Although identity issues have been central to Okinawan grass-roots movements, until recently few politicians have explicitly campaigned on identity appeals, rather than pacifist ideology or material promises in the form of economic development and welfare. The emergence of identity politics seeking to replace such left–right ideological competition in Okinawa appears to be a new phenomenon. Has it only been under Governor Onaga Takeshi and his ‘All Okinawa’ movement that identity has been used to mobilize voters in local elections? And if so, why has this new type of identity politics emerged with such force since 2014? The type of identity politics emerging under Onaga and his movement is arguably one with strong populist features, which seek to appeal to the unity of a virtuous Okinawan people against a discriminatory Japanese mainland. In Okinawa’s ‘regionalist populism’, how are the ‘people’ defined and their ‘will’ revealed? How are the ‘enemies’ understood and framed? This article seeks to answer these two sets of questions concerning subnational identity politics and populism by investigating identity politics in Okinawan. To this end, the study will systematically draw upon campaign literature and speeches of local politicians, as well as deliberations and speeches in the Okinawa assembly, among other material in the post-reversion period (1972–2018). We suggest that this rising identity politics is indeed new and is born from a number of socio-economic developments, primarily an unprecedented level of distrust towards mainstream parties, the central government, and mainland Japanese among Okinawan voters.

中文翻译：

---

冲绳选举中的身份政治：地区民粹主义的出现

尽管身份问题一直是冲绳草根运动的核心，但直到最近，很少有政治家明确地针对身份呼吁进行竞选，而不是和平主义意识形态或以经济发展和福利形式的物质承诺。在冲绳，试图取代这种左右意识形态竞争的身份政治的出现似乎是一种新现象。难道只有在 Onaga Takeshi 知事和他的“全冲绳”运动的领导下，身份才被用来在地方选举中动员选民？如果是这样，为什么这种新型的身份政治自 2014 年以来以如此强大的力量出现？在 Onaga 和他的运动下出现的身份政治类型可以说是一种具有强烈民粹主义特征的政治，它寻求呼吁有道德的冲绳人民团结起来反对歧视性的日本大陆。在冲绳的“地区民粹主义”中，“人民”是如何定义的，他们的“意志”是如何体现的？如何理解和陷害“敌人”？本文试图通过调查冲绳的身份政治来回答这两组关于地方身份政治和民粹主义的问题。为此，该研究将系统地借鉴后恢复时期（1972-2018 年）的竞选文献和当地政治家的演讲，以及冲绳议会的审议和演讲等材料。我们认为，这种不断上升的身份政治确实是新事物，它源于一系列社会经济发展，主要是冲绳选民对主流政党、中央政府和日本大陆的不信任程度前所未有。“人民”是如何定义的，他们的“意志”又是如何体现的？如何理解和陷害“敌人”？本文试图通过调查冲绳的身份政治来回答这两组关于地方身份政治和民粹主义的问题。为此，该研究将系统地借鉴后恢复时期（1972-2018 年）的竞选文献和当地政治家的演讲，以及冲绳议会的审议和演讲等材料。我们认为，这种不断上升的身份政治确实是新事物，它源于一系列社会经济发展，主要是冲绳选民对主流政党、中央政府和日本大陆的不信任程度前所未有。“人民”是如何定义的，他们的“意志”又是如何体现的？如何理解和陷害“敌人”？本文试图通过调查冲绳的身份政治来回答这两组关于地方身份政治和民粹主义的问题。为此，该研究将系统地借鉴后恢复时期（1972-2018 年）的竞选文献和当地政治家的演讲，以及冲绳议会的审议和演讲等材料。我们认为，这种不断上升的身份政治确实是新事物，它源于一系列社会经济发展，主要是冲绳选民对主流政党、中央政府和日本大陆的不信任程度前所未有。