Shoko Ahagon - The Island Where People Live - 1982

The Island Where People Live

Shoko Ahagon
Self-Published/1982/Japanese/250*255*20


A collection of photographs by Shoko Awane (1901-2002), a well-known anti-war activist in Okinawa, entitled “The Island Where Human Beings Live: A Record of the Land Struggle on Iejima Island, Okinawa”. After traveling to Cuba and Peru as an immigrant, he returned to Okinawa in 1934 and settled on Iejima Island, where he worked as a farmer. Iejima was the first island to be attacked in the Pacific War, and after the war the residents were forced to leave due to the construction of a base for training exercises by the US military. Despite the residents' protests, their land was confiscated by the U.S. military using “bayonets and bulldozers,” and those who lost their homes were forced to live in tents, many of whom were killed. In order to reclaim their land, the Awane people confronted the U.S. military in a non-violent manner. This book is a record of the struggle for land on Ie Island, as captured by Abane. It shows the ruins of houses that were destroyed, scenes of living in tents, the activities of petition groups, residents' conventions, and other aspects of the struggle. Although the film does not have the roughness of a documentary on university struggles, it does record the people who confronted the problems of Okinawa, which are still relevant today.