Regional Maritime Safety Headquarters told the press that the person of Medoruma was transferred to the headquarters late April 1 and that a group of protesters against the relocation of base flocked in front of the gate of the Camp Schwab screaming: "Let him back!"

Commenting on the incident, Jiro Asada, president of the Japan Pen Club, said he was flabbergasted, adding:

"Writers do need certain 'cores of agony' to write on. He is from Okinawa and must have his own core of agony common to all, rather many, writers from Okinawa.

"But, being a writer, he has his pen to fight with. I would much prefer him letting his pen speak to him trespassing on the US military base."

Asada's comment hits home. Heaps of problems facing Okinawa aside, a good writer probably has probably the most powerful weapon in his own hand. His battlefield should be in his manuscript paper - not in a protest rally, that's for sure.

This is Nathan Shiga. Have a great day.