Historical Dictionary of United States-Japan ... - Bakumatsu Films

OKUMA, SHIGENOBU • 197
Ryukyu Islands in order to acquire residents’ cooperation for enduring
governance.
The San Francisco Peace Treaty formally terminated the occupation
of Japan by the Allied Powers; however, the United States was
allowed to use U.S. military bases in Okinawa. The region being declared
to be outside the application of the Japan–U.S. Security Treaty,
1952. Washington approved Tokyo’s residual sovereignty over Okinawa,
but Okinawa had different legal status from that of Japan. Consequently,
people both in Okinawa and on mainland Japan promoted
movements for the restitution of Okinawa back to Japan. Civilians in
both Departments of State and Defense agreed that in order for the
United States to maintain military bases in Okinawa, it was necessary
to return the administrative rights over Okinawa back to Japan. Finally,
at the summit in November 1969, Prime Minister Eisaku Sato
and President Richard M. Nixon agreed the restitution of Okinawa to
Japanese administration. On 17 June 1971, the United States and
Japan signed the Okinawa Restitution Agreement. According to the
agreement, the United States continued to retain its military bases in
Okinawa, but those bases were to be nuclear-free. The U.S. military
still controlled about 19 percent of Okinawa. On 15 May 1972, Okinawa
was formally returned to Japanese sovereignty.
OKUBO, TOSHIMICHI (1830–1878). A samurai from Satsuma domain,
Okubo helped lead Satsuma and Choshu forces against the
Tokugawa shogunate. Okubo was a major official in the early Meiji
government, and took part in the Iwakura Mission to the United
States and Europe from 1871 to 1873. He was assassinated in 1878
by former samurai from Satsuma after he helped put down a rebellion
against the Meiji government in his native domain. See also MEIJI
RESTORATION.
OKUMA, SHIGENOBU (1838–1922). From Saga domain near Nagasaki,
Okuma studied Dutch and Western learning, and then participated
in the anti-Tokugawa shogunate movement in the 1860s. A
member of the Iwakura Mission to the United States and Europe,
Okuma later served in a number of government positions until his
death, including as foreign minister and prime minister. Okuma also
founded Waseda University in 1888, which remains one of the Japan’s