Based on a dialogue book by Masayuki Takayama and Masahiro Miyazaki, this article examines the revision of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, the true nature of U.S. military bases in Japan, Yokota Air Base, the Roppongi heliport, the New Sanno Hotel, the reversion of Okinawa, the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Three Principles on Arms Exports, revealing the reality of postwar Japan’s sovereignty and subordination to the United States.

March 24, 2020
Even now, Japanese people cannot enter that place unless they show a passport.
Moreover, the currency circulating inside the New Sanno Hotel is the dollar.
The following is from the wonderful book below, a dialogue between Masayuki Takayama, the one and only journalist in the postwar world, and Masahiro Miyazaki, one of the world’s leading experts on China.
This is a book that the Japanese people must go to their nearest bookstore and buy immediately.
It is also a book that people throughout the world must read, but I will convey that as much as I can.
Japan is a country full of Guantanamos
Miyazaki
If we move the time to Nobusuke Kishi, Kishi’s achievement was the revision of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.
Kishi’s diplomacy was not completely equal, but I think revising the security treaty into one closer to equality can be regarded as a diplomatic contribution.
Takayama
The revision of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty is easy to understand if you think of Cuba.
Cuba is like a knife thrust into America’s side, so America suppressed it and even took away its diplomatic rights.
America placed the Guantanamo base there so that, if the Cuban people rose again and tried to drive out the U.S. military, America could immediately strike back.
Japan is in exactly the same situation, and America has bases in Japan so that, if Japan shows signs of becoming fully independent and defying America, it can immediately be brought to heel.
The reason Yokota and Atsugi are located right behind the capital, Tokyo, is to attack quickly and seize the capital.
In short, Japan is full of Guantanamos.
Even if neighboring Haiti or the Dominican Republic were to attack Cuba, the United States would simply watch in silence.
That was Japan’s situation under the first security treaty.
U.S. military bases were watch posts to prevent Japan from rising again and moving independently, not bases to protect Japan.
On top of that, Japan was stripped naked by the Constitution.
Therefore, Kishi’s security treaty revision meant at least asking America to protect Japan when a foreign enemy attacked.
Long ago, in America’s Pacific strategy, its strategic central line was Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines.
However, because Okinawa is a more sensitive point, America abandoned the Philippines and changed the line to Hawaii, Guam, and Okinawa.
It did so for its own convenience, and as a backup system for Okinawa, it also built the Elephant Cage, a huge antenna for communications interception, near Misawa Air Base in Aomori.
When Bill Clinton went to China, he used Misawa without permission.
Even if it was a technical landing for refueling, one wants to say, “If you have come to Japan, at least offer proper greetings before leaving.”
Miyazaki
When Trump comes to Japan, he often lands at Yokota Air Base too.
Yokota Air Base still has not been returned.
Takayama
Yokota is America’s gateway.
There is a commuter helicopter from Yokota to Roppongi.
Very near Roppongi, behind the old Azabu Third Regiment that carried out the February 26 Incident, there is a heliport.
Having a direct Yokota commuter in such a place is truly insulting to a sovereign nation.
Miyazaki
The old Sanno Hotel behind the Hilton Hotel was completely extraterritorial.
Now it has moved to Hiroo and become the New Sanno Hotel.
Even now, Japanese people cannot enter that place unless they show a passport.
Moreover, the currency circulating inside the New Sanno Hotel is the dollar.
Therefore, the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty must be revised once again.
Prime Minister Kishi was opposed with demonstrators surrounding the Diet.
Moreover, Japan had zero say toward America.
That is why Kishi is evaluated as having had diplomatic power.
When it comes to Eisaku Sato, what should be evaluated?
There is nothing, is there?
The reversion of Okinawa, the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, or perhaps the Three Principles on Arms Exports?
Takayama
The reversion of Okinawa means that, in appearance alone, Okinawa was taken back.
The bases remained, and only administrative rights were returned.
Miyazaki
America was already desperate to return administrative rights.
Takayama
Yes.
It was because the citizens of Okinawa were hopelessly unmanageable.
Paul Caraway, who came as the third High Commissioner, said that he would make Okinawa a paradise that even Japanese people would envy, and he invested an enormous amount in Okinawa.
He also poured in medicines.
Those funds went to places such as the Bank of the Ryukyus, but Okinawa did not develop at all.
So Caraway carried out compulsory inspections of major banks and insurance companies, beginning with the Bank of the Ryukyus, and found that bank executives had pocketed all the funds.
Only Okinawa’s yangban class had been enriched.
So he replaced all the executives of the Bank of the Ryukyus.
Also, when he traced the flow of medicines, he found that they had been sold on the black market on the mainland.
Streptomycin and such had all flowed out.
Caraway snapped and said, “Autonomy in Okinawa is a myth.”
He gave up on them as rotten yangban.
Thus, the bases remained, and only the administrative rights, that is, only the people, were returned.
That was the reversion of Okinawa’s administrative rights.
As a military base, Okinawa was far more effective than the Philippines.
However, now China has acquired missiles that can easily reach Guam, so the situation has changed somewhat.
In any case, Okinawa was regarded as important, but the people were no longer wanted.
That was the reversion of Okinawa’s administrative rights under Eisaku Sato.
Looking at the behavior of Takeshi Onaga and Denny Tamaki, Caraway’s words seem extremely accurate.
Miyazaki
The reversion of Okinawa was in 1972, so it was almost half a century ago.
Even after the Okinawa Promotion and Development Special Measures Act was abolished in 2002, it was revised into the Okinawa Promotion Special Measures Act and is still alive.
Because if they make noise, they receive more money, successive governors have kept making noise.
A begging mentality has become ingrained.
Takayama
When Eisaku Sato tried to revise the Constitution and aim for Japan’s independence, America put on the brakes strongly.
What was used for that purpose was the Nobel Peace Prize.
Regarding nuclear weapons in the returned Okinawa, when Eisaku Sato casually mentioned the Three Non-Nuclear Principles in order to dodge the opposition parties’ dogmatism, America, fearing Japan’s possession of nuclear weapons, seized the opportunity and gave Eisaku Sato the Nobel Peace Prize.
Perhaps they thought that this would make it absolutely impossible for Japan to possess nuclear weapons.
Even so, because they gave the Nobel Peace Prize even to Henry Kissinger, the Nobel Peace Prize is extremely political.
Miyazaki
The reason Eisaku Sato received the Nobel Peace Prize was the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, wasn’t it?
Takayama
That is right.
As I said just now, he received it because he said things like “not possessing nuclear weapons and not allowing them to be brought in.”
However, thanks to that Nobel Peace Prize, Japan once again moved farther away from constitutional revision and from nuclear armament.
Miyazaki
Wasn’t the Three Principles on Arms Exports also Sato?
Takayama
That was Takeo Miki.
The CoCom agreement of the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls said that weapons could not be exported to the communist bloc, but Miki started saying that they should not be exported to any Western country either.
There have been many foolish prime ministers, but Miki was exceptionally foolish.