Lost in Translation: U.S. Forces and Crime in Japan - Okinawa Mondai, Fact and Fiction, Over-attribution of Crimes to U.S. Forces Japan Military and Civilian Personnel, SOFA-Related Incidents, Impacts

This excellent report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. This study argues that Japanese media disproportionately finds United States Forces Japan (USFJ) military and civilian personnel and their dependents responsible for accidents and crimes. The study examines how and why this pattern of reporting occurs. The study first introduces the pattern of disproportionate attribution of crime to USFJ and affiliated personnel in Okinawa, then finds that genuine crime rates are low even when compared to already low crime rates in the country. The study situates this media over-attribution pattern in a broader, Japanese-wide context of over-attribution of crime to non-Japanese residents. It then discusses further explanatory factors rooted in Okinawa's socioeconomic and political circumstances themselves, including not only the perceived disproportionate hosting burden that Okinawa shoulders for U.S. military bases, but also political and media incentives in Okinawa that lead local political actors to emphasize these burdens without fully challenging or removing them.

Following Chapter I's introductory material, Chapter II introduces the pattern of disproportionate attribution of crime to USFJ and other SOFA-covered personnel in Okinawa. It acknowledges that such crime does, of course, occur in Okinawa, but establishes more genuine crime rates and their comparatively low levels when juxtaposed even with the otherwise comparative low crime rates of Japan. Chapter III situates this pattern in a broader, nationwide context of media over-attribution of crime to non-Japanese residents. Chapter IV then discusses further explanatory factors rooted in Okinawa's socioeconomic and political circumstances themselves, including not only the perceived disproportionate hosting burden that Okinawa shoulders for U.S. bases, but also a dynamic in which institutional incentives exist in Okinawa to emphasize but not fully remove these burdens. Chapter V concludes, and includes recommendations to help change the perception that USFJ personnel commit a greater amount of crime, with the expectation that, ultimately, existing fears, tensions or negative beliefs about USFJ personnel will be lessened or, better yet, eradicated. A change in mindset is one of the most important requirements for solving the Okinawa Mondai and improving the U.S.-Japan alliance.

CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION * CHAPTER II - USFJ CRIME IN OKINAWA: FACT AND FICTION * A. THE USFJ AND SOFA * B. SOFA-RELATED INCIDENTS AND IMPACTS * C. THE SCALE OF SOFA-RELATED CRIME * D. PORTRAYALS OF SOFA-RELATED CRIME * CHAPTER III - REPORTING FOREIGN CRIME IN JAPAN * CHAPTER IV - THE OKINAWA MONDAI * A. OKINAWA'S PERCEIVED BASE-COMMUNITY BURDENS * B. POLITICAL AND MEDIA INFRASTRUCTURE: "CONFLICT PAYS" * CHAPTER V - SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION