Okinawa consists of just .6 percent of the total landmass of Japan and contributes 1 percent to the population, according to the introduction in "Southern Exposure." Yet its size is disproportionate to its role in recent Japanese history.
Okinawa is Japan's beautiful stepchild, handed over by the United States in 1972. A Cinderella of sorts, this prefecture has been given the not-so-pretty job of accommodating 75 percent of the U.S. military presence in Japan. As an ethnic minority, Okinawans have also felt the indignity of second-class citizenship thrust upon them by both countries. But as in fairy tales, it is the abused and devalued who often develop the moral authority and integrity necessary to demonstrate truth and justice.
In the "manga"-saturated nation of Japan, Okinawan writers are revealing their truths and taking home a number of prestigious literary awards in the process, including the Akutagawa Prize for fiction in both 1996 and 1997. Moreover, unlike major mainland writers, Okinawan writers have not had the luxury of quitting their day jobs to devote full energy to developing literary careers. But until now, no translations of Okinawan literature have even existed for the interested English-language reader.