.In 2012, the Central Intelligence Agency’s Open Source Center published a manual for U.S. officials advising them how to shape Okinawan public opinion about the large U.S. military presence on their island. Categorized For Official Use Only, the 60-page CIA report is titled A Master Narratives Approach to Understanding Base Politics in Okinawa.
It was released under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
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The manual:
- advises U.S. policy makers to claim that the U.S. military benefits the economy, promotes cultural exchange and provides disaster relief
- warns U.S. officials not to mention military deterrence or the environment
- criticizes the Japanese government for being insensitive to Okinawan issues
- describes discrimination against Okinawans as a problem solely involving the island and Tokyo; the U.S. bears no blame - outlines five “narratives” which, the CIA claims, enables Americans to understand Okinawans’ character