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 Q: How long have you been in Okinawa?
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I emigrated here in 1992, so it must be 8
years now. I came by ship because I felt
that by just popping in on a plane from the
Japanese mainland I wouldn't get the chance
to feel the distance like I would on a boat.
I remember it took two days and I arrived
here on the third day.
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Q: What brought you here?
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There really was no one in Korea doing research
on Okinawa, so I thought it might as well
be me.
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Q: Was it the same as you imagined it to
be?
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My image of Okinawa was blue skies and blue
ocean. You know, diving , frolicking with
the fish, etc. I had only seen pictures of
it as a resort area. There was a real gap
in my knowledge of what everyday life was
like here.
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Q: Do you feel you've had the chance to
get to know what it is really like here?
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It feels more like my own home than the mainland.
More people have a sense of being part of
Asia. The longer I live here the better adjusted
I feel. Consider this story. I went into
a convenience store and I was short one yen
on a purchase. The part-timer in the store,
not the storeowner, but an employee, said,
'Oh well,' and left it at that. That surprised
me. That is just not something that would
occur in Tokyo. Okinawans are like that.
When I got to Nago to do research all the
older ladies invited me in and treated me
to food. Everybody wants to invite you in,
you just can't decline, and if you try to
they get mad. They say, "You went in
next door, why not come in our house, too?"
As you can see, I am getting fatter from
all this hospitality. Okinawa has become
my home. If I went back to Korea now I wouldn't
have very much in common with the people
there anymore and would probably want to
come right back to Okinawa. I can relax here.
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Q: Is there any place you think people who
come to Okinawa should see?
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Well, the tombs right off. In Korea we have
mound burials. The style here is really rare.
When my parents came they were delighted.
I have a special tour for visitors, let me
tell you. First the tombs, then Naha's public
markets, and of course the castle ruins.
After showing the culture and history, we
start in on nature. I especially like to
show the mangroves and the subtropical jungles.
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Q: What do you think of the G-8 Summit being
held here?
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I hope it will be a real success. I will
cooperate and try to help within my own area
all that I can. I'm sure the foreign students
here will work as organizers as well.
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Q: Is there anything you feel that Okinawa
needs to do towards hosting the summit?
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:I think a group should be formed which will
look objectively at the situation and point
out what needs to be accomplished. If all
the consultations are carried out behind
the scenes, we won't be able to see what
it is necessary to do.
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Q: What do you think is needed to bring
out the greatest potential of the summit?
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Much is said about internationalization,
but it is often confused with westernization,
which is different. Cultural independence
is the greatest asset. It is not necessary
to fit into the standards of the Japanese
mainland. I think it would be a waste not
to utilize Okinawa's remoteness by trying
to be as centralized as Tokyo is. Concretely
speaking, if Okinawa is to become the gateway
to Asia, there should be direct access. Visitors
should not have to stop in the mainland before
coming to Okinawa. Perhaps a greater degree
of autonomy is needed, two or even three
systems within one country. Direct exchange
will lead to true internationalization, utilizing
the truly good qualities of Okinawa. For
this, human resources development needs to
be systemized.
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Lee Jin Young
