If the matter is not resolved before the start of the summit meeting, President Clinton could face protests from local residents when he arrives. Many Okinawa residents said that they wanted to express their concerns about the military bases directly to Clinton and that they hoped he would hold a town hall meeting during the summit conference. Equally important, many Okinawans said, is that the islanders use the summit meeting to introduce the world to their culture and way of life, which they maintain are not typically Japanese. Okinawans are descendants of the inhabitants of the Ryukyus kingdom, which became part of Japan in 1879. Because of the Ryukyus' trade links with Taiwan, China and Thailand, Okinawans have developed their own distinct cultural forms, dialect and cuisine.
Okinawan society is vertical.
We are warmer and more friendly than people on the mainland. We are proud to be Japanese, but we are different.