A Study of Okinawa's Socio-Economic Structure of the Post-Reversion to Japan

1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 08630051
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 経済政策(含経済事情)
• Research Institution: University of the Ryukyus
• Principal Investigator: MATSUDA Yoshitaka Univ.of the Ryukyus, faculty of law and letters, professor, 法文学部, 教授 (80044832)
• Project Period (FY): 1996 – 1997
• Keywords: reversion to Japan / prefectural income / industrial structure / income from military bases / tourist industry / input-output iter-industrial relations / productivity of added value / local self-government

Research Abstract

The purpose of this study, following A Study of the Postwar Socio-Economic History of Okinawa, which treats of the period under the U.S.administration, is to make it clear how our prefectural socio-economic structure has changed since the reversion to Japan and what possibilities we are now given, or what dificulties we are supposed to confront, in order to advance a self-supporting economic development. For that we have at the outset to realize what function our prefectural economy is fulfilling within whole national economy. In other words, we need to grasp the specific features of Okinawa's economy by comparing it with other prefectural ones. In this inquiry we bigin with tracing the process of the reversion to the main land, then get forward to the analysis of economic structure including input-output inter-industrial relations in comparision with five similar prefectures : Shimane, Tokushima, Kouchi, Saga and Miyazaki, and finally discuss how a local self-goverment should be in a modern state, the problem of which is exceedingly important for Okinawa that was once an independent kingdom with a peculiar historical background and atill has an original and unique culture. The contents of interim results are given as follows. <Realities of the reversion to Japan> 1 collapse of US dollar, S domination over the world 2 features of the pre-reversion economy depending on income from military bases 3 "Okinawa Ocean Exposition boom" and "bankruptcy whirlwind" 4 destruction of communities <Specific characters of economic structure> 1 distorted industrial structure 2 regional industries and trade with other regions 3 production inducement coefficients and productivity of added value 4 transition of economic growth 5 from "dependence on military bases" to "dependence on tourism" 6 outline of the prefectural finance <Resuscitation of local autonomy> 1 absence of local self-government 2 local government and central government 3 "Okinawan person" and identity 4 "the true aim of local self-government" and popular sovereignty.